Support Programs for Student Research
There are a variety of programs at Cal State LA which support research by students who are interested in pursuing careers in science. Many of these programs are funded by external agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Science Foundation (NSF). These programs vary in the types of activities they sponsor and their levels of student support. Several of these programs are listed below, but there is a turnover as existing programs end and new programs are established. Visit the web site for the Office for the Advancement of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Education (STEM-Ed) for more information.
BioSecurity Research and Education
The Cal State LA BioSecurity Research and Education (BSRE) programs are funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). One of the goals of this program is to provide student research training and internships in biosecurity for the development of the future workforce in homeland security. DHS scolarships are available to highly motivated undergraduates (or incoming undergraduate students) at Cal State LA who are committed to a career in homeland security fields, in particular Biological Security. Scholarships include a stipend ($9000 per year), partial tuition reimbursement (depending on availability of funds), support for travel to national conferences, and the opportunity to intern at Los Alamos National Laboratory during the summer. For more information, visit the BSRE programs web site.
Bridges to the Future
There are two Bridges to the Future Programs. The Bridges to the BS Program targets community college students. It is a collaboration among four schools: East Los Angeles College, Los Angeles City College, Pasadena City College, and Cal State LA. The goal is to prepare minority science students for transfers to a four-year university where they will successfully complete the bachelor's degree and be prepared to enter advanced degreee programs in the biomedical sciences. The program offers students a research salary of $4,000 per year. The second program is the Bridges to the Ph.D. Cal State LA, USC, UCLA and UC Irvine offer a cooperative program leading to the MS degree at CSLA and the Ph.D. degree at either of the other three schools. Students receive a research salary of $15,000 per year and funds for research supplies and travel to scientific conferences. Visit the Bridges to the Future web site for more information on these two programs.
Bridges to Stem Cell Research
Cal State LA is a participant in a government funded program called Bridges to Stem Cell Research which is part of the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). The goals of this program are to provide comprehensive stem cell training and research opportunities for qualified students and to give our large, ethnically diverse student populations a basic understanding of stem cell research. Internships are available for BS and MS students as part of their academic programs in one of 63 research laboratories and 4 non-profit institutions. Student receive a full-time paid research internship ($2500/month) in a stem cell lab at City of Hope, Caltech, USC, or The Scripps Institute. The duration of the internships is six months for undergraduates and one year for graduate students. Visit the CIRM Bridges to Stem Cell Research web site for more information.
LSAMP
The Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Participation (LSAMP) Program offers a variety of student support activties including summer training programs, year-round research training programs, a competitive year-round scholars program, and a Bridges to the Doctorate (LSAMP-BD). It is a comprehensive, statewide program dedicated to increasing the number of underrepresented minority groups graduating from campuses of the California State University (CSU) with baccalaureate degrees in the science, engineering, and mathematics disciplines. The level and type of support vary by program activity. LSAMP offers $600 for Summer Program activities, $1200 for Science Workshops during the academic year, $1200 for year-round research training programs, $2,500 for the LSAMP Scholars Program, and $30,000 stipends for MS students in the Bridges to the Doctorate (LSAMP-BD) Program. Visit the LSAMP web site for more information.
MARC-U*STAR
The Minority Access to Research Careers-Undergraduate Student Training in Academic Research (MARC-U*STAR) Program is an undergraduate honors research training program for juniors and seniors. The objective is to increase the pool of well-prepared minority undergraduate students who can successfully compete for positions in top graduate programs leading to the Ph.D. MARC Scholars receive a stipend of $9,492 per year, plus payment of University registration fees for three academic quarters per year. Additional funds are available for research supplies and for travel to present research results at professional meetings. Visit the MARC-U*STAR web site for more information.
MBRS-RISE
The Minority Biomedical Research Support-Research Initiative for Scientific Enhancement (MBRS-RISE) Program is designed for talented and motivated students interested in developing professional careers as research scientists. It provides support for research participation and career enhancement of freshman-through-senior undergraduates, and graduate students pursuing the masters degree, with the expectation that student participants will pursue education to the Ph.D. following graduation from Cal State LA. There are three components of MBRS-RISE. The first is the President James M. Rosser Research Undergraduate Science Honors (RUSH) Program. This program targets new freshmen. It provides a research salary of $6,200 and pays University fees for the first year. The second component is the MBRS-RISE Undergraduate Scholars Program. This program targets undergraduates. It provides a research salary of $7,200 for sophomores and $8,200 per year for juniors and seniors. There are also funds available for research supplies and travel to sceintific conferences. The third component is the MBRS-RISE MS-to-Ph.D. Program. It involves a collaboration between Cal State LA and UCLA, UC Irvine, UC San Diego, and the University of Southern California. The program vertically integrates the M.S. at Cal State LA in chemistry, biochemistry, biology and microbiology and psychology with the graduate programs at the doctoral institutions. This program targets graduate students. It provides a research salary of $17,000 per year and full-time tuition is provided for the MS component. There are also funds available for research supplies and travel to sceintific conferences. Visit the MBRS-RISE web site for more information.
UMEB
The Undergraduate Mentoring in Environmental Biology (UMEB) Program offers environmental science research training for undergraduate students at Cal State LA. UMEB targets undergraduates pursuing a career in environmental biology, providing them an opportunity to conduct research in the laboratories of faculty mentors. UMEB provides students with a research salary of $12,000 per year and funds for research supplies and travel. Visit the UMEB web site for more information.
Faculty Research Grants
In addition to the programs described above, many individual faculty members have research grants that support graduate students and/or undergraduates who work in their laboratories. Sources of funds include the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the National Science Foundation (NSF) and other government agencies. Contact individual faculty members in the Biological Sciences to inquire about the availability of student support.