Interested in doing research this summer?
Why should students join ASDRP?
Students are exposed to original, genuine scientific research while they are still in high school. They get direct, hands-on experience running experiments, designing research, reading and writing scientific papers, presenting their work, and working in a research team. Importantly, students are not doing research in science experiments, like in school, where the results are known
a priori.
Rather, students embark on an intellectual journey in which they pursue new knowledge in their particular field of research. They engage with the frontiers of scientific knowledge. Students who are underrepresented in STEM are specifically encouraged to join, in order to gain experience in research and to taste what a career in STEM might look like. We aim to follow up with ASDRP scholars in subsequent summers to place them into university laboratories and industry internships. We also aim to provide a strong mentorship network to current and past students.
How does ASDRP help students who have socioeconomic difficulty or who are underrepresented in STEM?
One major goal of ASDRP is to provide exposure to cutting edge scientific research for underprivileged students. Students with financial difficulty join ASDRP for free with no fees. It may be possible for students with financial difficulty to receive transportation assistance to our facilities. A major focus of ASDRP is to inspire students of all backgrounds to pursue STEM as a career. ASDRP provides students with a holistic skills in STEM, ranging from scientific reading and writing to scientific presentation and public speaking. Importantly, we aim to help students who successfully complete ASDRP gain positions in university laboratories and industry internships in subsequent summers. These programs are currently in progress. Students from all demographic and socioeconomic backgrounds are encouraged to apply; every year, ASDRP awards several partial and full financial scholarships for students from underrepresented backgrounds to pursue STEM research over the summer.
Who is eligible to become an ASDRP student and how do I join?
Students who are entering 9th-12th grade after the summer are eligible to join ASDRP. In particular, we are looking for students with curiosity for science and engineering and able to commit approximately 20 hours per week during an 8 week period in the summer. We match students with research mentors based on the students' academic and scientific interests as well as their academic background. There are limited spots available, and admission is given on a rolling basis.
