Summer Programs
Learn more about the various summer programs that are offered in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.
The 2026 Summer Application is now Open.
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San Antonio Program for Undergraduate Research in Renal Science (SPURRS)
San Antonio Program for Undergraduate Research in Renal Science (SPURRS)
SPURRS is a program designed to encourage talented college students to pursue careers in medicine and medical research related to the kidneys and urinary tract and blood diseases. Kidney disease is a very common problem, affecting about 15% of people in the US and is a common complication of such illnesses as diabetes and heart disease. Treatments for kidney disease are currently limited, and many patients may progress to need either kidney dialysis or kidney transplantation.
Further research into the causes and cures of kidney disease is urgently needed. Funded by a grant from the National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK), the University of Texas Long School of Medicine in San Antonio is offering undergraduate students opportunities to work with a faculty mentor on a summer research project. In addition to working on a research project, and learning hands-on laboratory techniques, students will participate in seminars and conferences with other students, physicians and scientists to learn about how kidneys work and what causes them to fail. At the end of the summer, students will present their summer research findings. The program is excellent preparation for students with a goal of attending medical or graduate school and an interest in helping in the battle against kidney disease.
The research will be performed at the University of Texas Long School of Medicine at San Antonio between Monday, June 1 – Friday, August 7, 2026.
Students will receive a $6000 stipend.
Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents and enrolled as a full-time student in an undergraduate institution at the time of the program. Prior research experience is desirable but not required.
Application deadline: Friday, January 30, 2026
Selected participants will be notified by email no later than February 27, 2026.
If you have any questions, please contact the Program Director (Dr. Brian
Reeves) or the Program Coordinator (Ms. Chris Reyes):Dr. Reeves
210-450-7374
Chris Reyes
210-365-3163
reyesc6@uthscsa.edu -
Mays Cancer Center Summer Research Mentorship Program
Mays Cancer Center Summer Research Mentorship Program
Program Dates: June 1 - August 7, 2026 (10 weeks)
Stipend: $5,000
Program Focus: Cancer Research
Application Deadline: March 2, 2026
Awarded Trainees: 8 undergraduate students
Program Details
The Mays Cancer Center (MCC) at UT Health San Antonio offers a ten-week summer research program for undergraduate students interested in acquiring cancer research experience. The cancer research experience will be in the areas of basic, translational and population based biomedical cancer research. This program matches students with a MCC faculty member who conducts cancer research. Participants will engage in cancer research as part of an ongoing project, attend weekly enrichment seminars and present their work at the end-of-program poster session.
Eligibility
- Applicants must have completed at least one year of college and have taken some basic science courses. Ideal candidates should have an interest in developing a career in biomedical science or medicine with an emphasis on cancer.
- Applicants should not have obtained their bachelor's degree before the program start date or before the program end date.
- Applicants must be in good standing at their home institution and have a minimum 3.0 GPA
- Applicants must commit to attend all ten weeks (vacations should not be planned during this period).
Application Requirements:
- Online application
- Unofficial transcript
- 2 letters of recommendation (1 must be from a University Science Professor)
- Personal statement (1- page limit)
- Resume
This summer program is supported by the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio. If needed, assistance with lodging for those living outside of the San Antonio metro area will be made based upon availability of funds.
For more information contact Eva Garcia-Rodriguez at mcceducation@uthscsa.edu.
Apply to the Mays Cancer Center Summer Research Mentorship Program
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South Texas Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (STUROP)
UT, San Antonio is a leading academic health center in the United States with a mission to make lives better through excellence in academics, biomedical research, and clinical care. Ideal candidates for this program are anticipated to be current first-year (Freshmen) college undergraduates seeking research experience and mentorship, and who exhibit a wide variety of attributes including, but not limited to, a natural curiosity of health and disease, strong communication skills, hard-work ethics, and a sincere dedication to achieving goals.Unique aspects of this program include its longitudinal nature, requiring students participate for three, consecutive years. This enables a comprehensive research training experience and development of an extensive and meaningful network of peers and mentors. The first phase of the STUROP program involves a week-long orientation, followed by an intensive, summer research immersion at UT, San Antonio. Each STUROP scholar will have an assigned mentor-pair, one from UT, San Antonio and one from their home institution to support immediate research goals and longer-term career development. Mentors include a faculty member with an active research lab including a designated postdoctoral fellow or advanced graduate student to assist with hands-on training. In the second phase of the program, scholars will participate in year-round activities designed to develop their scientific interests, orient them to expectations in research settings, introduce the principles of responsible research, and socialize them to the research enterprise, to prepare them for successful entry to graduate or professional school.The summer research immersion typically runs from June to mid-August annually and is held at the UT, San Antonio Long School of Medicine campus in San Antonio. This year, the summer immersion will start on June 1, 2026 and ends July 31, 2026. Each new first year scholar will receive a stipend contingent upon fulfillment of program completion as follows: Summer 2026 - $4,000; Summer 2027 - $4,500 & Summer 2028 - $5,000. Lodging is available each summer at no direct cost to the student. Additional part-time compensation may be provided during the academic year at the discretion of each mentee’s home institution mentor and department.Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents and enrolled as a full-time student who has completed one year of college; preference will be given to students finishing freshman or entering sophomore years at a South Texas undergraduate institution. Prior research experience is desirable but not required. Individuals who participate must commit to attending the full program (vacations and summer classes should not interfere with UTHSA weekday lab hours, typically 8am to 5pm).Application deadline: February 6, 2026 at 5pm CSTSelected participants will be notified by email no later than March 28, 2025.For additional information, please contact the Program Director, Dr. Irene Chapa, at 210-567-2941 or via email (chapai@uthscsa.edu) or the Program Coordinator, Adriana Avendano at 210-567-3587 or (avendanoa@uthscsa.edu).
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American Cancer Society Center for Innovation in Cancer Research Training (CICRT) Summer Program (ACS CICRT)
American Cancer Society Center for Innovation in Cancer Research Training (CICRT) Summer Program (ACS CICRT)
Program Dates: June 1 - August 7, 2026 (10 weeks)
Stipend: $5,000
Program Focus: Cancer Research
Application Deadline: March 2, 2026
Awarded Trainees: 8 undergraduate students
Program Details
The Center for Innovation in Cancer Research Training (CICRT) Summer Program seeks to raise awareness of career opportunities in oncology while educating the next generation of researchers and physicians to advance innovative cancer prevention, detection and treatment strategies. The CICRT Summer Program, supported by the American Cancer Society and Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio, is open to rising sophomores, juniors and seniors who are obtaining a STEM degree at either UT San Antonio, St. Mary’s University or the University of the Incarnate Word and interested in the opportunity to work in cancer research. Students will be matched with funded Mays Cancer Center researchers. This program aims to increase the number of students engaged in basic, translational and population-based biomedical cancer research by providing a rich training environment for promising undergraduates in the San Antonio, Texas area․
Participants will engage in cancer research with an ongoing project, learn new laboratory techniques, and attend enrichment seminars. At the conclusion of the summer program, students will present their summer work at a poster session followed by an award reception.
Eligibility
- Rising college sophomores, juniors or seniors from UT San Antonio, St. Mary’s University or the University of the Incarnate Word at the time of application.
- Applicants must have completed at least one year of college.
- Applicants should not have obtained their bachelor's degree before the program start date or before the program end date.
- Applicants must be in good standing at their home institution and have a minimum 3.0 GPA.
- Applicants must commit to attend all ten weeks (vacations should not be planned during this period).
- Ideal candidates should have an interest in developing a career in biomedical science or medicine, with an emphasis on cancer.
Application Requirements:
- Online application
- Unofficial transcript
- 2 letters of recommendation (1 must be from a University Science Professor)
- Personal statement (1- page limit)
- Resume
This summer Program is supported by the American Cancer Society, DICR INTR-24-1297274-01-DICR INTR, and the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio. For those whose hometown is outside of San Antonio, partial support for living arrangements will be provided.
https://cancer.uthscsa.edu/education/cancer-research-internship
For more information, contact Eva Garcia-Rodriguez at mcceducation@uthscsa.edu.
Apply to the Mays Cancer Center Summer Research Mentorship Program
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Pharmacology Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF)
The Department of Pharmacology offers a ten-week summer research program between June 1, 2026 to August 7, 2026 to a select group of undergraduate students. The summer program offers students a variety of experiences that will help prepare them for success in research-intensive doctoral programs, as well as for other professional school programs. Students will work on an on-going research project in the laboratory of a Principal Investigator in the Pharmacology department and have the opportunity to participate in seminars, journal clubs and take various graduate level classes. At the end of the program, students will deliver a short oral presentation about their work to the department faculty, staff and students. A list of potential Principal Investigators with whom students can work can be found at these links: Primary Faculty and Cross-Appointed Faculty. This program provides rigorous research experience and students are expected to spend full-time (40-60 hrs/wk) in the laboratory. Accepted students must be committed to spending the full 10 weeks in the program (vacations during this period should not be planned) and summer classes or other outside activities should not interfere with research time.
Prior research experience is not necessary. First-year, second-year, and third-year undergraduate students are encouraged to apply. Foreign students are eligible to apply but must be enrolled in an undergraduate program in the United States and hold an active F-1 visa that will allow them to participate in the summer program. The program offers opportunities for students to return for a second summer to continue the research conducted in the first summer fellowship, or to carry out research in a different laboratory. While we will do our best to place students in a laboratory of their choice, we cannot guarantee that the preferred laboratory will be available.
Selected undergraduate students will receive $4,600 to help defray the cost of participation in the program. This amount, intended to help cover the cost of lodging and meals.
On-campus housing is not available at UT Health SA; however, we will work with summer participants to find appropriate housing and roommates if desired. Extended-stay hotels are typically the best option and there are several extended-stay hotels within walking distance of campus or on city bus routes.
Program Focus: Pharmacology, The study of drugs on biological systems
Program Dates: June 1,- August 7, 2026
Stipend: Yes
Requirements:- Completed Online application
- Unofficial transcript
- Transcripts should reflect your most recent courses including all courses being pursued in the Fall 2025 and Spring 2026.
- One letter of recommendation
- Personal Statement (<1000 words)
- a description of your career goals
- how this program will help you reach those goals
- a description of any previous research experience
Application Deadline: February 20, 2026
This summer program is made possible by a grant from the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET), funds provided by the Department of Pharmacology, as well as from federal grants awarded to members of the faculty.
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Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute’s (Greehey CCRI)
Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute’s (Greehey CCRI) Undergraduate & High School Summer Research Program
Program Dates: June 1 - August 7, 2026 (10 weeks)
Stipend: $5,000 (undergraduate students)
Program Focus: Pediatric Cancer Research
Application Deadline: March 2, 2026
Awarded Trainees: TBD
The Greehey Children’s Cancer Research Institute’s (Greehey CCRI) Undergraduate & High School Summer Research Program aims to provide talented students with the opportunity to engage in hypothesis-driven research on childhood cancer over a ten-week period during the summer. This program is designed to inspire and train the next generation of cancer researchers, welcoming students from various states and around the world.
Program Focus and Details:
While many academic institutions offer summer research programs, the Greehey CCRI provides a unique opportunity to conduct research in a specialized children’s cancer research environment. Our program exposes students to a broad range of techniques and model systems in both basic and translational research. Participants will have access to our state-of-the-art facilities and gain hands-on experience with methods in genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics, structural biology, classical genetics, and molecular imaging. Detailed descriptions of faculty research interests can be found in the labs section
Due to high demand, applications are competitive, and selection is based on the applicant’s interest in science, resume, and academic performance. Successful candidates must commit to the full duration of the program. Each Principal Investigator will review applications to match students with research projects aligned with their interests. To aid this process, applicants should select keywords related to their research interests and include this in their personal statement.
A stipend is available to support successful undergraduate applicants, though meals, housing, and transportation are not provided. High school applicants must be at least 16 years old on the program start date.
Health and Safety Training
Before beginning independent research, participants will undergo an assessment of potential workplace hazards to ensure they are trained in safe work practices. This evaluation will determine the necessary training courses to be completed prior to starting research.
Communication Skills
Effective communication of research findings is crucial. To develop these skills, the summer research experience will culminate in a research symposium where students will:
- Learn to present data and defend their conclusions effectively
- Build confidence in public speaking
- Share the results of their summer research experience
Application Requirements
- Online application
- Personal statement (300-word, 1-page limit)
- Upload 1 letter of recommendation from someone in academia at your current school
- Resume
- Unofficial transcript
This summer Program is supported by the Mays Cancer Center at UT Health San Antonio.
For more information contact Eva Garcia-Rodriguez at mcceducation@uthscsa.edu.