Graduate Summer Opportunity to Advance Research (GSOAR)

Program Description

G-SOAR students will spend the summer working at NIH side-by-side with some of the world's leading scientists, in an environment devoted exclusively to biomedical research. During their internships at NIH, scholars perform research with mentors in the NIH Intramural Research Program (IRP) where they will be immersed in a culture of translational science and will explore important elements of the basic, translational, and clinical research enterprise. In addition to performing full-time research, scholars will:

  • Participate in a customized curriculum that will use case studies and group activities to develop communication, critical thinking, career readiness, and leadership skills needed to thrive in interdisciplinary graduate programs and research environments in the biomedical sciences
  • Participate in a leadership development program focused on self-awareness, resiliency, conflict management, effective mentoring relationships, and understanding emotional intelligence
  • Engage the broader NIH community in discussing cutting-edge research through participation at NIH Summer Poster Day
  • Establish an individualized development plan to take advantage of the many workshops and seminars offered for all NIH summer interns (These include our Summer Lecture Series, communication skills workshops, and the NIH Graduate Partnerships Program (GPP) Annual Scientific and Professional Development Retreat)
  • Have the option to participate in the NIH Summer Internship Program Curriculum

Application Due Date
Mid December

Eligibility

Applicants must:

  • Be U.S. citizens or permanent residents
  • Be enrolled for Fall 2024 in a Ph.D. graduate program at a university in the U.S., Puerto Rico, or other U.S. territory
  • Be enrolled in a masters-level graduate program with the intention to pursue a Ph.D. upon completion of the master's degree (Students applying for Fall 2024 admission should apply knowing that participation in the program will be dependent on successful matriculation into a graduate program.)
  • Have permission from their graduate school program/university to participate in the program

NIDCR encourages students from diverse backgrounds to apply, including but not limited to students/individuals:

  • From racial and ethnic groups that have been underrepresented in health-related sciences
  • With disabilities
  • Who are Pell Grant-eligible
  • Who are enrolled in Tribal Colleges and Universities, Hispanic-serving institutions, or Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
  • Who identify as LGBTQ
  • Disadvantaged by circumstances that have negatively impacted their educational opportunities, including recent natural disasters

Length
Minimum of eight weeks, 40 hours per week

Award Benefits

During their internships at NIH, scholars will receive a monthly stipend. The stipends for trainees are adjusted yearly; the level depends on education completed prior to starting at the NIH. For details, see the Trainee Stipends page. The Institute/Center (IC) in which you work, or your research group, pays your stipend.

Trainees also receive Transhare benefits for travel within the Metro DC area (Transhare is a transportation subsidy provided to individuals who agree to use any form of public transportation and not their car to get to work).

How to Apply

Applicants should complete the standard NIH Summer Internship Program (SIP) application for 2024. Students must choose 'G-SOAR' in Item 9 to be considered by the G-SOAR program. 

Applicants should discuss the following important elements in the application cover letter:

  • Prior research experience, and current and future research interests
  • Educational and career goals
  • How participation in G-SOAR will assist in achieving the stated goals
  • Commitment to building a diverse and inclusive community within the biomedical research enterprise
  • Leadership experiences in school and in the community
  • Potential NIH investigators with which to work over the summer

Contact Belinda Hauser, NIDCR’s Office of Training and Education Director.
Staff Contact
Last Reviewed on
March 2024