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Student Resources

Prospective Students

The HRI has 59 active faculty members who mentor over 85 undergraduate and graduate students. If you are considering Michigan Tech for your undergraduate, graduate, or postdoctoral work, you will find helpful resources below.

When you are ready to apply as an undergraduate or graduate student, please visit the links below based on your status:

Undergraduate Summer Research Fellowship Program

Overview:

The Health Research Institute (HRI) offers undergraduates a 12-week summer fellowship experience. The goal of the program is to bring exemplary, external undergraduate students to Michigan Tech and prepare them for graduate level study by gaining practical laboratory experience by working on a research project in their area of interest, receiving 1-on-1 guidance from faculty mentors, learning how to develop collaborative research projects, and preparing for careers in academia, the public sector, or industry. At the end of their term, students will prepare a poster presentation on their work, with the guidance of their faculty mentor.

The Fellowship program includes the following:

  • $4,000 stipend
  • On-campus housing
  • Meal plan
  • Airfare
  • Professional development activities 
  • Local excursions

Participating, Faculty, and Areas of Study:

  • Dr. Caryn Heldt, Chemical Engineering - Vaccine manufacturing and stability
  • Dr. Xiaochu Ding, Health Research Institute - Biodegradable polymers for heart disease implants 
  • Dr. Adrienne Minerick, Chemical Engineering - Sensor to detect diseases, like anemia, in the blood 
  • Dr. Carolyn Duncan, Kinesiology and Integrative Physiology - Why do the elderly fall more than younger people? 
  • Dr. Paul Goetsch, Biological Sciences - CRISPR to study cancer cell dysregulation
  • Dr. Kevin Trewartha, Cognitive and Learning Sciences - Changes in cognition and motor behavior in dementia and healthy aging.
  • Dr. Ashutosh Tiwari, Chemistry - Chemistry-Aggregated proteins and cellular toxicity: What is the connection?
  • Dr. Weihua Zhou, Applied Computing - Artificial intelligence to measure coronary blood flow for improved treatment of coronary artery disease

If a faculty member or area of interest is not listed here, please fill out the application form and put the faculty name and/or topic of interest when prompted. More information on faculty and and their research areas can be found at these links:

Application Requirements


The minimum application eligibility requirements for students are:

  • Undergraduate student currently enrolled in life science, engineering, or related degree program, OR received an undergraduate degree in one of these disciplines within a calendar year of application date.
  • Completed at least one academic year in their enrolled degree program and a lab course.  
  • Minimum Cumulative GPA of 2.5, preferred 3.0 (4.0 scale)
  • U.S citizens or permanent residents

Application Materials Required:

  • Education and demographic information
  • Academic Official or Unofficial Transcripts (PDF Format)
  • Resume or CV (PDF Format)
  • Personal Statement - 2,000 character limit, including spaces (PDF Format):
    • Describe overall career goals and research interests.
    • Thoughts on how this research fellowship will help you achieve future goals.

Application Dates & Deadlines:

    • Application Open: December 1
    • Application Deadline: Decisions are made on a rolling basis
      • Recommended deadline: February 1st
    • Program Start & End Dates: May 8th - August 10th, 2023

Once the required materials are prepared, navigate to Application Form to submit:

Application Form

 

Applications are reviewed on an individual based on merit, academic performance, and fit with the program of interest. Space is limited and entry will be awarded based on these criteria.

If you have questions about the program, please contact Grace Schmitz, HRI Manager:

hgschmit@mtu.edu

906-487-3338

Chem Sci 202E

Current Students

Graduate Student Fellowships

Health Research Institute (HRI) Graduate Fellowships were created to assist with the cost of graduate studies. Progress by the student to degree completion and participation by the PI and student in HRI activities, including grant submissions, will be used to determine final awards. Fellowships are awarded three times a year in the for Fall, Spring, and Summer terms, with a limit of one award per student of up to $5000 to be used in one semester. 

Please note that if any of the following dates fall on a weekend or holiday, the application deadline is the next business day by 11:59. 

Spring Semester Deadline: October 15

Summer Semester Deadline: February 15

Fall Semester Deadline: May 15

Application Form

HRI Journal Club

The Journal Club provides an opportunity for undergraduate and graduate students to meet and discuss current research and publications. To join the Journal Club, please fill out this form. 

The Journal Club is on hiatus for the Spring semester. If you are interested in participating starting in Fall 2022, please fill out the interest form linked above or email Grace Schmitz at hgschmit@mtu.edu

Travel Grants

Health Research Institute (HRI) Travel Grants were created to assist with the cost of travel to scientific meetings to present research related to the interests of the HRI. Grants are limited to one per student per academic year. The travel awards are merit based and are up to $1000. Evaluation criteria include student status, type of presentation (poster or podium), meeting characteristics, and PI/student involvement in HRI activities. Applications must be complete to be considered.

The funding tiers and examples of criteria for awards in each tier are below: 

Tier 1: up to $1000 (ex. a podium presentation at a national or international conference)

Tier 2: up to $750 (ex. a podium presentation at a national or regional conference OR a poster presentation at an international conference)

Tier 3: up to $500 (ex. a poster presentation at a regional conference)

After completing this application, please have your advisor email Grace at hgschmit@mtu.edu to confirm that they have reviewed and approved your application. Failing to do this will delay evaluation. 

Application Form