College of Medicine
UNMC_Acronym_Vert_sm_4c
University of Nebraska Medical Center

Summer Undergraduate Research Program

The University of Nebraska Medical Center's Department of Internal Medicine offers an intensive 10-week, full time, stipend-paid summer undergraduate research and mentorship experience for students interested in biomedical research. The department offers students the opportunity to contribute to research projects that cover a broad range of topics in our 12 divisions listed below.

Students participating in this program will have the opportunity to:

  1. Contribute to research projects across the department's 12 divisions
  2. Engage in a formal curriculum that teaches scientific skills
  3. Explore various research areas, including:
  • Basic research into human disease mechanisms
  • Clinical investigations using patient data or specimens
  • Research related to alcohol's effects on health, organ, and cellular function

This program provides valuable hands-on experience for students interested in pursuing careers in biomedical research or medicine, allowing them to work at a state-of-the-art research institution alongside experienced researchers and gain insights into multiple fields in Internal Medicine.

The program period is June-August and culminates in the presentation of student projects at a capstone poster session. 

Learn more and apply

Internal Medicine Divisions

SURP participant Mollie Nielsen in a UNMC research lab

Pipettes and possibilities: One student's SURP experience

Read about Mollie Nielsen's experience with UNMC's Summer Undergraduate Research Program. The University of Nebraska at Omaha student worked with Bin Duan, PhD, associate professor in the UNMC Division of Cardiovascular Medicine, in the summer of 2024.

Testimonial from Emily New, SUARP 2024: "I worked with great people, I felt respected and valued as an undergrad. I was able to publish a manuscript with my mentor and contributed as an author."

Testimonial from Devin Garbiso, SURP 2025: "Overall, SURP was a great experience. I enjoyed being in a lab setting and getting a sense of what research is like. Being hands on is important for my learning and I feel that I have learned so much from these 10 weeks."

Testimonial from Peter Szalewski, SUARP 2025: "I loved learning about how many frontiers there still are when it comes to research and how the projects I worked in explored this."

Testimonial from Ben Caldwell, SURP 2024: "This program greatly improved my understanding of what it means to be a researcher and has made me want to pursue research in the future. My ultimate goal is to go to medical school, and this program has made me want to incorporate research into my future medical career."

Testimonial from Claire Snodgrass, SURP 2023: "I loved the people the most. Everyone I met was kind, generous, and inviting. I was able to sit in on meetings with important people and was invited to participate in all kinds of hands-on experiences. This allowed me to get a diverse set of experiences from the summer that I am excited to use going forward."

SURP/SUARP Mentor Guidelines

Students in both SURP and SUARP spend 10 weeks (June through August) working on a research project. While working on their projects, Internal Medicine students will engage in structured learning and have opportunities to network with other students.
  • The mentor will supervise their summer student, either directly or by another faculty or qualified staff member.
  • The faculty mentor will provide supplies and other resources for the project.
  • Students should not be unsupervised for extended periods and should have access to someone to answer questions, preferably in person or immediately available by phone.
  • Students may come in for short tasks on a weekend but should not be working alone for an extended time outside of normal working hours.
  • Faculty mentors will meet regularly with the student throughout the 10 weeks.
  • It is expected that students will participate on-site rather than remotely.
  • Students are required to participate in the poster session at the end of the program. They will receive group instruction on poster preparation and additional assistance is available, if needed.
  • If you would like a specific applicant to work in your lab, he/she can fill out the application. If a student has approached you already, they must still complete a SURP application. These students' applications will be reviewed but they are not guaranteed a position, as they need to be competitive in the context of the applicant pool. We would like to allow as many deserving students as possible to participate in our program.
  • If you would like to mentor a returning student, the department would expect you to pay for their salary/stipend from other sources. A student will not be paid by departmental SURP/SUARP funds for more than one summer.
Toni Goeser
Research Program Associate
UNMC Department of Internal Medicine
toni.goeser@unmc.edu