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Inclusive Excellence Summer Research Experience

About

The Inclusive Excellence Summer Research Experience, facilitated by the Office for Graduate Diversity, focuses on the current challenges and opportunities for diversity in graduate education while providing an enriching and rigorous summer research experience to undergraduate students from around the country. The Inclusive Excellence Summer Research Experience is a fully funded 8-week summer research experience, professional development, and leadership training opportunity to develop the next generation of students from historically underrepresented backgrounds in graduate education. Our program pioneers in providing interdisciplinary and self-enrichment training to our Inclusive Excellence Summer Research participants to aid in changing the structure of higher education to be more inclusive and diverse.

This year, we are partnering with the following UC Berkeley departments:

Program Structure

  • 8 weeks at UC Berkeley in the San Francisco Bay Area
  • $5,000 stipend, paid housing, and travel expenses (up to $500 – to be coordinated by UC Berkeley). 
  • Guidance from a faculty mentor in the areas of Molecular and Cell Biology, Genome engineering, or Optometry and Vision Science.
  • Access to a specialized series of workshops to learn interdisciplinary perspectives and their applications to understand the strength of diversity, storytelling, and critical perspectives on the future of graduate education. 
  • Professional development workshops from current graduate students and professionals from different underrepresented backgrounds at UC Berkeley. Workshops will help students: 
    • understand the statistics and current challenges being faced by minoritized students in graduate education from individuals leading efforts to change them.
    • identify good mentors, become a good mentee, and create successful networks.
  • Personalized workshops on successful strategies and career paths from current graduate students and professionals from different underrepresented backgrounds at UC Berkeley

2024-2025 Information Sessions

ViSUR Information Sessions

Thursday, December 12 from 5 – 6 pm PST
Monday, January 6 from 5 – 6 pm PST
RSVP

Molecular and Cell Biology

Check back for more information

Innovative Genomics Institute

Learn more about the experience in their department

Program Specifics

  • Research presentations by UC Berkeley faculty
  • Weekly seminars on issues directly related to the academic, personal, and professional growth of scholars
  • Social outdoor activities in the Bay Area
  • Preparation of materials for graduate school applications
  • Research presentation at the conclusion of the program
  • Summer program admission decisions made by early March 2025

Eligibility & Application

Applicants to the Inclusive Excellence Summer Research Experience must be 

  • a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or recipient of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).
  • currently enrolled in a full-time undergraduate program at a four or two-year college in the U.S. with plans to return to their home institution in Fall 2025.
  • a rising sophomore, junior or non-graduating senior. Sally Casanova Scholars are also eligible to apply as long as they are returning to their institution in the Fall of 2025.
  • interested in one of the Ph.D. programs being currently offered at UC Berkeley.

Important Dates

  • Program Duration: Sunday, June 1, 2025 – Thursday, July 31, 2025 (includes travels)
  • Application Opens: Friday, November 15, 2024
  • Information Sessions:
    • ViSUR
      • Thursday, December 12 from 5 – 6 pm PST
      • Monday, January 6 from 5 – 6 pm PST
    • IGI
  • Application Deadline: Sunday, February 2, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. PDT
  • Semifinalist Interviews and Admission Decisions: Begin February 2025 through March 2025

Applications are now open!

Apply Now

Frequently Asked Questions

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 be currently enrolled in a full-time undergraduate program at a four or two-year college in the USA with plans to return to their home institution in Fall 2025. Sally Casanova Scholars are also eligible to apply as long as they are returning to their institution in the Fall of 2025. Applicants must be currently a sophomore, junior, or non-graduating senior in the United States or United States Territory. 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 or permanent resident.

No.

Yes. The total duration of the program is 8 weeks. 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.

No. You must be returning to your undergraduate college or university in fall of 2025 to continue your studies.

Recommenders must upload their letter of recommendation using the Recommender Form, also located within your online application. 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.

Have your letter writer check Spam/Junk mail, resend the request with your online application, and/or contact the [email protected] about this issue.

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 the ViSUR, MCB, and IGI departments.

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.

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