Program, May–Aug 2024

• Application Deadline: March 29, 2024

The Expanding Research Access in STEM at the University of Houston (ERAS-UH) program is designed to support undergraduate research at UH in STEM degree plans (broadly defined). The program will provide financial support ($2,500 for the summer) for undergraduates to engage in research within their field under the supervision of a faculty member in their or a related department. Funds may also be provided for materials related to the research as requested by the faculty mentor. Participants will present their research in a poster session at the end of the summer. The best poster winner will be financially supported to travel to present their work at a scientific conference.

This program does not have a minimum GPA requirement and is targeted at students that may be less competitive by financial or other constraints. The application requires a research statement or faculty letter of support, as well as a personal statement describing the student's academic pathway and goals (including external factors that may have affected academic success). Participants will also join professional and scientific development meetings as a group once per week (lunch provided). Finally, participants will be invited (not required) to contribute their story at an oral histories event at the Holocaust Museum Houston.

Information Session Video

Watch the video from the information session held on March 7.

Internship Stipends

Interns will receive a $2,500 stipend for the summer program. Please be aware the $2,500 is taxable as regular income. Students will receive the majority of the funds at the beginning of the program, and the full amount contingent on satisfactory performance as confirmed by their faculty mentor. Each student’s particular working schedule will be determined by their faculty mentor, but all are expected to be in-person regularly during the program.

Eligibility

Any UH STEM student (including those in the Colleges of Natural Sciences and Mathematics and Engineering) is welcome to apply. Students can apply for SURF and ERAS, but SURF fellows will not simultaneously receive the ERAS fellowship. Applicants must not graduate in the spring or summer of 2024 to be considered.

The ERAS-UH Program does not permit discrimination based on pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, race, religious creed, color, national origin or ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, veteran status, marital status, age, sex, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Persons of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

How To Apply

To apply, please complete the form at the “Apply Here” button below. In addition to a few individual and demographic questions, you should include a single PDF containing the following items:

• A Resume or CV describing your past education, research experiences or employment, and technical skills in your field of interest. Your GPA will not be used to evaluate you in this application, and you are not required to include it in this resume if you would prefer not to.
• Course list of all Science, Computer Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics courses completed with a passing grade to-date (or currently enrolled in). Letter grades are not required, just list the science courses you have passed or expect to pass this semester.
• A statement of research interest (one page maximum). This can be about your past research if you have had some, but it’s also fine to describe what you hope to do in the future if you do not have research experience. If you applied to SURF, you can use that.
• Personal statement (maximum of one page). Address your undergraduate career, and specifically any significant barriers you have encountered in your time at UH that may have affected your success. Common examples include significant time constraints due to employment or family issues, financial constraints, difficulties of a first-generation student navigating college, or other concerns.
• Faculty contact information for a faculty member that is willing to write a letter of reference for you.

Apply Here

Application Evaluation Process

Your application will be evaluated based on equal weight using the rubric:

1. Is the applicant likely to succeed in this research program, based on their coursework and statement,
2. Is the applicant motivated to learn new things and committed to working hard to accomplish their goals based on their statement, and
3. Is the applicant likely to benefit from this program for their future career goals based on their statement?

An initial review of applications will begin in March, so it is highly recommended that you apply by Friday, March 29, 2024. Notification of an award will come as soon as possible but will be after SURF awards are offered and accepted.

For Additional Program Information

Please contact Dr. Greg Morrison at gcmorrison@uh.edu or 713-743-9344.