K-INBRE Application

Application Deadline: 5:00 p.m. January 24th, 2025

Important Information about the K-INBRE Undergraduate Scholarship Program

The K-INBRE Undergraduate Scholarship Program is intended to provide an intensive research experience, personalized mentoring, and financial support to undergraduate science students who intend to pursue, or desire to seriously investigate, career opportunities in biomedical research.It is not intended for pre-professional students who will pursue purely professional practice degrees and clinically-oriented careers, nor is it intended simply to provide summer jobs for students or lab assistants for faculty members.

Ideally, the undergraduate research experience should span one calendar year or more of continuous involvement. The level of involvement may vary throughout the year, according to other demands of the student's academic program, but involvement should remain continuous, reflecting a genuine interest in research as part of the learning process.

The research experience should serve to introduce the participant to many aspects of research ranging from the conceptual and planning stages, through the technical aspects of conducting experiments and collecting data, to the data analysis and experimental re-design stage, and finally to the stage of presentation of results. It should become an integral component of the student's overall preparation for graduate studies, where research assumes a much more prominent role in the overall program of study.

The K-INBRE Undergraduate Scholarship Program aims to facilitate this long-term continuous engagement in biomedical research by providing academic year and summer scholarships, and by providing a cadre of experienced faculty researchers as potential mentors for K-INBRE scholars.

K-INBRE scholarship funds may be used in any way that supports the student's research program (including living expenses, tuition, books, etc.). Additional student financial support during the academic year may be provided by the mentor in some cases, but this is not guaranteed and is not formally a part of the K-INBRE program. Each K-INBRE scholar will be responsible for paying his/her own tuition (whether resident or non-resident). A small allowance for research supplies and other direct research expenses may be provided separately to the student's mentor.

What to know before starting the application

All materials, including letters of reference, are due by 5:00 p.m. Friday, January 24th, 2024.

Be prepared to answer the following questions as part of the application process:

How did you become interested in science? (300-word limit)
What areas or aspects of science interest you the most and why? (300-word limit)
Describe your long-term career aspirations and your plans for achieving those goals following graduation from KU. (300-word limit)
Project Title
Project Description - Please provide a description of the project you intend to pursue with K-INBRE support. (750-word limit)

You will also need
Names and contact information for 2 references (current mentor must be one)
Please instruct your letter writers to submit letters by the deadline (Jan. 24th) to bdackley@ku.edu
Current copy of your DPR (or equivalent)

If your project requires the use of hazardous materials or vertebrate animals, please ask your mentor to send a copy of their institutional approval to Dr. Ackley by the deadline. 

K-INBRE Undergraduate Scholarship Program Requirements and Expectations

• It is expected that each K-INBRE scholar will have been a full-time, degree-seeking KU student on the Lawrence campus during the two semesters prior to entering the program, and will have completed at least two years of college science courses by the beginning of the first summer of full-time research, although exceptions may be made for particularly outstanding freshmen students.

• K-INBRE scholars are responsible for paying their own tuition. No supplements or additional funding will be provided by the program for transportation, housing, room and board, tuition, travel, etc.

• K-INBRE scholars will be expected to keep a proper record of all their lab activities (i.e., a formal research notebook) and to produce a comprehensive written report of their research activities and accomplishments at the end of their participation. For 2022 scholars, the final written report is due to the K-INBRE program director by December 18, 2021.

• K-INBRE scholars will be expected to immerse themselves deeply in research activities while they are receiving support from the program, typically ~10 hours per week during the academic semesters and up to 30 hours per weekduring the summer term.  In special cases, summer enrollment in other classes maybe allowed, but will be limited to one course for three hours of credit or less.

• Because K-INBRE scholars are expected to work in the lab full-time during the summer term, K-INBRE scholars may not accept or undertake any other form of employment while they are involved in summer research without prior approval from the campus coordinator.

• K-INBRE scholars are expected to participate in monthly program meetings during the spring and fall semesters and weekly programs meetings during the summer term.

• K-INBRE scholars will be expected to present their results at the annual Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium at KU and the annual K-INBRE State-wide Symposium. They may also get opportunities to present their work at other regional or national scientific meetings. K-INBRE will provide partial financial support as possible.

• Quarterly reports on updates are requested including publications, presentations or grants obtained in part due to the K-INBRE funding. Requests for updates will be sent by email.