UBRP PROGRAMS

UBRP Program Descriptions

Undergraduate Biology Research Program (UBRP)
The Undergraduate Biology Research Program (UBRP) is an educational program designed to teach students science by involving them in biologically related research on a full-time basis beginning in the summer.  Students are paid for their time in the lab where they develop an understanding of the scientific method and receive a realistic view of biological research.  They also acquire the tools necessary to be successful in post-graduate studies in biology should they choose careers related to biology or biomedical research.  UBRP demonstrates how the resources of a major research university can be brought to bear on undergraduate education.

American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics’ Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (ASPET SURF)
The American Society for Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics (ASPET) has awarded the University of Arizona a Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) grant to fund five students each summer.   ASPET SURF fellows are part of UBRP and work in ASPET members’ laboratories.  ASPET SURF fellows participate in UBRP activities and attend a special networking luncheon during the summer with faculty members who are part of ASPET.  Participants will receive a free student membership in ASPET which entitles them to apply for travel funds to present at ASPET meetings, as well as other benefits.

Beckman Scholars Program
The Beckman Scholars Program, funded by the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation, helps stimulate, encourage and support research activities by exceptionally talented, full-time undergraduate students who are pursuing their studies at accredited four-year colleges and universities in the United States. The Beckman Scholarship is a prestigious one, providing a total student stipend of $18,200 plus $2,800 for research supplies and travel support over the course of a 15-month research experience (two summers and the intervening academic year). Two Beckman Scholars are selected annually.

Biology Research Abroad: Vistas Open! (BRAVO!)
The Biology Research Abroad: Vistas Open! (BRAVO!) Program provides University of Arizona undergraduate students who have at least 6 months of research experience the opportunity to participate in scientific collaboration and gain a global perspective through a 10- to 12-week summer international research experience.  BRAVO! is designed to enhance participants’ scientific and professional skills, and to deepen international collaborative relationships.  Unlike traditional study abroad experiences where students take academic courses, BRAVO! participants have an independent and immersive experience, living as a visiting researcher and working in the host country with a scientific collaborator of their UArizona research mentor.

Data Sciences Academy (DSA)
The Data Sciences Academy and UBRP are partnering together to provide research experiences to undergraduates whose interests are in the life sciences and whose academic background has a strong data science component, including mathematics, statistics, and/or computer science.  Over the next decade, the Bureau of Labor Statistics anticipates that three quarters of the new jobs in the STEM workforce will have a serious data science component.  With new challenges in health science, environmental science, and agricultural science, the life sciences are certainly at the center of this new way of doing science and engineering. DSA/UBRP provides its participants with a privileged glimpse into the future of science by giving them hands-on experience in biological research grounded in data sciences.

Environmental Health Sciences - Research for Indigenous Student Engagement (EHS-RISE)
EHS-RISE is an introductory summer research program which aims to increase the representation of Native Americans in the STEM workforce while supporting students’ cultural identity.  The program is designed uniquely for Native American and Alaska Native freshmen majoring in STEM at UArizona who are seeking a research experience for the summer between their freshman and sophomore year.  EHS-RISE offers participants a full-time, paid 12-week research experience on a project related to the environmental factors that impact human health, and provides participants with housing, professional development workshops, and spiritual and community activities.  The content and structure of EHS-RISE has been deliberately designed to address the whole person, complementing the Native traditional belief that the body, mind, and spirit are interrelated.

Environmental Health Sciences – Transformative Research Undergraduate Experience (EHS-TRUE)
The UArizona EHS-TRUE program is a prestigious National Institutes of Health-funded undergraduate research training program, targeting students from backgrounds underrepresented in the sciences, that pays students to conduct environmental health science research with some of the leading experts in this exciting area.  The program offers each participant two years of paid year-round (15 hours/week during classes, 35 hours/week in summer) training and research experience in EHS-TRUE faculty mentors’ research groups to help develop an understanding of environmental health sciences, to apply classroom learning to research in environmental health, and to aid in deciding on a career path.  Students take an introduction to environmental health sciences course and an introduction to biomedical research careers course during their two years in the program and participate in activities (workshops, retreats, scientific conferences) to expand their research experience.  The goal of EHS-TRUE is to prepare undergraduates from under-represented backgrounds to enter graduate programs in the environmental health sciences.

Partnership for Native American Cancer Prevention Program (NACP)
This program is designed to facilitate the entry of Native Americans into biomedical research and healthcare professions, while engaging communities in research and training relevant to their needs. Research projects include laboratory, field-based, and community-based participatory research.  NACP Summer research internships for University of Arizona undergraduate students are offered in conjunction with the Undergraduate Biology Research Program.  Participants work for 12 weeks full-time in the summer.

Place-based Health Informatics Research Education (PHIRE)
The PHIRE Program is a research training initiative for undergraduate students who are (a) currently enrolled or transferring to the University of Arizona, (b) interested in biomedical research, and (c) looking to pursue graduate education in areas related to health informatics. Funded by the National Library of Medicine, PHIRE offers an intensive, paid research experience (full-time in Summer and part-time in Fall), followed by professional development workshops and placement within a thematic minor designed to provide a transformative learning experience in health informatics and biomedical research. Research projects will aim to address health disparities and sociotechnical issues in Arizona and the broader Southwest region using data science and informatics methods. Students from Arizona communities that have been historically disadvantaged are particularly encouraged to apply.

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