FAQ

Top 10 Most Frequently Asked Questions about the Nanotechnology for Biology and Medicine REU at INBT

1. What are the program objectives?

a. To recruit a diverse, talented body of undergraduate students from around the country and from a variety of engineering and science disciplines. The program is particularly interested in reaching women, minorities, and, in general, student groups that have had traditionally low representation in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) disciplines. Our hope is that this summer experience in the laboratories of INBT affiliated faculty members at Johns Hopkins will encourage you to pursue graduate school and continue to conduct research.

b. To offer an experience that will actively engage the recruited students into cutting-edge nanobiotechology research. We provide a valuable summer research experience for undergraduate students through participation in research labs and high quality student/faculty interaction and mentorships.

2. Who is eligible to participate?

All applicants must meet certain criteria. Specifically, prospective participants must:

A. be currently enrolled in an undergraduate program and plan to return to an undergraduate program after his/her participation in the program. This means that you must have at least finished your freshman year. Furthermore, it means that if you are a senior and graduate before this program begins, you are not eligible to apply.

B. be an Engineering or Science major. If you are not majoring in one of these specified fields, we feel that you will not have the necessary background or skills to be successful in this program.

C. be in good academic standing. For example, if the prospective student is on academic probation, she/he will not be eligible to apply.

D. be a citizen or a permanent resident of the United States its territories or possessions. This last criterion is stipulated by our program sponsor, the National Science Foundation.

3. How many students are accepted into the program?

We fund a maximum of 10 students each summer.

4. What materials do I need to gather in order to apply?

You will need an official or unofficial school transcript, an updated resume, a statement of purpose (300 words or less) and two letters of recommendation from faculty or people you have worked with.

5. How do I send in all these documents?

All documents must be submitted to us electronically through the online application form on the INBT Web site. If you obtain any of these documents as a hardcopy (e.g. transcript), please scan them in order to submit online. We stipulate this requirement so we can process your application as quickly as possible and avoid pitfalls such as lost mail, misplaced documents, etc. For all these documents, the preferred format is Adobe PDF. You can notify your recommenders that submission of their letters of recommendation can also be done online in a very straightforward manner. More information on this topic is provided on the application form.

6. What is the minimum GPA for acceptance into your REU program?

While we do not specify a minimum GPA, we also typically do not accept students who have a GPA of less than 3.0 unless there are extenuating circumstances. Please make a note of such circumstances in your statement of purpose.

7. How will I be matched with my faculty mentor and research plan?

Student education, interest, and research background is taken into consideration when we select your faculty mentor. If you have a particular research interest, please mention this in your application. Students remain in the lab of their faculty mentor throughout their 10-week stay at Johns Hopkins.

8. What if I am invited to participate, but I won’t be able to join the program until after the start date. Will that be a problem?

Yes, the research experience program has a schedule and requires a lot of time for laboratory research. If you were to begin late, you may not be able to complete your research project. Therefore we cannot accept any late participants. The same rule applies to those who would like to leave the program early. If you are invited to participate in INBT’s REU, you must commit to stay for the entire 10-weeks.

9. If accepted to the REU program, will I receive the stipend as one lump sum or will it be divided?

You will receive money toward travel based on your location to and from the Johns Hopkins campus (reimbursed with original travel receipts) and also a $4,000 stipend to be used at your discretion throughout the summer. This money will be paid to you in bimonthly checks.

10. Where will I stay I am at Johns Hopkins?

Students in our program stay in off campus apartments within walking distance of the main campus and near a shuttle stop for the medical campus. Last year our students were housed in the Baltimorean Apartments (http://www.baltimoreanapartments.com/). We have not decided on the apartments for this year at this time.

11. What kind of activities do we participate in during the 10-weeks?

Students in our program should be serious about receiving a graduate research experience.  Aside from the research, our students participate in biweekly social activities and student organized events.  We have a major opening and closing event that includes all the summer programs that are on the Johns Hopkins campus.