Paid Summer Research Opportunity at VCU Open to Thomas Nelson Students

Motivated community college students interested in exploring research careers in the biomedical and behavioral sciences can take advantage of the Dream-to-Goal (DTG) Summer Research Program. The program will provide hands-on laboratory skills, provide research experience, and prepare students for success when they transfer to a four-year school.

Participants will live on the Virginia Commonwealth University campus for eight weeks and then return for another eight-week session the following summer.

Eligibility
Applicants should meet the NIH criteria of underrepresented in the Biomedical and Behavioral Sciences. A full definition is available at: NIH website.

Applicants should have completed BIOL 101 & 102 and MTH 161/162 and have a minimum GPA of 2.5.

How to Apply
Complete the 2022 DTG Summer Program Application.

The final application must include a completed application form, an unofficial transcript, and two letters of recommendation. Please refer to the application form for more detailed information about how the application form, transcript, and letters of recommendation should be submitted.

The application form will take several hours to complete and can done over several sessions.

Applications are due by:

• Priority Deadline March 1, 2022
• Final Deadline April 1, 2022

Here are details on the program's scope.

Summer 2022: Biology Boot Camp and Research Internship
The summer begins with a three-week Biology Boot Camp allowing students to develop laboratory, quantitative, and critical-thinking skills, and learn how to think and work like a scientist.

For the next five weeks, students will apply their knowledge from Biology Boot Camp during an internship in a biomedical or behavioral research laboratory. The internship teaches how to analyze and present research findings.

The following May, DTG Scholars attend the Virginia Academy of Science annual meeting and participate in additional activities throughout the academic year.

2022 Summer Program Dates
Sunday, May 22 (move-in) - Friday July 15, 2022

Summer 2023: Mentored Research Experience + Career Counseling
This summer you will work on your own mentored research project with a VCU scientist, receive one-on-one academic advice and career counseling, and attend research seminars. You also will serve as big brothers and sisters to the first-year DTG Scholars.

The summer culminates with a poster session and closing ceremony.

The following fall, you will present a poster on your research at a national scientific conference with other DTG Scholars. Financial support will be provided.

COVID-19 Impact
While officials are eager for students to live on campus, they will be closely monitoring developments around COVID-19. As necessary, coordinators may pivot to a commuter program strictly in line with all federal, state, and VCU regulations.

For more information, please contact Dr. Karen Kester, a professor in the VCU Biology department who is also principal investigator and VCU Bridges to the Baccalaureate program director, at (804) 828-1562 or bridges@vcu.edu. Dr. Jennifer Martin, a Thomas Nelson biology professor, is also available at (757) 825-3574 or martinj@tncc.edu.