>

Aspirnaut™ – Undergraduate Discovery Science Experience in Renal Biology and Disease

Image

Introduction

Aspirnaut’s mission is to increase STEM achievement and participation in the STEM workforce. The Aspirnaut™ Summer Research Internships are hands-on and mentored laboratory experiences for high school and undergraduate students interested in a career in the fields of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM).

Image

About the Summer Experience:

The program will run from May 31 – August 7, 2027 (10 weeks). Participants will receive a stipend of $650 per week (up to a total of $6,500). This stipend will be used by the interns to cover all costs associated with participation in the program including housing, food, and travel to and from Nashville.

Interns may reside in Vanderbilt University campus dormitories (Vanderbilt University Office of Conference) or arrange housing on their own. If residing in Vanderbilt University campus dormitories, interns will be invoiced for the cost of housing and agree to follow housing policies determined by the Vanderbilt University Office of Conferences.

There are two principle aims for this program:

 - An intense research experience for undergraduate students involving crafting of questions, designing and conducting experiments, and presenting and arguing results on the topic of “Renal Biology and Disease.”

 - To augment the discovery science experience with guided professional skills development and guided self-discovery.

Participants conduct research activities at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). Research assignments are coordinated under the direction of Billy Hudson, Ph.D., Scientific Director for the Aspirnaut™ Summer Research Internship Program and Director of the Vanderbilt Center for Matrix Biology. Participants are involved in every step of the research process, such as designing experiments, collecting, and analyzing data, and maintaining lab notebooks. In addition to the discovery science laboratory experience, interns receive training in science communication, mentorship and career mapping, and wellness training. At the end of the program, interns prepare abstracts, give oral and poster presentations to their peers and mentors, and, if offered, attend the KUH Undergraduate Research Conference.

Activities and assignments will vary within a standard nine-to-five timeframe in laboratory atmospheres, with evenings and weekends available for the participants to complete assignments. There is plenty of free time to explore the university, the city of Nashville, and its surrounding areas.

Benefits

The program will run from May 31 – August 7, 2027 (10 weeks).

Participants will receive a stipend of $650 per week (up to a total of $6,500).

If offered by KUH, participants may have opportunity to attend the KUH/NIDDK Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium at the conclusion of the program. Aspirnaut™ covers costs for participants to attend the KUH/NIDDK Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium. The cost of travel to the Kidney, Urology, Hematology (KUH) Summer Undergraduate Research Conference (location TBA), is covered by the program and is a requirement of participation.

Eligibility

  • Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors with a GPA of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale and who are in good standing at their primary institution are eligible.
  • Rising seniors should have at least one semester remaining of their undergraduate education at the start of the summer program.
  • Applicants should have completed college biology and chemistry or biochemistry courses.
  • Candidates should demonstrate interest in/potential to pursue graduate study (i.e., Ph.D., M.D., M.S.) toward an advanced degree in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) fields and biomedical research.
  • Interns must be a documented U.S. citizen or non-citizen national or permanent resident in possession of an alien registration receipt card (I-551) or other legal document of such status. International citizens studying in the United States with an F-1 visa are not eligible for these spots. Individuals seeking asylum or refugees are not eligible.
  • Interns must have valid, current health insurance at the start of and for the duration of the program.
    2 letters of recommendation submitted on your behalf from college faculty (at least 1 should be from an instructor of a math or science course).
  • Official transcript showing academic coursework to date, including Fall 2026 semester final grades.

Application Process

Applicants can apply through the REDCap application link: https://redcap.link/2027UndergraduateDiscoveryScienceApplication

All applications and supplementary materials are due on Wednesday January 13, 2027, at 11:59 PM CST for consideration. The application review committee will meet in early-March and decisions will be released in March.

Contact Information
Inquiries may be directed to:

Rachel Baugh, MSA, OLY

Associate Director, Aspirnaut™

researchinternships@aspirnaut.org

For more information, please visit our website: www.aspirnaut.org