Every year, the Science Center offers Summer Research Awards to students interested in spending their summer conducting research in a variety of science disciplines at Wellesley.
Please read the instructions below completely before applying. You do not have to be a science major to participate in summer research. Research is open to all Wellesley students with an interest in research. Only students who will be continuing their studies at Wellesley in the following academic year (i.e., to rising sophomore, juniors and seniors) are eligibe to participate. Recent graduates will not be supported.
If you have not participated in research previously and wish to do so, we urge you to browse the list of available projects and to contact the faculty supervisor in advance of submitting your application. Don't be afraid - each of our faculty mentors is anxious to work with students, and the best way to get into a lab is to reach out and share your interest with faculty! Check the list often - projects are added automatically as faculty submit them.
Summer Research Dates: Thursday, May 30 - Friday, July 26, 2024 (8.5-week session)
Students must participate for the full 8.5-week program, including preparation of an abstract and poster for the summer research virtual poster session. The program starts at 9AM on Thursday, May 30th. Research will be in-person on campus. All other programming, including the MANDATORY safety training will be either in person or virtual. The poster session will be held on the afternoon of July 25, 2024. The program ends at close of business (5PM ET) on July 26, 2024. Please arrange your travel so that you are on campus for the full duration of the program.
Compensation: Students living in campus housing must agree to follow all COVID-related housing and meal regulations in place at the time.
All students will receive $550/week stipend. Housing will be covered for students living on campus. If students choose to live off campus, they are responsible for covering their own housing.
Payments are contingent on the student successfully completing required program elements.
Students are responsible for all applicable taxes; please check with your tax advisor with questions as the College cannot answer questions related to your individual tax situation.
Summer Housing/Meals: Students living on campus must follow all housing and dining-related regulations in place for the summer.
NOTE: More information about summer housing will be available as soon as it is available.
The Application Process
Application site opens January 22: (Do not attempt to apply to enter information before this date or it may unexpectedly be deleted)
Log in to your MyWellesley portal and click the "Student" tab. In the "Administrivia" section, select the "Science Summer Research" link. Alternatively, access the application site directly.
You will be asked to enter information in text boxes in the application; we recommend that you write this material off-line and cut-and-paste into the application. Also, you will be asked to enter user names for Wellesley references.
Application deadline: February 9 at 11PM Eastern time. The deadline is FIRM. No late or incomplete applications will be accepted.
A Summer Research application must include the following:
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Statement describing your post-graduation/career plans (what you want to do after graduation and how research participation fits into those plans).
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Project selection: you must select at least one project that you'd like to work on during the summer. You have the option of selecting up to three projects. If you select more than one project, you should select them in order of preference. If you want additional information on any project, faculty members will be happy to discuss them with you. Students are urged to discuss projects with faculty in advance of submitting an application. These discussions do not represent a commitment to accepting you into their laboratories for the summer. It is always to the applicant's advantage, however, to have spoken to the prospective supervisor before applying. See the list of current projects.
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Statement of Intent describing what you hope to accomplish by participating in summer research. Your statement of intent should describe how the project(s) you selected fit with your experience and goals.
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Names of two Wellesley College Faculty who are familiar with your work and can offer recommendations about your potential for success in the summer research program (please ask faculty in advance of listing their names!). Formal written letters are not required, but the committee may contact these faculty should they have questions about your application. Enter a VALID username in the email address section; there is no need to enter the "@wellesley.edu" part of the address. You must click “Save” in order for the remaining information to automatically enter. Check your form before save to ensure that it was correctly entered (or referees will not be contacted about your application!).
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Optional: We hope to make the summer research program at Wellesley College representative of the diverse economic, ethnic, and occupational backgrounds of families in the United States. Describe any characteristics or other personal information about yourself that you wish to share with the review committee.
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Resume (one page) - you will be asked to upload a pdf. The system accepts files only in PDF format.
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Downloaded transcripts (Web Unofficial Transcripts from Workday) - browse to the location of the PDF on your hard drive, upload that file and submit. The system accepts files only in PDF format.
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You must SUBMIT your application before it is complete and accepted into the system. You will receive a notification that submission was successful if done correctly. You will also receive an email confirmation from sciencecenter@wellesley.edu for your records. Please retain this confirmation email.