Summer Research Experience Programs (R25)

PROJECT SUMMARY This is a competitive renewal application for continued support of the Rutgers Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) program. The SURF program provides undergraduates with 10-week basic science and translational hands-on research experiences in environmental health sciences, along with weekly networking and career activities. In this renewal application, funds are requested to support fellowships for 12 students. Students are admitted to the SURF program after review of scholastic achievement, letters of recommendation, and personal statements. Recruitment strategies are in place to continue to attract students from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds. Under the mentorship of NIH-funded Rutgers faculty, SURF students conduct hands-on research projects focused on environmental health sciences, and participate in an innovative team-based field study that involves sampling and analysis of an environmental site with potential contamination. Students meet with mentors weekly to receive one-on-one training, ensure continued development of research skills, and evaluate progress of scientific projects. The SURF program draws upon the resources, infrastructure, and expertise of faculty who are members of the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute, and part of our NIEHS T32 Toxicology predoctoral and postdoctoral training grant and NIEHS P30 Center for Environmental Exposures and Disease at Rutgers University Ernest Mario School of Pharmacy, Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, and School of Public Health. Students also participate in weekly seminars and workshops on topics of career development, responsible conduct of research training, laboratory safety training, and environmental research. They also tour core facilities established as part of our NIEHS Center and are instructed in state-of-the-art technology for biomedical research. The summer program culminates in the preparation of oral presentations and abstracts (written and graphical) that describe key research findings. The SURF Program Directors have an extensive evaluation plan to ensure the continued development of the fellowship program and dissemination of innovative training approaches and successful metrics. During the prior funding period, R25-funded trainees have had outstanding outcomes including numerous national awards, co-authorship on peer-reviewed publications, and matriculation into professional and graduate programs in toxicology. Renewal of this R25 application will provide an opportunity for Rutgers faculty to continue to train the next generation of toxicologists and environmental health scientists.