DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 1, 2023 at 11:59PM Eastern Time
PROGRAM DATES: Start Date: JUNE 5, 2023 End Date: AUGUST 11, 2023
BRIEF DESCRIPTION: The Amgen Scholars Program at Harvard is a 10-week faculty-mentored residential summer research program for undergraduates in biotechnology.
INFORMATION SESSIONS: Our info sessions have passed. Please check FAQs section, and details on this website for more about the program or email us your questions. Thank you for your interest.
The Amgen Scholars Program at Harvard is a 10-week faculty-mentored residential summer research program for undergraduates in biotechnology. Amgen Scholars will be paired with world-renowned faculty mentors and a director supervisor (postdoctoral scholar or graduate student) in the laboratory, following an interview selection process. Faculty mentors will be selected from the following Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) Departments and Institutes: Wyss Institute, Physics, Chemistry and Chemical Biology (CCB), Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB), Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI), as well as faculty from the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), the Division of Medical Sciences (DMS) at Harvard Medical School (HMS), and the Broad Institute. Throughout the duration of the program, Amgen Scholars will conduct hands-on, innovative research across biotechnology fields in cutting-edge facilities at Harvard. While participating in the program, Amgen Scholars will reside in one of Harvard’s historic River Houses as active members of Harvard’s Summer Undergraduate Research Village community. In addition to research, Amgen Scholars will participate in a number of intellectual, pre-professional development, and social activities throughout the program. Read our student testimonials here.
Amgen Scholars at Harvard will participate in a full-time 10-week residential summer research program, where they will be paired with faculty hosts. In addition to research, the Amgen Scholars Program at Harvard believes in a three-dimensional approach that includes a variety of pre-professional development, scholarly development, and social engagement activities to encompass a dynamic, holistic process for training the next generation of scientists.
The Amgen Scholars Program features:
I. Pre-Professional Development
II. Scholarly Development
III. Social Engagement Activities
Thank you for your patience as we update our website. Please check back on November 1st.
Amgen Scholars Brochure coming soon.
Please click the photo below to learn more about the 2017 Harvard-Amgen Scholars.
Please click the photo below to learn more about the 2018 Harvard-Amgen Scholars.
Please click here to learn about past Amgen Scholar Projects and the labs that hosted them.
Please click here to learn about past Amgen Scholar Projects and the labs that hosted them.
Final admissions decisions are subject to COVID-19 mandates of the host institutions and governments, potentially including COVID-19 vaccination requirements, lab availability, accommodations, and travel.
Review program information and application instructions thoroughly. Reach out to the program if you have any questions, ahead of the application deadline.
Read the biotechnology/biotechnology-related research descriptions of potential faculty hosts (See "Faculty Profiles" section below) carefully and determine up to three different research groups that study what you would be interested in doing research for the summer. You will note who these faculty hosts on your application form.
Non-Harvard applicants: Create a "HarvardKey" before beginning the application process.
Please create a HarvardKey here by entering your email address and name, and any additional required information. Your HarvardKey will be used to access CARAT, where you will submit your application. After you create your HarvardKey, it will take approximately one hour before CARAT will recognize your HarvardKey credentials.
Harvard applicants: Submit applications to CARAT using your Harvard key credentials.
A complete Harvard-Amgen Scholarship application consists of:
1. HARVARD-AMGEN SCHOLARS PROGRAM 2023 Application and Essay Form:
2023 Application and Essay Form - Harvard Amgen Scholars
The four (4) essay questions are as follows:
2. CURRENT TRANSCRIPT
A .pdf copy of your unofficial transcript with coursework through Fall 2022 (you may either scan the transcript, or submit an unencrypted unofficial electronic version if offered by your institution). Submitted transcripts must meet the following criteria:
Please note that upon admission to the Harvard-Amgen Scholars Program, students will need to provide an official transcript.
3. RESUME
A recent copy of your resume saved in .pdf format. The resume should be no more than 2 pages in length, in no smaller than 11 point font and should highlight relevant research or work experiences, skills learned that relate to research, academic achievements, leadership, service, and extracurricular activities, publications or conference presentations (poster and/or oral) (if any.). Most relevant research or work experiences should include a brief statement of skills learned or contributions made while in the research/work experience. Any resume page beyond the 2 page limit will not be considered.
To download the Harvard-Amgen Scholars Program 2023 APPLICATION AND ESSAY FORM, please click the button below.
Required components:
1. Harvard-Amgen Scholars Program 2023 Application and Essay Form
2. Current Transcript
3. Two Page Resume
ALL APPLICANTS WILL BE NOTIFIED OF THE SELECTION RESULTS AFTER INTERVIEWS ARE COMPLETED, STARTING THE FIRST WEEK OF MARCH. Please do not contact our office requesting updates on the status of your application.
HARVARD-AMGEN SCHOLARS PROGRAM LETTER WRITER INSTRUCTIONS
Please download the Harvard-Amgen Scholars Recommender Instructions below, which will guide you on the topics we would like addressed in your letters of recommendation. We strongly encourage the Harvard-Amgen Scholar applicant have a conversation with you about their interest in the program and their responses to the essay questions, which will help inform you about what to write in your letter. Once the Harvard-Amgen Scholar applicant has entered your information into our Centralized Application for Research and Travel (CARAT), you will receive an email prompt from carat.app@fas.harvard.edu with a link to upload your letter of recommendation to CARAT. Please submit your letters of recommendation directly to CARAT. The deadline to submit letters of recommendation is February 1, 2023. Please contact us by email (amgenscholars@harvard.edu) or phone (617-496-6220) with any additional questions you may have.
To download the Harvard-Amgen Scholars Recommender Instructions, please click the button below.
Eligibility
The Amgen Scholars Program at Harvard selects undergraduates with high academic success, research interests in the biotechnology fields, and commitment to the pursuit of a career in science.
Amgen Scholars applicants must meet the following criteria:
Applicants must also have:
The program especially encourages applications from individuals who come from groups traditionally underrepresented in the STEM fields – African American/Black, Chicano/Latino/Hispanic, Puerto Rican, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Pacific Islander, women, and those with disabilities – as well as individuals who come from rural or inner-city areas and individuals whose backgrounds and experiences would bring diversity to the biotechnology fields.
Previous research experience is not a requirement for participation in the program.
Requirements
Harvard-Amgen Scholars are expected to fulfill the following requirements:
The Harvard-Amgen Scholars Program collaborates with faculty across the university. Applicants should select up to three potential faculty hosts from the departments, institutes, and schools listed below.
Applicants should not reach out to faculty prior to being admitted to the program. Admitted students to the Harvard-Amgen Scholars Program will be connected with potential faculty hosts by the Amgen Scholars Program staff.
Please look carefully at the faculty profiles and links below to determine up to three potential faculty hosts with biotechnology-based or biomedical research projects that you are interested in participating in during the summer program. Please also consider this sample of past host labs as another tool to start your lab search: PAST HOST LABS
Wyss Institute
School of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Physics
Chemistry and Chemical Biology
Molecular and Cellular Biology
Harvard Stem Cell Institute
Division of Medical Sciences at Harvard Medical School (Faculty trainers affiliated with 6 PhD programs of the Division.)
Broad Institute (must have Harvard faculty appointment)
If you have questions about faculty hosts or their Harvard appointments, please contact the Harvard-Amgen Scholars Program (amgenscholars@harvard.edu).
Amgen Scholars receive the following benefits*:
* Note: Final decisions about accomodations and travel will be contigent upon institutional and government COVID19 safety mandates.
The Amgen Scholars Program provides an opportunity for undergraduate students to engage in a hands-on research experience during a 10-week summer program at some of the world's leading institutions. There are 10 program sites throughout the U.S. You may apply to participate at multiple program sites.
For more information, please visit the Amgen Scholars website.
The application deadline for the Amgen Scholars Program at Harvard is 12:00pm EST, February 1, 2022.
Yes. Eligible undergraduate students are welcome to apply to any or all of the Amgen Scholars Program sites. However, each Amgen Scholars Program site has its own application process and requirements.
No. Each of the 13 Amgen Scholars sites has their own application process.
No. You must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident undergraduate student currently enrolled in an accredited four-year college or university in the United States, Puerto Rico, or other U.S. territory.
Yes. The Amgen Scholars Program is open to students from all backgrounds. Applications are especially encouraged from students who are African American/Black, Chicano/Hispanic/Latino American, American Indian/Native Alaskan, Pacific Islander, women, and those with disabilities – as well as individuals who come from rural or inner-city areas and individuals whose backgrounds and experiences would bring diversity to the biotechnology fields.
Will I still be allowed to participate?
Students accepted into the Harvard-Amgen Scholars Program are allowed to join us up to one week after the program has begun.
No. In order to be eligible for the Summer 2023 Amgen Scholars Program, you must be returning to your four-year college or university in Fall 2023 to continue your studies as an undergraduate student.
Yes. If you are enrolled in an accredited four-year college or university at the time of your application submission, you are eligible for the Amgen Scholars Program.
No. Previous research experience is not required to participate in the Harvard-Amgen Scholars Program. However, applicants should demonstrate a passionate interest in biotechnology research.
Please see application instructions for information about essay content and length.
Notifications for the Harvard-Amgen Scholars Program will sent out by the beginning of March.
No. You are required to participate for the entire 10 weeks unless you must arrive after our start date due to final exams. In cases where students are completing final exams during the first week of the program, students' time in the program is reduced to 9 weeks.
No. The Amgen Scholars Program provides an opportunity for you to dedicate 100% of your time to the program. Since outside commitments detract from your summer research experience, part-time jobs, volunteerships, and taking summer courses are not permitted.
Yes. As an Amgen Scholar, you must attend all events organized by the program; this includes all weekly cohort meetings, social activities, research symposia at the end of the summer, closing luncheons and events, and the Amgen Scholars North America Symposium at UCLA.
Yes, we will accept scanned .pdf copies of unofficial transcripts. Submitted transcripts must meet the following criteria:
To convert a 5.0 GPA to a 4.0 GPA scale, divide your cumulative 5.0 GPA by 1.25.
A scanned .PDF copy of your unofficial transcript can be submitted through our online submission portal. For more information, consult our application instructions.
Please submit your transcripts from the institution(s) you previously attended and from your current 4-year college or university (including Fall 2018 grades).
Can I apply to the Amgen Scholars Program?
Please submit a scanned .pdf of your most recent unofficial transcript. However, be mindful that we cannot consider applications unless they are complete, which includes a transcript with the Fall 2019 semester. Therefore, you will need to contact your study abroad program and your home institution to request a transcript with Fall 2019 grades. Please make sure to email our staff (amgenscholars@harvard.edu) to keep us updated on your situation.
You must have at least a 3.2 cumulative GPA on a 4.0 scale to be eligible.
Please download the Harvard-Amgen Scholars Recommender Instructions below. Send each of your two recommenders the instructions, which will guide recommenders on the topics we would like addressed in their letters of recommendation. We strongly encourage you have a conversation with your recommenders about your interest in the program, and share with them the responses to your essays, which will help inform them about what they could write. Your letter writers will upload letters of recommendation directly to CARAT.
People who know you well and have experience working with you in a research setting, which may include faculty, principal investigators, or professors. It is preferable not to have both of your letters of recommendation from the same lab.
No. Supporting letters of recommendation can be submitted independently. We request that letter writers upload their letters directly to the program. Please be sure to follow up with your recommenders after submitting your application to confirm that they have submitted their letters.
Yes. We will accept letters of recommendation from your previous school, particularly for recently transfer applicants.
There are typically are 15 positions available in the Harvard-Amgen Scholars Program.
Admitted Harvard Amgen Scholars will work with the Program staff to finalize a list of faculty, to whom the program will reach out. The program staff will make initial contact to potential faculty hosts to gauge availability to mentor a student. Scholars will then be interviewed by potential faculty lab hosts via Skype or Zoom about their specific interests and assess fit and match to the lab and its research goals. Ultimately, the match between the scholar and lab is determined by these conversations.
Harvard-Amgen Scholar applicants will select up to 3 faculty with whom they would like to work with during the summer program. When students are admitted, the program asks the student to brainstorm additional faculty should there not be mentoring availabilities in their top three choice labs, or if the scholars' interests change from the point of the application to admission. Admitted Harvard Amgen Scholars will be interviewed by potential faculty lab hosts via Skype or Zoom to determine mutual fit in interests and research and training goals. Due to a number of variables, we cannot guarantee that we will be able to accommodate your faculty host requests. The Harvard-Amgen Scholars Program will work closely with scholars and faculty to provide lab placements with good learning environments for summer program participants.
NO. Applicants should not contact potential faculty hosts in advance of acceptance to the program. Likewise, admitted students should NOT contact potential lab hosts, as the Amgen Scholars program staff with manage the matching process and outreach to faculty.
The selection process for the Harvard Amgen Scholars Program involves several rounds of review, including interviews. Applicants do not receive official notifications about offers to join/declines until the first week of March. Notifications will come from the Harvard Amgen Scholars program staff.
May I continue that research in the coming summer as an Amgen Scholar?
The Amgen Scholars Program supports faculty-student collaborations in biotechnology fields. If your current research project is biotechnology-based, it is possible that you may be able to continue that research as an Amgen Scholar. However, given the volume of applications we expect to receive, it is not a certainty that we will be able to accommodate your request based on this criterion alone.
Yes. We will book and pay for your flight to and from Cambridge, MA through our office. For participants who plan to drive, mileage is reimbursed at a rate of approximately $0.575/mile up to the cost of a roundtrip flight from your originating destination (whichever may be less).
Amgen Scholars will live in one of the historic residential River Houses of Harvard in single or double room accommodations, within suites or stand-alone rooms. Rooms contain ceiling fans (NO air conditioning). The program provides additional personal fans for each Amgen Scholar, as they need.
There are no kitchen facilities available to any undergraduate program participants over the summer months. Amgen Scholars will each receive a microfridge unit.
Daily meals are not provided. The total stipend of $4800 includes the meal allowance of $800. In addition, some group meals will take place in conjunction with Amgen Scholar activities.
The stipend amount is $4800 which includes allowances for meals.
Yes. All participants (including Harvard students) are required to live in the designated campus housing.
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Harvard Amgen Scholars Program: Pamela J. Gaddi, Program Manager
Assistant Director, Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships
PLEASE EMAIL: amgenscholars@fas.harvard.edu
I
