Inclusive Excellence Summer Research Experience

Yes, we will accept supporting documents for a short time after the deadline. However, only completed applications are reviewed.

Only if it’s your only research experience and completed under the guidance of a professor at a University or research institute. Otherwise, you should only list research experience you have obtained as an undergraduate. However, you can mention your high school research in your essay.

Eligibility is currently restricted to US citizens and permanent residents. Students with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) are also eligible to apply. Applicants must currently be enrolled full-time in an undergraduate program as a sophomore, junior, or non-graduating senior at a four- or two-year college in the United States or United States Territory with plans to return to their home institution in Fall 2026. Sally Casanova Scholars are also eligible to apply as long as they are returning to their institution in the Fall of 2026. Applicants must have an expressed interest in one of the Ph.D. programs being currently offered at UC Berkeley.

Yes.

No. You are ineligible to apply because you must be a US citizen, permanent resident, or recipient of Deferred action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

No.

Yes. The total duration of the program is 8 weeks and you are required to participate for the full length of the program. If you will not be out of school yet by June 1 and are offered admission to the summer program, please inform your program at the time of offer to determine if you will still be eligible to participate.

No. You must be returning to your undergraduate college or university in fall of 2026 to continue your studies.

Recommenders must upload their letter of recommendation using the Recommender Form by February 15. You must share this link with your recommenders so they can complete and upload their letter. You can share the link to your recommenders before you’ve completed your application – you do not need to wait until you’ve finished it! Carefully follow the instructions provided within the online application.

Letters from people who have experience working with you in a research setting, faculty mentors, principal investigators, professors, and teachers are preferred. Two letters from the same laboratory or research group are considered as one letter (i.e. a letter from a faculty member and one from your lab mentor-postdoc or graduate student you worked with in the lab). A letter from your pastor, resident advisor, music teacher, high-school teacher, or relative is not preferred, unless you have worked directly with one of these people conducting research.

Please contact the ViSUR program directly for troubleshooting.

No. Letters must be submitted by your recommenders using the Recommender Form by the application deadline.

Applicants to the program will be notified throughout the month of March.

There are up to 10 summer positions available. There are up to 10 summer positions available across all of our partner departments, some not listed here.

Yes. As part of your online application, you will list your four top research areas of interest and your four top faculty members.

Placements are made based on applicants’ research interest and faculty availability.

No. You are required to participate for the entire 8 weeks.