University of Iowa

Biomedical Scholars Summer Undergraduate Research Program
2026 Application

Welcome!


The application portal is open November 1, 2025 – February 1

This application portal is for students applying to the Biomedical Scholars Summer Undergraduate Research Program (BSURP) at the University of Iowa. Successful students will be hosted by one of the following Interdisciplinary Graduate Programs: Genetics, Immunology, Molecular Medicine, and Neuroscience.

The Biomedical Scholars Summer Undergraduate Research Program is designed to allow students to pursue broad research interests in modern biomedical research areas, which they may not have opportunities to pursue extensively in undergraduate coursework. This unique program provides research opportunities for students to work in the laboratory of a faculty mentor affiliated with the graduate programs in Genetics, Immunology, Molecular Medicine and Neuroscience. The interdisciplinary nature of the program transcends traditional discipline-specific boundaries to provide an exciting research training experience.

Contact Information:
Biomedical Scholars Summer Undergraduate Research Program Office
2130 Medical Laboratories
University of Iowa
Iowa City, IA 52242-1182
E-mail: grad-bsurp-summer@uiowa.edu

Please have contact information for two faculty members familiar with your skills and aptitude (particularly in biological sciences).

The recommenders that you enter will be automatically emailed with instructions on how to upload their letter of recommendation.
Please complete the form below. Fields denoted with an asterisk (*) are required.

Citizenship
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Programs
* In order of preference, select the programs that you are applying to: 
Personal data
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Mailing address
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Permanent address
Education data
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Future plans
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(200 words)
Research interests


(300 words)
Participation
What are you most looking to gain from participating in the BSUR Program?
(300 words)
Interests
Do you have an interest in a particular biological disease/process?
(200 words)
Undergraduate transcript (unofficial or official)
*

File types accepted are .txt,.rtf,.doc,.docx, and .pdf. Maximum file size is 10 MB.

Personal References
2 letters of recommendation are required.

Please provide contact information for two faculty members familiar with your skills and aptitudes (particularly in the biological sciences). Faculty members will receive an email from grad-bsurp-summer@uiowa.edu requesting they upload their letter of recommendation to a link provided in the email.

Personal Reference 1
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Personal Reference 2
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1. Do you have a disability as defined in the NIH Notice of Interest in Diversity?



2. Are you from a disadvantaged background as defined in the NIH Notice of Interest in Diversity?

Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds are defined as those who meet two or more of the following criteria:
1) Were or currently are homeless, as defined by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act;
2) Were or currently are in the foster care system, as defined by the Administration for Children and Families;
3) Were eligible for the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program for two or more years;
4) Have/had no parents or legal guardians who completed a bachelor’s degree (see First-Generation and Continuing-Generation College Students: A Comparison of High School and Postsecondary Experiences;
5) Were or currently are eligible for Federal Pell grants;
6) Received support from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) as a parent or child;
7) Grew up in one of the following areas: a) a U.S. rural area, as designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer, or b) a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services-designated Low-Income and Health Professional Shortage Areas (qualifying zip codes are included in the file). Only one of the two possibilities in #7 can be used as a criterion for the disadvantaged background definition.