2016 Graduate Summer Opportunity to Advance Research Program

We are pleased to announce the 2016 Graduate Summer Opportunity to Advance Research (GSOAR) Program at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The GSOAR program is a partnership between the NIH Office of Intramural Training & Education and the Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity. GSOAR students will spend the summer working at the NIH side-by-side with some of the world's leading scientists, in an environment devoted exclusively to biomedical research. During their internships at NIH, scholars will be matched with research mentors in the NIH Intramural Research Program (IRP) where they will be immersed in a culture of translational science and will explore important elements of the basic, translational and clinical research enterprise. (To get an idea of the types of research conducted in the 27 Institutes and Centers that make up the NIH, visit http://www.nih.gov/icd/.)

Eligibility
The NIH GSOAR Program is a summer research immersion experience that seeks to prepare a diverse cadre of young scholars for the rigors of biomedical research so that they excel in graduate school and are highly competitive for future opportunities in the biomedical enterprise. This program is designed for recently matriculated, first or second year graduate students enrolled in a biomedical PhD program, especially those interested in integrating quantitative approaches into research design and analysis. Students completing a master's degree who are transitioning into a biomedical PhD program are also eligible to apply. Students from diverse backgrounds and students who have faced disadvantage that impacted their educational or research opportunities earlier in their educational careers are especially encouraged to apply.

In addition, applicants must:

• Be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
• Be enrolled for Fall 2016 in a graduate program at a university in the U.S., Puerto Rico, or other US territory.
• Students applying for Fall 2016 admission should apply knowing that participation in the program will be dependent on successful matriculation into a graduate program.
• Have permission from their graduate school program/university to participate in the program.

Application Process
Applicants should complete the standard NIH Summer Internship Program (SIP) application and choose "GSOAR" in item 9. Applicants should discuss the following important elements in the application cover letter:

• Prior research experience, and current and future research interests.
• Educational and career goals.
• How participation in GSOAR will assist in achieving stated goals.
• Commitment to building a diverse and inclusive community within the biomedical research enterprise.
• Leadership experiences in school and in the community.
• Potential NIH investigators with which to work over the summer.

The application deadline for this program is January 15, 2016, at 11:59 pm EST. The full application package, including reference letters, must be completed by February 1, 2016 at 11:59 pm for applicants to be considered for the program.

 Source : https://www.training.nih.gov/gsoar_home_page