Faculty-led research is one of Southwestern’s key high-impact experiences. Students can engage in research during the long session and in the summer, both at Southwestern and off campus. In essence, research is the “internship” for science and technical fields. 

SU SURF (SUMMER UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH WITH FACULTY): SURF students spend the summer carrying out paid, full-time research and creative works alongside Southwestern faculty mentors.

SURF Information Page and Application

HOUSTON METHODIST SUMMER UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH INTERNSHIPS: Houston Methodist hospital offers a 10-week summer student program for college undergraduates and medical students. The program matches students with faculty mentors in laboratories where they will focus on a single research project and includes weekly didactic lectures given by the mentors and invited speakers, and numerous opportunities for networking and social interaction. Two slots for this program are exclusively reserved for Southwestern University students.

Houston Methodist Summer Research Internship Information Page and Application

BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE SUMMER UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH TRAINING (SMART) PROGRAM: BCM provides biomedical summer research projects for undergraduates in a supportive environment with supplemental educational activities. The program provides nine weeks of research in a broad range of biomedical areas, research and professional development seminars, career development activities and designated housing near Baylor College of Medicine. This “real job” includes a compensation package.

Baylor College of Medicine SMART Program Information Page and Application

BAYLOR COLLEGE OF MEDICINE POSTBACCALAUREATE RESEARCH EDUCATION PROGRAM (PREP): PREP is funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences at the National Institute of Health and prepares college graduates who are underrepresented in science and medicine to enter and succeed in rigorous biomedical Ph.D. programs. This competitive 12-month program enrolls seven BCM PREP scholars each July and includes paid, mentored biomedical research, professional development workshops (including for graduate school applications), coursework, and more.

Baylor College of Medicine PREP Information Page and Application

OTHER SURF (SUMMER UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP) PROGRAMS: SURF experiences are 8-10-week summer science research experiences designed to train undergraduate students in scientific research. Numerous academic and healthcare facilities host SURF programs. Search for “SURF program” in your web browser.

NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION SUMMER REU (RESEARCH EXPERIENCE FOR UNDERGRADUATES): NSF funds a large number of research opportunities for undergraduate students through its REU Sites program. An REU Site consists of a group of ten or so undergraduates who work in the research programs of the host institution. Each student is associated with a specific research project, where he/she works closely with the faculty and other researchers. Students are granted stipends and, in many cases, assistance with housing and travel. 

NSF REU Information Page and Application

NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH SUMMER INTERNSHIP PROGRAM (SIP) IN BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH: Summer programs at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) provide an opportunity to spend a summer working side-by-side with some of the leading scientists in the world, in an environment devoted exclusively to biomedical research. At the NIH “biomedical sciences” includes everything from behavioral and social sciences, through biology and chemistry, to physics, mathematical modeling, computational biology, and biostatistics. The NIH consists of the 240-bed Mark O. Hatfield Clinical Research Center and more than 1150 laboratories/research groups located on the main campus in Bethesda, MD, and the surrounding area, as well as in Baltimore and Frederick, MD; Research Triangle Park, NC; Hamilton, MT; Framingham, MA; Phoenix, AZ; and Detroit, MI.  

NIH Summer Internship Program Page

OAK RIDGE INSTITUTE FOR SCIENCE AND EDUCATION (ORISE) UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES: The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) administers a variety of internship programs for undergraduate students at national laboratories and other federal research facilities across the United States. Whether you are seeking a summer, fall or spring internship, or a longer-term research opportunity to provide hands-on laboratory experience, ORISE has a program for you.

ORISE Internship/Research Opportunity Database

AMGEN SCHOLARS PROGRAM: An international undergraduate summer research program in science and biotechnology, the AMGEN Scholars Program allows hundreds of undergraduates step into some of the world’s premier research universities and institutions each summer. Students conduct hands-on research in the lab alongside top faculty, participate in seminars and networking events, and take part in symposia with their peers and leading scientists.

AMGEN Scholars Program

FULBRIGHT CANADA - MITRACS GLOBALINK RESEARCH INTERNSHIP PROGRAM: This program provides high performing, exceptional U.S. undergraduate students with the opportunity to be part of a 10- to 12-week research internship under the supervision of Canadian university faculty members in a variety of academic disciplines, from science, engineering and mathematics to the humanities and social sciences. Ideal candidates are third-year students. Must be U.S. Citizen.

Fulbright Canada - Mitracs Globalink Internship Program Page

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International Students

International Students (F-1 visa) must have approved CPT or OPT prior to the start of their internship, shadowing, research program, fellowship or training. Students should consult with the Office of Study Abroad and International Student Services for assistance.