Summer Programs in Biomedical Research
Hints for applicants
The Summer Programs are highly competitive. About 1 of every
8 applicants to the Summer Programs is selected. In the NHLBI,
the selection process is initiated by the scientists themselves.
They typically select students whose research interests and skills
are of relevance to their ongoing research. Some investigators will
select students based on key words in their application, while other
investigators will select only from students who contact them directly.
It is thus highly advantageous that applicants contact individual investigators
to explain their interest and aptitude for the ongoing research.
Hints on How to Apply and Compete
- Take some time to identify areas of research
that interest you. You should identify several researchers or
laboratories whose research interests you most. Listings of researchers
and their interests in the NHLBI
and within all of NIH
are available on-line.
- Also visit the web sites of NIH
Institutes and Centers.
- Write a good
cover
letter describing your interest in health-related research,
future academic plans, and reasons for seeking an internship at
the NIH. Use this cover letter in your on-line application.
- Send an e-mail to investigators whose
research interests you that tells them why you are interested in
their research and how your research skills will be useful to them with a copy to the NHLBI Office
of Education at: direducation@nhlbi.nih.gov.
- Include information in your application and in the e-mail to
investigators on past research experience, science awards,
honors, student programs and participation in scientific meetings
and poster sessions—attach copies of abstracts and scientific papers.
- Carefully proofread your application.
- The best recommendation letters are from science faculty, preceptors,
etc. that have direct knowledge of your scientific interests and
abilities. Letters from family friends are less useful.
- Graduating seniors should include information that you have
been accepted to an academic institution at the next educational
level, e.g., acceptance letter to college, professional school,
etc.
- Be mindful about application deadlines. Apply early (before
January 1)
electronically
on the NIH web site. If you have an interest in an internship
in research going on at the NHLBI,
select THE NATIONAL HEART, LUNG, AND BLOOD INSTITUTE in item #9
on the application.
- Selection of students by individual laboratories begins early
in the year, well before the application deadline. Students
who have been selected will be contacted by investigators and
will receive notification of their selection from the Office of
Education. Those who are not selected will receive notification
during the month of May. The Office of Education will not be able
to respond to inquiries about the status of a particular application.
For further information about the NHLBI DIR Summer Internship Program,
including help on choosing a mentor, please contact the Summer Program
Coordinator at the NHLBI DIR Office of Education, Building 10, Room
2N242, Bethesda, MD 20892-1754, or Tel: 301-451-9440, Fax:
301-594-8133 or e-mail: direducation@nhlbi.nih.gov.
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