Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP) at Big Ten Academic Alliance Universities
Opportunity Description:
The Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP) is a gateway to graduate education at Big Ten Academic Alliance universities. The goal of the program is to increase the number of underrepresented students who pursue graduate study and research careers. SROP helps prepare undergraduates for graduate study through intensive research experiences with faculty mentors and enrichment activities.
Now in its 37th year, SROP celebrates the achievements of its alumni. To date, 610 program alumni have earned a Ph.D. degree and are now preparing the next generation of SROP scholars as mentors and teachers. Thousands of others have completed graduate training and are pursuing successful careers in government, business, and non-profit agencies.
Enhance your academic and research skills by working one-on-one with a faculty mentor from top-ranked research institutions. Gain experience as an undergraduate student to put you at an advantage as a graduate applicant:
- Weekly campus-based educational enrichment activities broaden your view of graduate education and research, along with strengthening your technical skills.
- Campus workshops inform you about graduate admission procedures, financial aid opportunities, test-taking skills, preparing a presentation, and expose you to a wide range of research fields. Informal social gatherings provide a relaxed setting for students and faculty to exchange ideas and share experiences.
- At the end of the summer, you present the results of your research project at a symposium or poster session held on your campus.
Primary Responsibilities:
Selected participants will be expected to complete 40 hours of research each week. Participants must be willing to devote full-time to the program during the eight- to 10-week session. Due to the intense research schedule, SROP participants are not allowed to work an additional job during the summer program.
Minimum Qualifications and/or Eligibility Requirements:
Please note: The SROP program is not for students pursuing professional degrees such as law, medical, and MBA degrees. Students who have completed an undergraduate degree are not eligible.
Students wishing to participate in SROP must meet all of the following criteria:
- Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher (4.0 scale)
- Be a citizen or a permanent resident of the U.S.
- Be enrolled in a degree-granting program at a college or university in the United States, Puerto Rico, or other U.S. territory
- Have completed at least two semesters of undergraduate education by the time of the summer experience
- Have at least one semester of undergraduate education remaining after completing the summer research experience
- Have a strong interest in pursuing a Ph.D.
Application Process:
Each year SROP applications are accepted between November 1 and February 10. The Big Ten Academic Alliance universities SROP application allows you to apply to up to 9 widely-recognized summer research programs at participating Big Ten Academic Alliance universities institutions using a single application. One of the benefits of using the Big Ten Academic Alliance universities SROP application is that you only need to upload one transcript to a central location (the Big Ten Academic Alliance universities) and your faculty recommenders will only be required to submit one online letter of recommendation (TWO LETTERS required in total). Upon completion, your application will be viewable by faculty from nine top research universities.
You can begin exploring programs and research opportunities today to prepare for the application process. Learn more about participating programs through the Campus Profiles page. We highly encourage you to read through the FAQ as it answers many common questions regarding the application and application process.
Apply here once you are prepared to submit your application.