Professional Education Opportunities

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Nemours Graduate Education and Research Program

The Graduate Education and Research Program at Nemours Children's Hospital, Delaware offers robust research training for MS and PhD graduate students from multiple graduate programs at the University of Delaware (UD), including the Department of Biological Sciences, Psychological & Brain Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, Bioinformatics & Computational Biology and Human Development & Family Sciences. Training is also offered to students from Jefferson Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. Students enrolled in these UD programs have an opportunity to conduct lab rotation and thesis research in Nemours research laboratories. Research training at Nemours will be of particular interest to students seeking to perform translational research linking basic science hypotheses to the mechanism, diagnosis and treatment of human diseases.

Program Description

Graduate students who enter the Nemours Graduate Education and Research Program follow coursework at the educational institution and conduct their research work in one of the Nemours research labs. A student’s thesis committee, including thesis advisors, will be comprised of faculty from both institutions. All graduate students are supported as either a research assistant or teaching assistant. Master’s students typically graduate in two years, PhD students in five years. 

Resources & Support

Nemours offers state-of-the-art research instrumentation and core laboratory services including flow cytometry, cell sorting, next-generation sequencing, experimental animal vivarium, in vitro and in vivo imaging, histology, high-throughput screening and biostatistics. Video conferencing is available to facilitate interactions between Nemours and the educational institutions.

A student-run organization called SNERPS (Students of Nemours Education and Research Programs) meets regularly for academic and social purposes. Other benefits include free on-site parking, on-site gym and on-site cafeteria.

Participating Faculty and Laboratories

Robert Akins, PhD — Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine Research

Deepthi Alapati, MD — Perinatal and Pulmonary Translation Research

Sonali Barwe, PhD — Cancer Modeling

Matthew E. R. Butchbach, PhD — Motor Neuron Diseases Research

Anilkumar Gopalakrishnapillai, PhD — Cancer Stem Cell

Danielle Hatchimonji, EdM, PhD — Center for Healthcare Delivery Science

Amanda Hernan, PhD — Dynamics in Epilepsy and Cognitive Development (DECODE)

Sigrid Langhans, PhD — Cancer Epigenetics

Zhengyu (Mark) Ma, MBBS, PhD — T Cell Immunology and Cancer Immunotherapy

Shunji Tomatsu, MD, PhD — Skeletal Dysplasia Research

Elizabeth Wright-Jin, MD — Neonatal Brain Injury

Contact the Nemours Graduate and Education Research Program for more information at ResearchEducationOps@nemours.org.

Nemours Summer Undergraduate Research Program (NSURP)

Every summer, the Nemours Biomedical Research Department provides funding for undergraduate students to work on clinical, laboratory and translational research projects. The Nemours Summer Undergraduate Research Program is a 10-week, full-time program that runs from late May through early August. The available positions are located at four Nemours sites:

Overview

Since 1971, the Nemours Biomedical Research Department has been funding scholarships to undergraduate students for work on summer research projects through NSURP.

Each year, the program is comprised of an assortment of laboratory-based and applied/clinical research projects. Scholarship recipients are matched with scientist/physician mentors according to student's expressed interest in the projects, the student's background and selection of the student by the mentors.

Areas of study encompass a wide variety of medical specialties, including but not limited to the list below:

  • Balance
  • Cardiology
  • Genetics
  • Hearing
  • Immunology
  • Medical Imaging
  • Metabolic Disease
  • Musculoskeletal Diseases
  • Neonatology
  • Neurology
  • Oncology
  • Orthopedics
  • Pulmonology
  • Radiology
  • Reproductive Biology
  • Rheumatology
  • Speech
  • Tissue Engineering

Goal and Purpose

NSURP seeks to provide a well-rounded, health care-focused experience in biomedical research to undergraduates interested in pursuing advanced studies in the biological sciences and/or health professions.

During the 10-week program, participants will learn about human subjects protection and animal welfare concerns, research ethics, evidence-based medicine, and clinical and translational research, while performing research in the context of pediatric medicine. Nemours research faculty guide students through the process of formulating and testing hypotheses, interpreting data and communicating results. Mentors regularly meet with students throughout the program and provide assistance in experimental design and interpretation of collected data.

Program Details

Selection Process

During the online application process, applicants are asked to rank up to five of their top project choices. The location of the project is noted on the Project Abstract list. Scholarship recipients are matched with scientist/physician mentors according to both a student's expressed interest in the projects and their background and selection of the student by the mentors.

Program Activities

Enrichment activities integral to the program include research/clinical seminars, participation in student-led journal club and other activities. At the conclusion of the program, a symposium is held during which Summer Research Students present their research activities to the Nemours community, family and friends.

Project Abstracts

NSURP Project Abstract list: Refer to NSURP Application for Current Project Abstracts.

Learn More About Nemours Biomedical Research

Scholarship

Each NSURP scholar will receive a $6,000 scholarship, dispersed in two installments during the program.

The program does not provide a housing allowance. While the program can assist with providing housing resources, finding and securing suitable housing is the scholar's responsibility.

Travel from one's residence to the research site is the responsibility of the student. There is ample free parking available at all locations except in Philadelphia.

Program Activities

  • Research Seminars
  • Journal Club
  • Discussions about medical and academic careers
  • Research presentations by scholars

All students will present their research project and findings to the Nemours community via poster sessions and oral presentations. Family and friends are invited to attend these events.

Shadowing Opportunities

In addition to the program activities above, each student has the opportunity to engage in clinical shadowing experiences. The student would join a pediatric specialist or sub-specialist during their outpatient or inpatient patient care as an observer.

NSURP Scholar Award

Post program, many students go on to present their research at major conferences and specialty meetings. The NSURP Scholar Award recognizes excellence in research by student investigators based on the quality of abstracts accepted/presented at prestigious national scientific meetings.

Current or past NSURP participants (within past two years of participating) who will be or have presented the research directly related to the research project that the student participated while in the NSURP are eligible to apply for the award. Email for more information.

Frequently Asked Questions

The program will include both live and virtual components based on the program being held at multiple sites.

  • United States citizen or Permanent Resident
  • Enrollment as an undergraduate student at the time of application
  • Minimum 3.2 college GPA
  • Interest in research motivated by problems in pediatric health

Upon completion of your application, each recommender listed will receive an automatically-generated email with a personalized link and instructions on how to submit a letter on your behalf. Recommenders will be asked to answer a few short questions and upload a letter to your application packet directly. It is your responsibility to ensure that your recommender completes this task prior to the January 31 deadline.

An application is considered complete when the application has been submitted and at least two letters of recommendation have been received no later than January 31. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Letters should be from college faculty members who can speak to your experiences working on research and/or your academic abilities; one must be from a science faculty member. For freshmen, it is acceptable if one of these letters is from a high school science teacher. Letters from mentors in research programs you were involved with are preferable.

No. The program accepts transcript copies as long as they are legible and complete.

Scholars will receive a $6,000 scholarship for the 10-week program, which will be paid in two installments during the summer program.

Each project is based at one of four Nemours locations that are clearly specified on the project abstract:

No. Travel from one's residence to the research site is up to the student. There is ample free parking at the Nemours locations. If the student is based at Jefferson in Philadelphia, there is a fee for parking.

No. While the program can assist with providing housing resources, finding and securing suitable housing is the scholar's responsibility.

Yes, you can apply to one or more than one location. Because you are asked to rank up to five (5) of your top project choices on the application, you may opt to select projects from a variety of locations. Remember that housing and transportation are your responsibility, so you may need to consider location of project in your ranking. On the application, you will be asked about plans for housing and transportation in the area(s) you have chosen.

The 10-week program is a full-time, 40 hours per week, Monday through Friday commitment, and should be performed in person during general business hours. Specific times will be determined by the project mentors. Attendance is required throughout the entirety of the program. Personal vacation time is not allowed during the 10 weeks.

We cannot interview every applicant. At some point during the selection process, you might be contacted by the program and/or the specific mentor to discuss your application.

Notifications will be emailed by mid-March.

Please email our Program Coordinator with any additional questions.

Application Information

The application is electronic and submitted online. Program application opens each year from December 1 to January 15.

Application timeline

  • 2024 Application opens December 1, 2023
  • 2024 Application closes January 15, 2024 at 11:59 p.m. EST
  • All letters of recommendation due January 31, 2024
  • Positions filled Mid-March 2024
  • Program begins May 28, 2024
  • Program ends August 2, 2024

 

Eligibility

  • United States citizen or Permanent Resident
  • Enrollment as an undergraduate student at the time of application
  • Minimum 3.2 college GPA
  • Interest in research motivated by problems in pediatric health

Application Requirements

  • Completed application form
  • Current resume
  • Two letters of recommendation
    • The people writing your letters will receive an email via the application with directions on how to submit a recommendation on your behalf.
    • Letters should be from college faculty members who can speak to your experiences working on research and/or your academic abilities; one must be from a science faculty member. For freshman, it is acceptable if one of these letters is from a high school science teacher.
    • Letters from mentors in research programs you were involved with are preferable.
  • Transcripts
    • The program will accept "unofficial" transcripts as long as they are legible and complete.
  • Short essay responses (listed within the application)
  • Optional: two additional supplementary files (poster, writing sample, etc.)

We encourage diversity in our student cohort: We welcome applicants from all races, ethnicities, sexual orientations and abilities/disabilities to apply.

To Apply

Thank you for your interest in the Nemours Summer Undergraduate Research Program. Program application opens each year from December 1 to January 15. For questions, email.

The Application Preview (PDF) provides a look at important information and questions that require personal responses. DO NOT SUBMIT THIS AS FORMAL APPLICATION FOR THE SCHOLARSHIP. The official application can be found by clicking “Apply Now”.

Education at Nemours

Nemours provides a wide range of residency, fellowship and other professional education programs for professionals at the undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate levels.

Contact Us

Email inquiries and question to the NSURP Program Coordinator at summerresearch@nemours.org.