UC Scholars and Genentech Scholars Summer Research Programs

The UC Scholars Program and the Genentech Scholars Program are sister programs that share many features. This application is used for both programs (there is not a separate application for each program). Applicants who complete this application can indicate whether they are interested in being considered for the UC Scholars Program, the Genentech Scholars Program, or both.

ELIGIBILITY: The UC Scholars Program is open to UC San Diego undergraduate students in all majors; the Genentech Scholars Program is designed for students with an interest in life sciences and biotechnology fields. Both programs are open to students of all citizenship statuses. Applicants must have junior standing or above (at least 90 units) and a cumulative GPA of 2.8 or above by the end of Spring Quarter. Participants may not graduate prior to the end of the program; if you are planning to graduate in June and get accepted into the program, it may be possible to delay graduation and participate. Please contact the program coordinator for more details. The programs are intended for students who are interested in pursuing a research career. Preference will be given to students who have not participated previously in the Undergraduate Research Hub’s Summer Research Program (SRP). Students who are members of traditionally underrepresented groups, students who are first-generation students, students with disabilities, and women in STEM fields are particularly encouraged to apply.


BENEFITS: The UC Scholars Program and the Genentech Scholars Program are full-time summer research experiences for undergraduates. UC Scholars is an 8-week program supported by UC San Diego’s Office of the Vice Chancellor — Student Affairs and the Undergraduate Research Hub. Genentech Scholars is a 10-week program supported by the Genentech Foundation. Students receive a stipend, housing support, professional development training, and 30 hours of faculty-mentored research a week.


Be sure you have reviewed eligibility and expectations about the UC Scholars and Genentech Scholars Programs before you complete this application:

UC Scholars and Genentech Scholars Website.


Program objectives

  • Provide students with the skills to become research scholars
  • Stimulate students’ serious consideration of graduate study
  • Increase learning and networking opportunities for students committed to pursuing either a professional or academic research career


Program dates and deadlines

Tentative 2024 program dates:
June 24, 2024 through August 16, 2024 (UC Scholars)
June 24, 2024 through August 30, 2024 (Genentech)


2024 program application deadline: February 8, 2024, 11:59 p.m. Pacific time.
This is the deadline for the receipt of ALL of the student application components: the general application, the undergraduate application, and the UC Scholars and Genentech Scholars Summer Research Program application (program-specific questions)

2024 letter of recommendation deadline: EXTENDED — now due February 13, 2024, 11:59 p.m. Pacific time
This is the deadline for the letter of recommendation only; everything else is due on 2/8.


Letter of Recommendation

Your application will not be complete until a letter of recommendation is received (only one letter is needed). As part of the UC Scholars and Genentech Scholars portion of the application, you will provide the name and contact information of your letter writer. Once you save the UC Scholars and Genentech Scholars portion of the application, the letter writer will receive instructions about how to submit your letter of recommendation online. We strongly recommend that applicants contact potential letter writers in advance to confirm that they will be able to write a letter and complete the required form on the applicant’s behalf. Letters from faculty are preferred. Letters from supervisors in research-focused industry or organizations are also acceptable. Applicants who have transferred to UC San Diego this year sometimes obtain a letter from a professor at their former institution.


Because letter writers will only receive information about the letter of recommendation after you have saved your UC Scholars and Genentech Scholars portion of the application, it is important that you do so as soon as possible so that your letter writer will have sufficient time to complete the letter by the EXTENDED deadline of February 13th, 2024.


Questions? Please contact Dr. Kirsten Kung at kkung@ucsd.edu (UC Scholars) or Dr. Sophia Tsai Neri at stsai@ucsd.edu (Genentech Scholars).

Award
Stipend: $3000 (UC Scholars) or $3500 (Genentech), plus housing support, workshops, seminars
Scopes
Summer Research Program
Deadline
02/08/2024
Supplemental Questions

  1. UC Scholars and Genentech Scholars - Information about your letter of recommendation writer

    Your application will not be complete until a letter of recommendation is received (only one letter is needed). Please provide the name and contact information of your letter writer below. Once you save the UC Scholars and Genentech Scholars portion of the application, the letter writer will receive instructions about how to submit the letter of recommendation online (you can save your application without submitting it). *We strongly recommend that applicants contact potential letter writers in advance to confirm that they will be able to write a letter and complete the required form on the applicant's behalf.* Saving your application will automatically send the letter request to your letter writer, so be sure to contact him/her in advance. Letters from faculty are preferred. Letters from supervisors in research-focused industry or organizations are also acceptable. Applicants who have transferred to UC San Diego this year sometimes obtain a letter from a professor at their former institution.

    Because letter writers will only receive information about the letter of recommendation *after* you have saved your UC Scholars and Genentech Scholars portion of the application, it is important that you do so as soon as possible so that your letter writer will have sufficient time to complete the letter by the deadline of February 8th, 2024.
    • a. Recommender's name (first and last) and email address
    • b. Recommender's department
    • c. Recommender's institution/university (recommenders can be from previous institutions such as Community Colleges; if you have already done some research, we do prefer hearing from someone who supervised you during that research experience)

  2. Previous Program Participation

    • a. Have you ever participated in any of the below-listed programs at the University of California? If 'None of the above' please so indicate.
    • b. Other (please specify; if no other programs, please enter n/a)

  3. UC Scholars and Genentech Scholars - Program Interest

    Please indicate your interest in being considered for the UC Scholars Program and/or the Genentech Scholars Program.

  4. UC Scholars and Genentech Scholars - What is your current mentor status?

    • If you are selected for this program, do you know who your research mentor will be?
    • If you know who your faculty research mentor will be, or if you have some prospective research mentors in mind, please provide their name(s) and department(s) here:

  5. UC Scholars and Genentech Scholars – General Research Area

    • What general area(s) does your (likely) research project fall under? (this may or may not be the same as your major):
    • What is (are) your sub-field(s)?

  6. UC Scholars and Genentech Scholars - Previous research

    Have you had any previous research experience? If yes, please describe it briefly and give us your role in the project. If no, please write “no” and this lack of experience will not count against you. (max: 100 words)

    <

  7. Short Answer: Interest in major

    When did you become interested in your general field of interest? Tell us about how it led you to choose this major and what you like most about your major. What about it makes you passionate or excites you? (200 words or fewer)

  8. Short Answer: Why summer research?

    In general, why do you want to be in a summer research program? Additionally, what about this/these specific program(s) do you find especially appealing? (max: 200 words)

  9. Choose one of these to answer: Past academic achievement or background relevant to research

    For the item that you are not answering, please write "Answered other prompt."
    • Describe one academic achievement that made you especially proud. Did you have to overcome any obstacles or challenges to achieve it? (max: 200 words)
    • Describe unique, personally important, and/or challenging factors in your background and how they relate to your research interests. (max: 200 words)

  10. Short Answer: Why research?

    Why do you want to do research? Please include any information that might aid the selection committee in evaluating your interest in and potential for doing research. (max: 200 words)

  11. Short Answer: Future goals, degrees, career path

    In a few sentences, briefly describe your future goals, including your future degree(s) and career path. It is fine if you are still undecided; please give us a few of the career paths you are considering. (max: 50 words)

  12. UC Scholars and Genentech Scholars - Program Ranking

    Below are a number of programs to which you might be applying. Please indicate your top three choices among these programs. If you are applying to fewer than three programs, you can select “Not applying to other programs.” Please ensure that you enter your ranking of top 3 choices in the same order for each application that you submit in this application portal.

    Many students who apply to the UC Scholars Program and/or the Genentech Scholars Program also apply to other opportunities for the summer. Applicants are encouraged to explore a variety of options and to apply to multiple programs. Note that if you do get accepted into multiple programs, you will only be able to accept one.

    Indicating your ranking here does NOT serve as an application to these programs; the programs listed below, other than Genentech and UC Scholars, have a separate application process. When you submit the current application, you will have applied to the Genentech Program and/or the UC Scholars Program (depending on your response to the Program Interest question above) and will need to submit separate applications to the other programs.

    • First choice
    • Second choice
    • Third choice
  13. How did you hear about this application?
    • How did you hear about this application?
    • If you selected any option(s) that ask(s) you to "Specify Below," please elaborate here. Otherwise, type N/A.

  14. Additional clarification

    Are there any responses in your general application or in the program-specific application that you feel need clarification? For instance, if you indicated that one of your parents received a college degree, but that person was a non-custodial parent with whom you had few interactions, you could indicate that here.
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