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Undergraduate Application Process

Undergraduate research fellowships are available through two programs. Prerequisites and requirements are indicated below. MDIBL welcomes applications from any student who meets the prerequisites listed below. 

We particularly encourage applications from students underrepresented in the sciences by virtue of their race or ethnicity, or who attend schools that lack academic year or summer research opportunities.

Prerequisites

NSF Research Experience for Undergraduates at MDIBL

• Students must have completed at least one semester of undergraduate biology. Students interested in bioinformatics or computational biology must demonstrate some experience with programming, and the biology requirement may be waived.
• Students must be US citizens or non-citizen permanent residents.
• Graduating seniors are not eligible for NSF REU funds.
• Research fellowships are eight to ten weeks long and include room, board, travel (airfare or mileage) and stipend ($420/wk).

Maine IDeA Network for Biomedical Research Excellence (INBRE) Fellowships

• Students must have completed at least one semester of undergraduate biology.
• INBRE fellowships are open to students from Bates College, Bowdoin College, Colby College, College of the Atlantic, the University of Maine, the University of Maine - Farmington, Fort Kent, Machias, and Presque Isle, Southern Maine Community College, and all other Maine colleges and universities.
• Graduating seniors are not eligible for Maine INBRE funds.
• Research fellowships are ten weeks long and cover room, board, travel, supplies, and stipend at one of the following Maine institutions: Bates College, Bowdoin College, Colby College, Mount Desert Island Biological Laboratory, The Jackson Laboratory, and the University of Maine.

Application Process

1. All application materials must be submitted (emailed or postmarked) by January 15, 2010.
2. Review the list of MDIBL or Maine INBRE research mentors. You will be asked to preference three mentors or research areas on your application.
3. Download and review the application package [PDF].
4. Apply online. (The deadline for the 2010 program has passed; no late applications are being accepted).
5. Send supplementary documents by mail or email attachment, including:
   • official or registrar-produced unofficial transcript of all undergraduate work completed and in progress (transcripts printed from online degree audit programs are not acceptable)
   • written answers to the short answer questions (see application package)
   • two faculty recommendations (see application package). Recommendations may be from professors or research supervisors.

Mail or email (as attachment) all supplementary documents to:

mmckernan@mdibl.org

Michael McKernan
Director of Education and Conferences
MDI Biological Laboratory
PO Box 35
Salisbury Cove, ME 04672