APS Awards $403,200 to Its 2016 Undergraduate Research Fellows

Newswise — Bethesda, Md. — The American Physiological Society (APS) is pleased to announce its 2016 Undergraduate Summer Research Fellows. Recipients of the Society’s five summer fellowship programs spend an average of 10 weeks in the laboratory of an established scientist and APS member. APS offers a mix of summer fellowship programs that recruit undergraduates in the U.S. and abroad. Some fellowships are geared toward providing research experiences to students from a wide range of backgrounds—including those from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, from disadvantaged backgrounds and students with disabilities—to work with APS member-researchers in a specific area of physiological research.

“These fellowships provide a rich and unique experience, allowing undergraduates in the sciences to have a summer immersed in research and face-to-face interactions with a professional researcher,” said Marsha Lakes Matyas, PhD, director of APS educational programs. “The time that students spend in the lab with their research mentors gives them a firsthand look at what it’s like to pursue a career in science and can have a profound impact in encouraging them to remain in the sciences. APS is proud of its ongoing commitment to providing these research opportunities and continues to expand our educational offerings to the next generation of scientists.”

Awardees are selected based on academic merit, the quality of the proposed experience and the availability of appropriate faculty mentors. Each Fellow receives a stipend plus additional travel funds to present his or her research at a scientific meeting. Research hosts receive funds for lab supplies for the Fellow’s summer research project.Fellows participate in hands-on research and learn to develop a hypothesis, design and troubleshoot experiments, collect and analyze data, and write and present results. In addition, Fellows have the opportunity to:- network with other APS Fellows interested in biomedical research,- explore the nature of research and the scientific process,- investigate physiology career options and what it takes to find career success,- pose their career questions to members of the APS Porter Physiology Development and Minority Affairs Committee, Advisory Board and APS Career Opportunities in Physiology Committee, - and learn about common ethical issues in figure and text preparation.

To learn more about APS Undergraduate Fellowship programs, visit the APS website. Follow the links below to see the individual lists of 2016 Fellowship recipients.

Short-Term Research Education Program to Increase Diversity in Health-Related Research (STRIDE) FellowshipThe STRIDE program recruits U.S. undergraduates to work with APS member-researchers in the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) mission areas of cardiovascular, pulmonary, hematologic and sleep disorders research. In addition to their 10-week fellowship, STRIDE Fellows receive a $4,000 stipend and $1,200 for travel to the 2017 Experimental Biology meeting in Chicago. The STRIDE program is supported by the APS and a grant from NHLBI (NHLBI; 1 R25 HL115473-01). Read about the 2016 winners.

Short-Term Education Program for Underrepresented Persons (STEP-UP) FellowshipThe STEP-UP program recruits U.S. undergraduates to work with researchers in the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) mission areas of diabetes, endocrinology and metabolic disease; digestive diseases and nutrition; and kidney, urologic and hematologic diseases. In addition to their 8–12 week fellowship, STEP-UP Fellows receive a $4,500 stipend and $1,200 for travel to the STEP-UP Symposium in Bethesda. The STEP-UP program is supported by the APS and a grant from NIDDK (STEP-UP; 1R25DK095492-01). Read about the 2016 winners.

Integrative Organismal Systems Physiology (IOSP) FellowshipThe IOSP program recruits U.S. undergraduates to work with APS member-researchers in the National Science Foundation IOS mission area of comparative physiology research. In addition to their 10-week fellowship, IOSP Fellows receive a $4,000 stipend, $1,050 for housing expenses and an additional $750 for travel to the 2017 Experimental Biology meeting in Chicago. The IOSP program is supported by the APS and a grant from NSF (IOS; Award No. IOS-1238831). Read about the 2016 winners.

Undergraduate Research Excellence Fellowship (UGREF)The UGREF program recruits U.S. and international undergraduate students who have had more than nine months of laboratory research experience for a 10-week summer fellowship in the laboratory of an established APS investigator. UGREF Fellows receive a $4,000 stipend and $1,300 for travel to the 2017 Experimental Biology meeting in Chicago. Read about the 2016 winners.

Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship (UGSRF)The UGSRF program recruits U.S. and international undergraduate students who have had little to no laboratory research experience to work for 10 weeks during the summer in the laboratory of an established APS investigator. Fellows receive a $4,000 stipend and $1,300 for travel to the 2017 Experimental Biology meeting in Chicago. Read about the 2016 winners.

To set up an interview with one of the Fellows or a research host or to find out more about APS and its educational and award program initiatives, contact Brooke Bruthers, APS senior program manager of diversity programs (301-634-7226), or Miranda Byse, APS program manager for the Life Science Teaching Resource Community and professional skills training (240-743-8045), or visit the APS Education website.

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About the APS Education Department: The APS supports a variety of educational activities, including programs and fellowships to encourage the development of young scientists at the undergraduate and graduate levels, with a particular focus on women and underrepresented minorities. APS also supports refresher courses and teaching awards promoting continued excellence in education at the professional level. APS is a proud past recipient of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM).

Physiology is the study of how molecules, cells, tissues and organs function in health and disease. Established in 1887, the American Physiological Society (APS) was the first U.S. society in the biomedical sciences field. The Society represents more than 11,000 members and publishes 14 peer-reviewed journals with a worldwide readership.