The University of Maryland School of Public Health Summer Training and Research (STAR) Program

Opportunity Description:

The University of Maryland School of Public Health Summer Training and Research (STAR) program is designed to provide traditionally underrepresented and disadvantaged undergraduate students with two consecutive summers of a 10-week research training and career development program to enhance their potential to apply for and complete PhD degrees in biomedical and behavioral science relevant to preventing and treating cardiovascular disease. To be eligible for this program you can be an undergraduate student at any university or you can be from the University of Maryland College Park. If you are from the University of Maryland, College Park, you are also eligible for our similar UM ADAPT Program. UM STAR has been funded for the past seven years by a grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Over 40 UM STAR trainees have completed the program to date and the program enrolls six-eight new trainees every summer.

The Specific Objectives of the UM STAR Program are to:

• Enhance research skills and experience necessary to be competitive graduate school applicants in cardiovascular and related disease research areas
• Enhance awareness of the process, practice, and ethics underlying scientific research
• Prepare trainees for graduate school and a research career    
• Provide quality mentoring
• Increase knowledge of landmark and breakthrough research on the causes and prevention of cardiovascular and related diseases
• Have Fun!

Minimum Qualifications and/or Eligibility Requirements: 

Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Citizen or permanent resident of the US;
• Enrolled full-time at a 4-year college or university;
• Currently a sophomore or junior
• Have not already completed a Bachelor’s degree;
• 3.0 or better cumulative grade point average;
• Come from an under-represented minority group, disadvantaged background, and/or have a disability
  • Under-represented minority: African American or black, Hispanic/Latino, Native American or Pacific Islander
  • Disadvantaged background: First-generation college student within the immediate family
  • Disability: Physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities
• Desire to pursue a PhD in biomedical or behavioral sciences;
• Willing to commit to the program for 2 consecutive summers.

Each candidate’s application materials will be reviewed by the UM STAR Admissions Committee based on the following criteria:

• the candidate’s desire to pursue a PhD degree
• the candidate’s Personal Statement
• undergraduate GPA, especially in science-based courses
• letters of reference
• a rising sophomore or a junior
• the diversity they add to the applicant pool
• the mentors they have selected

Application Process: 

To apply for UM STAR, please submit:

1. Completed Application Form
2. Official Undergraduate Transcript (original)
3. One-Page Personal Statement (see additional information) a letter of application which must address: must address:
   • why they selected the UM STAR program
   • their long-term career goals, especially with regard to graduate school and pursuing a PhD degree
   • which three UM STAR program faculty mentors they have selected and why
4. Two Letters of Recommendation (both from faculty members, with one being a professor who had you in a behavioral, life, or biological science course).

This material must be submitted on-line at the Big Ten Academic Alliance Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP) Application site.
The deadline to complete the online application is Monday, February 10, 2022. The site usually opens for applications on November 1, 2021.

Note: Transcripts and recommendations will be accepted on the on-line site until MARCH 1. Please allow 10 days' processing time once transcripts arrive at the SROP office for the transcript status on SROP applications to be updated.

Application Deadline: