Research and Creative Activity Opportunities Over Interterm and Summer

 

Summers and interterms are a unique time to do research and creative activities, and there are multiple programs both within and outside Chapman that you can apply to. These programs are united in requiring a higher level of commitment to research or creative activities as well as in providing a stipend for you (usually several thousand dollars).

 

Summer programs at Chapman:

• Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF): This is an 8-week program where you conduct research or creative activities with a Chapman faculty mentor. This program targets students who are already working with a faculty mentor on research or creative activities, and involves submitting a research proposal that your faculty mentor will provide guidance on. The program pays a $4,000 stipend and provides free housing as well.
• There are also several discipline-specific programs at Chapman run by individual colleges that are geared toward those disciplines. These include:
  • Schmid Summer Research Fellowship (open only to Schmid majors)
  • Beckman Scholars Program (open only to biology, biochemistry, and chemistry majors)
  • Stauffer-Fletcher Jones Summer Fellowship (open only to biochemistry and chemistry majors)
  • Smith Institute Summer Scholars (open to any students interested in political economy and philosophy)

 

Summer programs outside Chapman:

There are multiple nationwide summer programs for research and creative activities outside Chapman. Unlike the opportunities at Chapman, you usually do not need to contact potential mentors ahead of time and are usually paired with a mentor based on your interest once you are accepted.

• National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experience for Undergraduates (REUs): REUs provide opportunities to do research in a STEM discipline, and are hosted by universities around the U.S. REUs are required to pay students a stipend (typically several thousand dollars) and provide room and board as well. Different universities will have different REU programs with different areas of emphases; for instance, some REU programs are specific for research in molecular biology, while others are for chemical engineering. We recommend reviewing the NSF REU page here for more information and searching for programs by discipline in their directory of REU sites. Most students typically apply to multiple REUs each summer.
• Amgen Scholars Program: These programs provide research opportunities for students in science and biotechnology. Like NSF REUs, there are multiple independent Amgen Scholar Programs across the U.S., each with their own program application, and most students typically apply to multiple Amgen Scholars Program. Amgen Scholars are provided a stipend (typically several thousand dollars), room and board, and professional development.

 

In addition, there are countless summer programs for research or creative activities run by individual institutions. We encourage you to consult our database of opportunities (coming soon) and reach out to your individual college’s career advisor for more info.

 

Interterm programs at Chapman:

• Wilkinson Interterm Research Experience (WIRE): WIRE is open to any student with a major or minor in Wilkinson College, and provides funding for interterm. A faculty mentor is required.

 

Questions?

Please reach out to us! Contact info for our leadership team is below. Also feel free to reach out to one of our Student Scholar Ambassadors who have experience across disciplines.