Healthcare Scholarship: NIH Undergraduate Scholarship
Overview of the Undergraduate Scholarship Program
The Undergraduate Scholarship Program through the National Institutes of Health is a comprehensive scholarship program. The program is designed to be a competitive scholarship program targeting scholars from disadvantaged backgrounds who are dedicated to pursuing careers in health-related research, including behavioral, social science, and biomedical research.
There are several benefits associated with this yearly scholarship (renewable for up to 4 years). These include:
•Paid research training through the NIH each summer – This includes a 10 week Summer Laboratory Experience. For each year a student receives scholarship monies s/he is required to attend a 10 week, paid training experience at one of the NIH research laboratories. Each recipient will be assigned an NIH postdoctoral fellow and an NIH researcher to serve as mentors. In addition, there are seminars and supplemental activities throughout the summer.
•Scholarship support – Each recipient will receive up to $20,000 a year for reasonable living expenses, tuition, and educational expenses. This is a one year award that can be renewed up to four years.
•Paid employment and training after graduation at the NIH – After graduation, each recipient will continue training at the NIH as a full-time employee in an NIH research facility. Recipients must work one year for every year they received the award.
Eligibility
•Must be a US citizen or permanent resident.
•Must be enrolled full-time in an accredited four year undergraduate institution located in the US.
•Must have an undergraduate GPA of 3.3 or higher on a 4.0 scale OR be in the top 5% in your class.
•Must have “Exceptional Financial Need” as identified by your institution’s financial aid office (FAFSA and EFN forms MUST be completed to substantiate need).
•Must be eligible for Federal employment.
•Must be free of Federal judgments or liens.
•Must be free of overdue Federal loans.
You are not eligible if:
•You are a high school senior.
•You have already attained an undergraduate degree.
•You are currently enrolled in a post-graduate degree program.
•You are incapable of fulfilling the requirements of the scholarship program.
Deadlines and Important Dates
•January 2, 2015 – Application opens
•March 2, 2015 – Application Deadline
•March 30, 2015 – Letter of Recommendation Deadline
•Mid-June, 2015 – Invitations to Phone Interview sent
•Mid-July, 2015 – Phone Interviews conducted
•Late-July, 2015 – Scholars chosen