Applications are open!! Please submit interest on apply tab
The BEARS (Building Early Awareness and Research in Science) Program will support a selected cohort of CSUSM undergraduate students interested in bioengineering research.
Each cohort of 5 students will participate in paid activities and research at CSUSM and UCSD, including workshops and mentoring programs, from the summer before staring at CSUSM through the summer after your second academic year. Navigate our website to learn more and submit your application! Applications are open!! Apply ASAP! |
Summer 1: Bridge Program
Participate in a summer bridge program prior to starting at CSUSM that includes guided orientation and enrollment support. Initiate your training with student success and quantitative and computational skills workshops.
Summer 2: Group Research Increase your quantitative and computational skills with workshops. Take industry field trips and participate in bioengineering research at CSUSM.
|
Academic Year 1 & 2: Activities
Attend workshops, seminars, and social events aimed at building STEM community and academic and research skills
Summer 3: Independent Research Conduct your own research projects with faculty from CSUSM or UCSD, and present in the CSUSM Summer Poster Showcase.
|
Bioengineering has made it possible for me to dabble between medicine, technology and science to find new solutions for real life problems. Being part of a research lab at CSUSM has made it possible to find friends with the same scientific interests and inspiring mentors; it has also provided a way to enhance my resume and develop new skills, like communication, leadership and teamwork.
-CSUSM Biotechnology Undergraduate Student
Eligibility
- Be an incoming first-year accepted to CSUSM
- Have interest in one of the following majors offered by the College of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (CSTEM) - biology, biotechnology, electrical engineering, software engineering, math, applied physics, chemistry, or biochemistry.
- Ideally high school GPA of 3.0 or higher.
- Strong interest in obtaining a graduate degree such as a Ph.D. or Ph.D./M.D.
- Strong interest in a career that integrates medicine and biology with engineering and the physical sciences.
- Be an U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
- Be available to take part in a summer bridge activities prior to their first year.
- Be from two or more of the three following groups:
- Individual from racial/ethnic groups underrepresented in STEM: Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, American Indians or Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and other Pacific Islanders
- Individuals with disabilities, who are defined as those with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, as described in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
- Socio-economically disadvantaged:
- Individuals who were or currently are homeless, as defined by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act (Definition: https://nche.ed.gov/mckinney-vento/)
- Individuals who were or currently are in the foster care system, as defined by the Administration for Children and Families (Definition: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/focus-areas/foster-care)
- Individuals who were eligible for the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program for two or more years (Definition: https://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/income-eligibility-guidelines);
- Individuals who've have/had no parents or legal guardians who completed a bachelor’s degree (see https://nces.ed.gov/pubs2018/2018009.pdf);
- Individuals who were or currently are eligible for Federal Pell grants (Definition: https://www2.ed.gov/programs/fpg/eligibility.html)
- Individuals who received support from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) as a parent or child (Definition: https://www.fns.usda.gov/wic/wic-eligibility-requirements).
- Individuals who grew up in one of the following areas: a) a U.S. rural area, as designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer (https://data.hrsa.gov/tools/rural-health), or b) a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services-designated Low-Income and Health Professional Shortage Areas