Ranked as a tier-1 medical school for research, the CWRU School of Medicine prides itself on offering our students numerous opportunities to gain hands-on research experience. Below is a listing of summer research opportunities currently offered on CWRU's campus, in the Cleveland area, or elsewhere in the United States. Undergraduate students are encouraged to apply and take advantage of summer research opportunities to enrich their collegiate experience, build their resume, and bolster future applications to graduate or professional schooling.
Campus-based Summer Research Opportunities
Advanced Platform Technology Center Summer Internship: The Advanced Platform Technology Summer Internship Program (APT-SIP) is for undergraduate STEM and PreHealth (Medical, Nursing, Physical Therapy) students who have completed at least their sophomore year of college. This highly selective internship will allow undergraduate STEM students to participate in cutting-edge biomedical research projects.
Cancer-Focused Summer Undergraduate Research (CanSUR): Cancer-focused Summer Undergraduate Research (CanSUR) is a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded program meant to generate excitement in highly motivated undergraduates to pursue a future in cancer research and prepare them for the next stage of their careers.
Cleveland KUH Summer Research Fellowship (Based at Cleveland State University; has CWRU researchers): An 8-week, summer research program that provides undergraduates and high school students with opportunities to perform basic and clinical research in various biomedical fields including but not limited to kidney, urological, and blood disorders.
CWRU Undergraduate Research Office Sponsored Summer Research Programs (CWRU Students Only): The CWRU URO sponsors three different types of research programs each summer. The Provost Summer Undergraduate Research Grant (PSURG), Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), and Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (AHSS).
ENGAGE: The ENGAGE summer research training program supports undergraduate, master's or medical students interested in stem cell and regenerative medicine research. Students are provided opportunities for scientific growth by working with our renowned scientific investigators.
Hanson Summer Research Scholar Program: The Hanson Summer Research Scholar Program aims to give undergraduate students an opportunity to develop the skills and knowledge they need for a career in biochemical or basic science research.
Prevention Resource Center for Healthy Neighborhoods Internship Program - Summer and Semester Opportunities: The goal of the PRCHN Internship program is to provide students with a dynamic experiential internship in preparation for a career in public health by developing core public health practice skills.
Research Institute for Children's Health: A 10-week, hands-on opportunity during which students work with directly with our investigators. The areas of research range greatly and include bench research in biochemistry, genetics and physiology. Students are provided a stipend of $3,500 for the 10 weeks along with campus housing, if needed, and the opportunity to attend a biomedical science research conference for which travel, registration and housing expenses will be paid.
SURP – Summer Undergraduate Research Program in Pharmacology: This 10-week program is sponsored by the American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET). This program is dedicated to rising juniors and seniors who major in biomedical sciences, including but not limited to chemistry, biology, biochemistry, biomedical engineering, and others; striving to pursue post-graduate Ph.D., Pharm.D., or MD/Ph.D. programs.
Wharton Summer Student Research (Department of Nutrition - CWRU Nutrition Students Only): The Wharton Summer Student Research Program is a paid, 10-week opportunity for rising junior and senior undergraduate students in nutrition to participate in research projects under the direction of faculty members in the Department of Nutrition.
Cleveland Summer Research Opportunities
The Cleveland Foundation Summer Internships Program: Since 1999, the Cleveland Foundation has conducted a summer internship program that provides undergraduates, graduate students, and recent graduates an opportunity to work for 11 weeks in Cleveland-area nonprofit organizations and governmental agencies.
MetroHealth Chester Scholars Program: A 10-week program in clinical or laboratory research settings at MetroHealth Medical Center that includes observation of surgery and hospital rounds. Open to 15 students who have completed their second year of undergraduate studies in the sciences, and who are either an Ohio resident or attend an Ohio university.
Summer on the Cuyahoga Internships (SOTC): SOTC offers paid internships in a variety of fields including finance, technology, marketing, IT, human resources and entrepreneurialism. About 60 students from Case Western Reserve University, Colgate University, Cornell University, Denison University, Ohio Wesleyan University, Smith College, University of Chicago and Yale University participate in SOTC, and the program also includes free housing at CSU, an immersion program into the civic, cultural and social opportunities in Greater Cleveland, and connections to CWRU alumni hosts. Employers post positions on the SOTC website from Nov - March, and interviews and offers/acceptances occur according to each employer's schedule.
Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute: Various opportunities for juniors and seniors to gain hands-on experience in laboratory techniques and to explore careers in biomedical research.
National Institute of Health (NIH) Summer Research Opportunities
NIH Summer Internship Program (SIP): This program is for college, graduate and professional students interested in exploring careers in research and healthcare. These are full-time research positions within one of the NIH Institutes and Centers (IC) in the NIH Intramural Research Program (IRP). Research groups are located on all NIH campuses, including the main campus in Bethesda, MD.
National Cancer Institute - Cancer Research Interns Summer Program: Candidates will have the ability to spend up to 12 weeks, exploring opportunities in basic and clinical research, cancer epidemiology and genetics research, cancer control science, as well as global health.
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute - Summer Internship Program: Summer interns spend six - eight weeks working in basic and clinical research areas under the mentorship of an NHLBI principal investigator. Students also participate in an array of professional development events and have mentorship opportunities.
Off-campus Summer Research Opportunities
American Heart Association (SURE Program): The SURE program supports individuals interested in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics & Medicine (STEMM) fields or careers. The American Heart Association collaborates with learning institutions to provide research experience and mentoring. Students within a laboratory will be assigned to a mentor who is connected to the AHA.
Amgen Scholars Program: Amgen Scholars allows undergraduates from across the globe to participate in cutting-edge research opportunities at world-class institutions. 25 premier educational and research institutions across the U.S., Europe, Asia, Australia and Canada currently host the summer program.
Cech Fellows Program: The Cech Fellows Program gives undergraduate students in the life sciences the opportunity to conduct hands-on research alongside leading scientists at HHMI laboratories across the US.
Cincinnati Children's Hospital - Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF): The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Program at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center offers undergraduates the chance to explore clinical, translational, and basic science research in laboratories in the Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory - Undergraduate Research Program: The Undergraduate Research Program (URP) at CSHL provides an opportunity for undergraduate scientists from around the world to conduct first-rate research. Students learn the scientific process, technical methods and theoretical principles, and communicate their discoveries to other scientists.
Gates Center Summer Internship Program: The Gates Summer Internship Program (GSIP) is a key educational initiative of the Gates Institute. The program's mission is to advance cell and gene therapy research by empowering undergraduates to join the next generation of scientific leaders pursuing careers in regenerative medicine.
Huntington Medical Research Institutes - Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF): Through the structured eight- to ten-week SURF program, students participate in the day-to-day workings of a research lab, develop a deeper understanding of the scientific process, and fine-tune practical laboratory techniques. HMRI's research faculty assigns each student to a biomedical research project on cardiovascular disease or neuroscience.
Jackson Laboratory - JAX Summer Student Program: The JAX Summer Student Program (SSP) is designed for intellectually curious undergraduate and graduating high school seniors eager to explore how genetics and genomics shape biological systems — and who want to grow as independent researchers in a collaborative environment.
Mayo Clinic - Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF): The Mayo Clinic SURF Program has helped thousands of undergraduate students explore their interests in research. As a summer fellow, you will be immersed in research opportunities. You’ll gain valuable experience in the lab and work closely with your mentor on a research project designed specifically for summer students.
Nationwide Children's Hospital - Cardiovascular Research Training: Undergraduate students enrolled in colleges and universities across the country interested in exploring careers in medicine, biomedical research and bioengineering in a cutting-edge research environment can experience and support CCVR research firsthand during a 10-week, paid summer research opportunity.
Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center - College Summer Research Experience in Cancer (SURE-CAN) Program: Roswell Park is the only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in Upstate New York. As a free-standing cancer center, we offer a unique internship experience for college students through our Summer Research Experience in Cancer (SURE-CAN) Program.