UW Genome Sciences Summer REU
Join us for the summer in Seattle! Our application deadline is February 1.
Program Benefits:
The Department of Genome Sciences, in partnership with the National Science Foundation, provides summer research opportunities for undergraduate students. We are looking for students who aspire to enroll in either PhD or MD / PhD programs after their undergraduate studies.
- gain outstanding research experience
- $5175 stipend
- paid housing in UW student apartments
- all meals provided in UW restaurants
- paid travel for those outside the Seattle area
- we will pay application fees for summer program participants who later decide to apply to UW Genome Sciences for graduate study
Please be aware that this program does not provide health insurance coverage. Our assumption is that you will have coverage either from your parents or your university.
Program Activities:
In addition to your lab research, you will have a variety of supplemental academic activities. This year we will have computational, writing and presentation workshops, faculty research talks, and poster sessions. You'll also have plenty of free time to explore Seattle.
Timeline:
The 2021 program will follow UW Summer Quarter dates: June 21 - August 20.
Apply
Applicants must be:
- US citizens or permanent residents
- members of a group that is underrepresented nationally in the biomedical sciences: African-American, Hispanic, Native American, or Pacific Islander.
- Currently enrolled in and returning to college following the summer research program to continue their undergraduate studies. We expect that competitive applicants will have had some college-level science coursework. Applicants who would like to work in a computational lab should have had college-level calculus and basic programming skills.
- willing to inform us of your career direction after completing your undergraduate degree, whether you opt for graduate school, medical school, or another career path
Application Instructions:
1. Our application deadline is February 1. Please fill out the following Google Form to send your information.
As part of this information, please take a look at our faculty list and list 5-6 faculty in whose lab you would like to work. Please be sure to choose only from the "Faculty" list, rather than "Other Training Faculty", etc. Those on the "Faculty" list are the core Genome Sciences faculty members who participate in our summer research program.
In addition to this information, please also email items 2-5 to Brian Giebel - bgiebel [ a t ] uw.edu.
2. Research Statement(1 or 2 pages)
Tell us about your research interests & goals, including any past research experience and relevant coursework. You are also welcome to tell us a little about your personal background - what led you to follow this path?
3. CV / Resume (1 page)
This should highlight your previous research experience and education.
4. Reference letter
One reference letter is required, but you are welcome to have two sent if you prefer. There are no forms necessary – the letter should be from a faculty member or others familiar with your abilities and should highlight your research and/or academic experience and ability. References from research settings, if available, are ideal.
Your recommender may email this directly to Brian Giebel. No hard copy is required. Please do not send reference letters from non-research or non-academic settings (e.g. summer jobs unrelated to science, etc).
5. Transcript
Transcripts do not have to be official (e.g. you are welcome to use web versions, scanned copies, etc) and should be emailed to Brian Giebel. If you have attended more than one school, please send a transcript for every institution you’ve attended where you’ve taken a science or math course (i.e. you do not need to send transcripts from colleges where you took only non-science or math courses).
Application Review / Notification:
We will notify all applicants of their status as soon as possible, most likely within 1 month of the application deadline.
Seattle
Seattle, the largest city in the Pacific Northwest, enjoys a mild climate and beautiful natural setting of mountains and water, with Lake Washington and the Cascade Mountains to the east, and Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains to the west.
A Lifetime of Outdoor Adventure....
Let's see....three national parks (Mt Rainier, North Cascades, Olympic), ocean beaches, the San Juan and Whidbey islands, the Cascade and Olympic mountains, both rain forest and high desert, half a dozen ski areas, hundreds of hiking trails, Mt St Helens volcano, the Columbia River gorge....it's almost too much. There's a lot to distract you from your research....
Or Maybe You're a City Person
Seattle's quality of life is outstanding. Neighborhoods are safe and interesting, and although Seattle is not inexpensive, housing prices are generally lower than California and the Northeast. The city is filled with bookstores, cafés, and restaurants. Sports fans cheer on the area's pro football, baseball, WNBA, and soccer teams, as well as the Washington Huskies. Fans of the fine arts enjoy the Seattle Art Museum, Symphony, Opera, Ballet, and some of the best mainstream and fringe theater in North America, while those looking for live music will have dozens of options to choose from. The area boasts an extensive system of parks and bike trails, hosts major film and music festivals, and provides any number of entertaining diversions to accompany the area's natural wonders.
Seattle is a major Pacific Rim port, with a strong economy anchored by leading companies including Microsoft, Amazon, Starbucks, Nordstrom, Costco, REI, and Boeing. There is a large biotech sector, led by the University of Washington and Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
About That Rain....
Despite its reputation for rain, Seattle gets fewer inches of rain than most cities in the eastern US....not that we're insecure about it or anything. Temperatures seldom go above the low 80s during summer or below freezing during winter.
Simply put, summers are gorgeous (the best in the United States, even). Winters are overcast, although not especially cold, and the snow stays up in the mountains where it belongs. Spring has cherry blossoms and tulips and Fall mixes beautiful sunny days with clouds and light rain.
Hype
Don't just take our word for it. Seattle consistently ranks high on lists of America's best cities, including these awards:
Outside magazine: best cities in the US
Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine: #2 on list of best cities for the next decade
America's Most Literate Cities: second most literate city
Walk Score: top ten most walkable US cities
For more information:
Scenic Washington State
Experience Washington
Visit Seattle
University of Washington
Founded in 1861, the UW is one of the preeminent research universities in the world, with over 42,000 students, including 11,000 graduate students, studying in over 250 degree options. UW students enjoy a beautiful campus, with its gothic and modern architecture, views of Mt. Rainier, and cherry blossoms in the spring.
The University of Washington has received more than $1 billion in sponsored research funds in 2015, a tribute to the exceptional quality of our diverse and innovative faculty, students and staff, and the power of the UW intellectual community.
The UW receives more federal research funding than any other American public university, a ranking held since 1974. The UW was recently ranked 13th among the world's top universities.
For more information, please see the University of Washington website.
UW Genome Sciences
Our goal is to address leading edge questions in biology and medicine by developing and applying genetic, genomic and computational approaches that take advantage of genomic information now available for humans, model organisms and a host of other species. Our faculty study a broad range of topics, including the genetics of E. coli, yeast, C. elegans, Drosophila, and mouse; human and medical genetics; mathematical, statistical and computer methods for analyzing genomes, and theoretical and evolutionary genetics; and genome-wide studies by such approaches as sequencing, transcriptional and translational analysis, polymorphism detection and identification of protein interactions.
For more information, please see the Department of Genome Sciences website.
Program Schedule
Monday, 6/21 | 10:30 – 11:30
Department Introduction
zoom location tba
Wednesday, 6/23 | 2:30 – 4:00 (session 1), 4:00 – 5:30 (session 2)
Computational Biology I
220 Hitchcock Hall
Thursday, 6/24 | 12:00 – 1:30
Weekly Check-in: project introductions
Foege S-110
Wednesday, 6/30 | 2:30 – 4:00 (session 1), 4:00 – 5:30 (session 2)
Computational Biology II
220 Hitchcock Hall
Thursday, 7/1 | Holiday weekend – no check-in
Wednesday, 7/7 | 2:30 – 4:00 (session 1), 4:00 – 5:30 (session 2)
Computational Biology III
220 Hitchcock Hall
Wednesday, 7/7 | 7:00 - 8:00, Public Lecture Series
Dr. Lea Starita
"City Scale Pandemic Surveillance with the Seattle Flu Study"
zoom link will be posted at the UW Genome Sciences Public Lecture website
Thursday, 7/8 | 12:00 – 1:30
Weekly Check-in: Workshop: “Science is Storytelling”
Foege S-110
Wednesday, 7/14 | 2:30 – 4:00 (session 1), 4:00 – 5:30 (session 2)
Computational Biology IV
220 Hitchcock Hall
Wednesday, 7/14 | 7:00 - 8:00, Public Lecture Series
Dr. Maitreya Dunham
"Mutant beer: watching yeast evolve in real time in the brewery"
zoom link will be posted at the UW Genome Sciences Public Lecture website
Friday, 7/16 | 12:00 – 1:30
Research Talk: Jesse Bloom and Allie Greaney
zoom location tba
Wednesday, 7/21 | 2:30 – 4:00 (session 1), 4:00 – 5:30 (session 2)
Computational Biology V
220 Hitchcock Hall
Wednesday, 7/21 | 7:00 - 8:00, Public Lecture Series
Dr. Jesse Bloom
"Interpreting the evolution of SARS-CoV-2"
zoom link will be posted at the UW Genome Sciences Public Lecture website
Friday, 7/23 | 12:00 – 1:30
Research Talk: Kelley Harris and Luke Zhu
zoom location tba
Wednesday, 7/28 | 3:30 – 5:00
Science Communication
Foege S-110
Wednesday, 7/28 | 7:00 - 8:00, Public Lecture Series
Dr. Malia Fullerton
"Genomics and Society: A Few Big Questions"
zoom link will be posted at the UW Genome Sciences Public Lecture website
Friday, 7/30 | 12:00 – 1:30
Research Talk: Jay Shendure and Sam Regalado
zoom location tba
Wednesday, 8/4 | 3:30 – 5:00
Science Communication
Foege S-110
Thursday, 8/5 | 12:00 – 1:30
Poster Workshop I
Foege S-110
Wednesday, 8/11 | 3:30 – 5:00
Poster Workshop II
Foege S-110
Thursday, 8/12 | 12:00 – 1:30
Weekly Check-In: Introduction to graduate program and MSTP program
zoom location tba
Tuesday, 8/17 | 11:30 – 1:00
Virtual Poster Session (format tba)
followed by pizza for takeout to lawn or Vista Café terrace, format to be determined