Jeff Metcalf Summer for Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF) - 2019
**This internship is part of the University’s Jeff Metcalf Internship Program. Please review the Metcalf Interns’ Responsibility Notice to learn more about program requirements for Metcalf interns.
Students are responsible for independently finalizing the logistics of their internship, including transportation and lodging. If you are considering an internship in Los Angeles, Miami, NYC, San Francisco, Washington, D.C., or abroad, please reference these helpful city guides. **
2019 Jeff Metcalf Summer for Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF)
The Marine Biological Laboratory (MBL), founded in 1888 on Cape Cod in the village of Woods Hole, Massachusetts, is a private nonprofit research institution and affiliate of the University of Chicago. An international center for innovation in scientific research and education, the MBL has drawn the world’s greatest minds in science to carry out some of their most creative and far-reaching work.
In its sixth year of development as part of the Jeff Metcalf Internship Program from the University of Chicago, a cohort of exceptional undergraduate fellows will be awarded a nine-week summer research experience (June 16, 2019 - August 16, 2019) hosted at the Marine Biological Laboratory. The Jeff Metcalf Summer for Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF) is an opportunity exposing University of Chicago students to the world-class science conducted at the MBL.
The Metcalf Summer for Undergraduate Research Fellows targets first through fourth year undergraduate students. It is designed to help students explore science beyond their core courses and immerse in comprehensive discovery research over a 9-week summer experience. Augmenting student learning are career enrichment opportunities such as required weekly lunch seminars with MBL faculty, evening science lectures, professional development opportunities, social and cultural engagements, and a chance to go on an excursion aboard the research vessel Gemma. Metcalf fellows will also have meetings with a scientific mentor and mandatory bi-weekly Metcalf meetings. These experiences are tailored to foster student-faculty relationships, help to develop academic and professional credentials and aid students in refining their career goals. A link to MBL’s Education website can be found here: http://www.mbl.edu/education/undergraduate-programs/jeff-metcalf-summer-for-undergraduate-research-fellows/. MBL Fellows have the opportunity to live on-campus in a beautiful coastal setting with access to fun summer activities such as going to the beach, fishing, etc.
A. APPLICATION PROCESS
To Apply: Students will apply through the UChicago Career Advancement platform Handshake. Previous Jeff Metcalf MBL Fellows are encouraged to reapply. Students interested in applying must also attend a mandatory information session in BSLC 205 on either January 15th from 4:00-5:00 or January 16th from 6:00-7:00 - Please register for one of the events using these links. To be considered, please submit the following components:
Note: If you are experience trouble uploading multiple documents to Handshake, please consider combining your documents prior to uploading using Word / PDF. Thank you!
1. A completed Application Form: https://careeradvancement.wufoo.com/forms/2019-mbl-metcalf-surf-application-form/
2. An unofficial transcript
3. A resume or curriculum vitae
4. One letter of recommendation
Please complete and share the attached ‘Waiver of Right to Access’ form as well as the following link (https://careeradvancement.wufoo.com/forms/2019-mbl-surf-recommendation-form/) with the individual that agrees to recommend you. This individual may be a scientist, professor, high school teacher, or adviser if no previous research experience. It is advised to provide the recommender with at least 3 weeks’ notice of the form prior to the February 17th deadline. Recommenders will receive receipt of the recommendation by email. Student applicants must also upload the completed Waiver to Handshake. Please upload your waiver to your Handshake documents - it does not have to be submitted with your application.
5. A one page research proposal outlining the aims of your proposed project
Integral to the students’ success in the program is engagement with an accomplished research faculty mentor at the MBL. As part of the application process, students will need to contact a potential mentor from among the resident or visiting MBL faculty. You can find the mentors’ contact information at the bottom of this page. The mentor will provide information and appropriate readings to frame the context of the project and possible experimental questions that could be addressed. The student applicant will develop a proposal defining the research project. Mentors are allowed to provide general feedback as to the direction and feasibility of the work but should not engage in detailed editing of the proposal. Please see provided examples for additional guidance. After students are accepted into the program and prior to arriving at the MBL it is expected that students further expand on their research plan in consultation with their assigned researcher/lab mentor. Please note that the participating MBL faculty list will be updated on a continual basis and it is important to check back on potential mentors.
6. A one page Statement of Interest to include the following:
· What aspect of the Jeff Metcalf SURF opportunity excites you and convinced you to apply?
· Explain how this opportunity fits into your academic and career goals.
· Describe any previous research experiences related to this opportunity.
· Please indicate 2 additional scientists that you would like to work with and write 2-3 sentences stating why you want to work with these chosen scientists. Demonstrate your clear understanding of and specific interest in their research.
B. AWARD: Room and board is paid for through the partnership between Career Advancement’s Jeff Metcalf Internship Program and the University of Chicago Biological Science Collegiate Division. We encourage you to review the housing and dining amenities; the houses are not air conditioned. Students are required to live in the provided housing located in either Drew, Davis, or Veeder House and accommodations are organized as double and triple rooms. In addition to room and board, students will receive a stipend check of $2,400. Some SURF cohort activities will also be organized and provided during the 9 week stay. MBL Fellows are required to complete a post-internship survey to provide feedback regarding their experience in Woods Hole.
C. DEADLINE: Applications will be accepted until February 17th, 2019. Applications will be reviewed and ranked by a committee. Students will be notified of their acceptance via email by early March. Those accepted into the program will need to plan on arriving on Sunday, June 16th, and orientation will take place on Monday, June 17th. The program runs nine weeks through August 16, 2019 and students must commit to the entire program.
Metcalf Mentor List 2019 (as of 12/14/18)
Irina Arkhipova
Associate Scientist, MBL Josephine Bay Paul Center
iarkhipova@mbl.edu | 508-289-7120
Maureen Conte
MBL Fellow, MBL Ecosystems Center
mconte@mbl.edu | 508-289-7744
Seeking students interested in environmental chemistry.
Karen Echeverri
Associate Scientist, MBL Eugene Bell Center
kecheverri@mbl.edu | 508-289-7595
Roger Hanlon
Senior Scientist, MBL Eugene Bell Center
rhanlon@mbl.edu | 508-289-7710
Elizabeth Jonas
Professor, Biological & Biomedical Sciences, Yale University; MBL Whitman Center Scientist
Elizabeth.jonas@yale.edu | 203-785-3087
Loretta Roberson
Associate Scientist, MBL Eugene Bell Center
lroberson@mbl.edu | 508-289-7097
Joshua Rosenthal
Senior Scientist, MBL Eugene Bell Center
jrosenthal@mbl.edu | 508-289-7253
Michael Shribak
Associate Scientist, MBL Eugene Bell Center
mshribak@mbl.edu | 508-289-7242
Seeking students interested in light microscopy and software development.
Ivan Valiela
Distinguished Scientist, MBL Ecosystems Center
ivaliela@mbl.edu | 508-289-7515
Joe Vallino
Senior Scientist, MBL Ecosystems Center
jvallino@mbl.edu | 508-289-7648
*** Oleg Simakov
Whitman Fellow
Utilizing three emerging cephalopod model species to study the genetic basis behind the evolution of cephalopod morphological novelty. We aim to achieve this by dissecting three key scenarios of gene regulatory network evolution implied in cephalopod body plan patterning and organogenesis using comparative genomics and experimental approaches.