Summer Program for Undergraduate Research (SPUR) in Life Sciences

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Academic Level:
For most summer research programs, this is your upcoming status as of the fall. Always check with the individual program's website for details.

Undergraduates - First Year
Undergraduates - Sophomore
Undergraduates - Junior
Undergraduates - Senior

Note: this opportunity encourages applications from community college students.

Description:
The University of Oregon (UO) Summer Program for Undergraduate Research (SPUR) provides fellowship opportunities for undergraduate students from other Universities and Colleges to participate in ongoing research in Life Sciences laboratories at UO during the Summer months. Each project is a rigorous and rich immersion in a mentored, high profile science research project with a lab mentor under the direction of a research professor. We are very interested in enhancing the creativity, diversity, and talent of the next generation of life scientists in research communities. We stress active, experiential learning, because a true understanding of scientific ideas requires immersion into the processes of discovery, and it is reflected in the ability to communicate these ideas. SPUR training stresses active learning for interns and their mentors in experimental approaches, methodological skills, strategic design, creative and critical reasoning, and scientific communication. Professional and social interactions with active researchers at all levels helps interns boost personal confidence. In selecting summer interns, we seek talented, motivated, adventurous, and hard-working undergraduates who would benefit from what our program has to offer, and who perhaps would not otherwise have such opportunities.

Mission Statement

The Summer Program for Undergraduate Research aims to train students to become creative explorers, to expand their interest and excitement in science, and to increase opportunities for them to pursue careers in research. We are very interested in enhancing the diversity and talent of the next generation of life scientists in the research community. We stress active, experiential learning, because a true understanding of scientific ideas requires immersion into the processes of discovery, and it is reflected in the ability to communicate these ideas.

SPUR offers closely mentored research projects to provide broad, experience-based training in science research. This training, which stresses active learning for both interns and mentors, includes experimental approaches, methodological skills, strategic design, creative and critical reasoning, and scientific communication. We aim to boost personal confidence by professional and social interactions with active researchers at all levels. In selecting summer interns, we seek talented, motivated, adventurous, and hard-working undergraduates who would benefit from what our program has to offer, and who perhaps would not otherwise have such opportunities.

SPUR contributes to national efforts to raise competence in STEM areas, enhances access to research careers for students with limited access to research facilities and experience, broadens the participation of minority researchers in STEM field related careers, and trains graduate students and postdoctoral fellows to be effective mentors.


Participating Institution(s):
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Program Materials:

This Program can be Described by:

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This program is funded by:
National Institute of Health (NIH)


Page last updated 11/29/2018
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