CPRIT-CURE Summer Undergraduate Program
The CPRIT CURE Undergraduate Research Program – designed for outstanding young scientists interested in a career in cancer research
Important: Our program continues despite the COVID-19 pandemic!
The CPRIT CURE program at MD Anderson is our flagship research program for summer undergraduate students
- Involves our most accomplished research faculty at MD Anderson
- Recruits outstanding students from top-tier institutions
- Provides multidisciplinary research and career development training
- Trains the largest cohort of undergraduates annually at MD Anderson
Our alumni have been resoundingly successful and comprise a rich network for future students
- A total of 419 undergraduates undergraduates have participated in the CPRIT CURE program in the past 10 years, providing a substantial, multidisciplinary alumni network
- Of those who completed their undergraduate degrees, 99% have advanced to post-graduate doctoral programs or other biomedical research positions
- Our students have authored 81 publications from work performed at MD Anderson, as well as 470 additional publications from subsequent research experiences
- Our students have earned numerous prestigious awards, including 1st place in the 2015 and 2019 American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Undergraduate Student Caucus and Poster Competition, three Thomas J. Bardos Awards (AACR), three Fulbright Post-bac Research Awards, and eight Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships
- Our students have presented their research at national scientific meetings, including the annual meetings of the AACR, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and American Society of Hematology (ASH)
Join our program for outstanding undergraduate students interested in cancer research.
The Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT)-CURE Summer Undergraduate Program is a 10-week research program designed for outstanding undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing research-based (M.S., Ph.D., or M.D./Ph.D.) careers in cancer research.
Who should apply?
College or university students who have completed their freshman, sophomore or junior year by June 2021 and are in good academic standing are eligible to apply. International students may apply if they hold a current visa through the duration of the program. Undergraduates of all majors are invited to apply! A few faculty are specifically recruiting for undergraduates with backgrounds in physics, mathematics, and computer science backgrounds - applicants with these backgrounds are highly encouraged to apply will be matched in related research areas.
When is the program?
The 2021 program will take place June 7-August 13 in either on site, remote, or a hybrid of on-site and remote research format. If your Spring or Fall semesters overlap with these dates, please contact the program manager for more information - this does not necessarily exclude you from participation.
What will my days look like?
The CPRIT-CURE program offers an immersive laboratory research experience in cancer research with MD Anderson faculty mentors. On-site participants will receive hands-on research training in state-of-the-art labs, where they will interact daily with faculty, postdoctoral fellows and graduate students. Students will attend scientific lectures, seminars and career development events, and they will have the opportunity to present their work at a poster session at the conclusion of the program. Students cannot earn credit from their home institutions for participating in the CPRIT-CURE program.
Stipend
On site participants receive a stipend of up to $6,000 for the 10-week program. This stipend amount includes allowances for housing, living, and travel expenses - no additional allowances are available. Paychecks and stipend are based on actual days worked and will be issued on the 5th and the 20th of each month, deducting the required federal tax.
CPRIT-CURE Faculty Mentors
CPRIT scholar faculty mentors serve as direct supervisors for CPRIT scholars. They participate in all aspects of the CPRIT-CURE training program, including formal instruction and supervision of research. Our more than 100 program-affiliated faculty belong to more than two dozen different departments at MD Anderson and are engaged in many different areas of cancer research! If you are interested in a specific area of cancer research, please note this in your personal statement.
Application Information
for the 2021 CPRIT CURE Program opened on Sunday, November 1, 2020 and will close on Thursday, January 14, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. CST. Applicants were notified with admissions decisions in mid-February via the email address submitted with their application.
The following information is required on the application:
- Personal and demographic information
- Unofficial transcripts from undergraduate universities
- Personal Statement
- Two letters of recommendation uploaded by your recommender (At least one reference should come from a science or math professor. The other may be from an advisor, counselor or health care advisor/mentor with whom you worked in a prior program during the past four years. Once recommenders are added to your Discover account, an emailed link will be sent through which recommenders may upload their letters of recommendation.)
Applications must be completed and submitted before the above deadline. Incomplete applications will be purged after the deadline has passed. If the information found here did not provide the answers you need, please feel free to email the Program Directors, Dr. Stephanie Watowich (swatowic@mdanderson.org) and Dr. Khandan Keyomarsi (kkeyomar@mdanderson.org).
CPRIT-CURE Summer Undergraduate Program Contacts
Still have questions?
For all questions related to the CPRIT CURE Program, please contact Dr. Stephanie Watowich or Dr. Khandan Keyomarsi, Directors for the CPRIT Research Training Grant and Programs.
Stephanie Watowich, Ph.D.
swatowic@mdanderson.org
713-563-3262
Khandan Keyomarsi, Ph.D.
kkeyomar@mdanderson.org
713-792-4845