DIVERSITY PROGRAMS

Summer Internship Program (SIP)

Summer Program 2008 Dates: Sunday, June 1, 2008 through Friday, August 8, 2008.

Program Overview
The Summer Internship Program (SIP) provides an independent research experience under the direct mentoring of established Hopkins researchers.  The purpose of this exposure to biomedical and/or public health research is to encourage students to consider careers in science, medicine and public health.  We encourage applications from students of diverse backgrounds, including underrepresented minority students and students from economically disadvantaged and underserved backgrounds. 

"Partner Programs": As summer research programs are increasingly competitive, it is advisable to apply to several summer programs.  We have partnerships with the following summer programs that will permit you to do your summer research at Johns Hopkins:

The Leadership Alliance

NIDDK STEP-UP

American Society for Microbiology MURF program

Eligibility

Students must have completed one year of college and be a U.S. citizen to apply to the Pulmonary Medicine division; students must have completed two years of college and be either a U.S. citizen or international student currently studying in the U.S. to apply to the Basic Science Institute and Bloomberg School of Public Health divisions of the program.  Basic Science Institute students must have a demonstrated interest and potential to pursue a PhD degree.   

Benefits
Acquire both theoretical knowledge and practical training in research and scientific experimentation and other scholarly investigations.  The program runs ten weeks and a stipend of ~$3,000 is provided.  Housing is provided near our undergraduate campus; the University has a shuttle service that provides convenient transportation between the medical school and the undergraduate campus. 

For more information contact Ms. Catherine L. Will, Program Manager - cwill@jhmi.edu

The Research Experience
Overall, you can expect an experience similar to that of a first-year graduate student who does a three-month rotation in a laboratory or out in the community to become acquainted with the project, techniques, and people working in that area.  Before arrival each intern receives several papers related to their specific research project.  The goal of the project and its relationship to other work in the area will be discussed, and you will be instructed in the techniques necessary to conduct the research.  As each technique is mastered, the responsibilities for seeing the procedure through will rest increasingly with you.  Besides daily interactions with others at the project site, most groups have a more formal meeting once or twice a week to discuss research problems, and progress and developments reported in the literature.   While the style and character of each research site varies considerably, all are composed of very dedicated and hardworking individuals who are more than willing to help others who are similarly committed to learning.  The program concludes with a poster session by the interns describing their projects. 

This summer internship program requires a full-time commitment.  Interns should be prepared for long days and short weekends.  It is not permissible to take academic classes or hold other employment during the internship.  There are no vacations during the program. 

The Complete Application
We ask that students complete the application describing relevant course work, research experience and future plans regarding a career in science.  We require two letters of recommendation and official transcripts.

The SIP divisional admissions committees will inform applicants of admissions decisions by March 1st of the year that you are applying.  We anticipate that ~45 internships will be available each summer – 20 in the Basic Science Institute, 16 in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and 14 in the Bloomberg School of Public Health.   

Applicants will be informed of their status by March 1st.

RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

Research opportunities available in each area of the program are described below – please indicate which area you wish to be considered for (your application may be reviewed by more than one committee). 
* Each division of the Summer Internship Program is administered separately and may support different stipend levels and academic programs during the research experience. 

Research opportunities in the Basic Science Institute are available in all of our basic science departments: Biological Chemistry; Biomedical Engineering; Biophysics and Biophysical Chemistry; Cell Biology; Molecular Biology and Genetics; Neuroscience; Pharmacology and Molecular Sciences and Physiology.  Past program participants have participated in a broad array of projects from molecular and cellular analysis of the aquaporin water channels, molecular genetic basis of Down syndrome, genomics, neurobiology of disease, applications of polymeric biomaterials to drug delivery, gene therapy, and tissue engineering.  Program activities include weekly journal clubs, semi-monthly seminars and the program concludes with a poster session.  The rich environment and guidance by our faculty helps prepare our students for successful careers as independent research scientists. 

As a leading international authority on public health, the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health is dedicated to protecting health and saving lives.  Every day, the School works to keep millions around the world safe from illness and injury by pioneering new research, deploying its knowledge and expertise in the field, and educating tomorrow’s scientists and practitioners in the global defense of human life.  At the Bloomberg School of Public Health, you will be mentored by some of the world’s leading authorities on public health issues.   Some of our major research initiatives are in these areas: improving the health of women and children; identifying determinants of behavior and developing communication programs to promote healthy lifestyles; protecting our nation from bioterroism; preventing and controlling AIDS; reducing the incidence and severity of injuries; elucidating the causes and treatment for mental disorders; preventing chronic diseases (heart diseases, stroke, cancer, diabetes); improving the health of adolescents; preventing and treating substance abuse; assessing the effect of environmental toxins on human health; making water safe and available for the world’s population; assessing the health needs of disadvantaged populations (rural, urban, refugees, US ethnic groups);  and developing methods to better understand, manage and finance health care.  Your research opportunity may take place in a laboratory, health department, clinic, office, or in a community setting.

Students work on specific research projects under the supervision of an assigned mentor.  Projects span a broad range of research, from the basic science of endothelial or epithelial cell biology to asthma epidemiology.  In addition to the research experience, students participate in a weekly journal club, during which they present primary research articles to their peers and members of the faculty.  Students also attend a seminar series featuring faculty members from Johns Hopkins and the NIH.  This forum provides students with the opportunity to interact with faculty members and hear different perspectives on issues related to career development.  Students interested in clinical medicine are given the opportunity to “round” with the Johns Hopkins Medicine residents, providing a glimpse of life in clinical medicine as a resident at an academic institution.  At the end of the summer, students present their work in a poster session.  We hope that through these activities students will gain first-hand knowledge of research and academic medicine, and ultimately pursue careers in the biomedical sciences.