Becoming an INBRE Fellow Mentor

Students interested in the Fellows program:  Faculty Mentor profiles can be found in the column to the left, listed by institution.

The National Institutes of Health Idaho INBRE (IDeA Networks of Biomedical Research Excellence) grant provides funds for undergraduate and graduate students to do research with the goal of educating the next generation of researchers for Idaho’s industries and universities. In the fall of 2023, we will be seeking research faculty from Idaho INBRE network institutions to serve as Mentors for the Summer 2024 INBRE Undergraduate Fellowship Program. If you are interested in being a Summer Undergraduate Fellows Mentor in 2024, please click on the green “Become an INBRE Mentor” button below and complete/submit the form.  If you’re already a Mentor and wish to update your Mentor Profile, please email Ashley at ashley@uidaho.edu.

Benefits of being an INBRE Fellow Mentor

1. INBRE students consistently contribute to the productivity of the lab, providing extra labor on existing projects and developing pilot data for new ones, all at minimal cost to the mentor’s lab.
2. An undergraduate already working in your lab can apply for a Fellowship and, if successful, will bring INBRE funding to your program.
3. The INBRE Fellowship program is highly competitive. The selected students are some of the West’s brightest. Several Fellows that have been placed through the Fellowship program have gone on to become graduate students with the same mentor.
4. The ability to interact with undergraduate students on a more in-depth project than is possible during the school year. Giving students an opportunity to become fully engaged in a research project can change a student’s life and career goals. Many research faculty find showing students the fun of pursuing a research project very rewarding.

What is expected of Mentors?

1. 1. Complete the Summer Research Plan. After a student applicant has been chosen and has accepted the Fellowship, the student and Mentor will work together to complete a Summer Research Plan. This document will outline the student’s project. It should include the anticipated working hours and a rough timeline of events. This will be used as a guide for the summer activities. All research plans need to be approved by the research offices at each institution prior to the beginning of the Summer Fellows program.
   2. Provide space, supplies, and resources. The Mentor will provide all space, supplies, and resources the student needs to complete the outlined project. They will be available to provide guidance and be a resource for the student, as well as serve as a role model for the student. Supply money is issued from the central UI INBRE Office for each student you accept. Amount may vary by location (please inquire for more details).
   3. Ensure that your students attend INBRE training sessions and seminars. Student attendance at the training and seminars is required; you will be notified of the dates and times. These sessions are an integral part of the student’s summer commitment. You are always welcome to attend these sessions with your student.

Important: All Fellows are required to complete a poster describing their summer project to be presented at the Idaho INBRE Summer Research Conference at the end of July.

Undergraduate Fellows Program

Undergraduate students from across the state of Idaho and the Regional Alliance of INBRE Network (RAIN) states (Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, and Wyoming) will compete for Summer Research Fellowships. The winning students will receive a $7,200 award and the opportunity to perform biomedical research for ten weeks as an integral part of the mentor’s lab. In addition, INBRE Undergraduate Fellows will attend a weekly training component organized by INBRE which will include research seminars and career development activities.

How are students selected to be INBRE Undergraduate Fellows?

The INBRE Fellows are the best and brightest undergraduate students in Idaho and the West. The selection process is competitive and rigorous.

This year all Idaho-based students will choose Mentors BEFORE submitting their applications. Students must contact a faculty member, and the faculty member must agree to be their Mentor. Students will then submit an application packet that includes the Mentor’s name, a few short essays, their GPA, one letter of recommendation, and their college transcript(s).

Requirements for being a Fellow:  1) Students must currently be enrolled at an Idaho institution or an institution in a RAIN state (Alaska, Hawaii, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Wyoming). 2) Students will graduate no sooner than the December following their Fellowship.

Criteria for Fellows selection:

The following criteria are used by Idaho INBRE when choosing Undergraduate Summer Fellows. These criteria are considered as a ‘whole’, and not necessarily in the order listed.

1. Interest in biomedical science and research
2. Academic record, including science classes taken
3. Reference letters
4. Date of expected graduation
5. Current institution
6. Family educational background
7. State in which they graduated high school (preference is given to those graduating from an Idaho or Western INBRE Region high school)
8. Obstacles they have overcome to obtain their education

Fellows applications are due on November 1, 2023.

*The Summer Fellows program is contingent upon the timely distribution of federal grant funds.*