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 or graduate studies, you will find helpful resources below.
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:
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Dr. Xiaochu Ding, Health Research Institute - Biodegradable polymers for heart disease implants - Dr. Sangyoon Han, Biomedical Engineering - Mechanobiology and cellular force measurement
- Dr. Caryn Heldt, Chemical Engineering - Vaccine manufacturing and stability
- Dr. Shiyue Fang, Chemistry - Nucleic acid chemistry and organic synthesis
- Dr. Aytug Gencolgu, Chemical Engineering - In vitro models of cell "taxis"
- Dr. Maria Gencoglu, Chemical Engineering - Scaffold-based 3D cellular models for cancer tissue engineering
- Dr. Erich Petushek, Psychology and Human Factors - Sport injury rehabilitation and recovery
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Dr. Kevin Trewartha, Psychology and Human Factors - 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:
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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:
- Completed application form
- 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:
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- Application Opens: January 1st
- Application Deadline: Decisions are made on a rolling basis
- Recommended deadline: February 1st
- Program Start & End Dates: May - August (exact dates may vary)
The 2025 application form is closed, the 2026 application will open next January
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 at
Current Students
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 for 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: September 15 (October 15 for Fall 2024)
Summer Semester Deadline: February 15
Fall Semester Deadline: April 15
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.
Travel grant applications must be submitted at least 30 days prior to first day of travel. Applications arriving after this cut off will not be considered.