IDBI Summer Program in Undergraduate Research (IDBI-SPUR)

Saint Louis University's IDBI Summer Program in Undergraduate Research (IDBI-SPUR) provides paid summer research opportunities and structured training activities for SLU undergraduate students working in IDBI member laboratories.

IDBI-SPUR is accepting applications for their Summer 2024 cohort. The application can be found on Handshake. Saint Louis University undergraduates interested in both full-time and part-time positions for the summer of 2024 should apply through this posting. More details can be found in the posting. The deadline to apply is March 22, 2024.

IDBI-SPUR aims to increase the number of undergraduates who can participate in research by providing stipends for summer research. To enhance the research and educational experience, IDBI-SPUR includes structured cohort activities (e.g. research training activities, midsummer gatherings) and requires participation in the fall IDBI Research Symposium. Additionally, students are encouraged to present their research at research symposia locally, such as the spring SLU Sigma Xi Research Symposium, regionally, and nationally.

All undergraduates working in IDBI Member labs are invited to participate in IDBI-SPUR cohort activities and the IDBI Research Symposium.

IDBI-SPUR has two funding opportunities for undergraduate research stipends: part-time summer research through the SURGE IDBI-SPUR program and full-time summer research through the DeNardo IDBI-SPUR program. IDBI welcomed our first six part-time SURGE students in 2022. In 2023, IDBI was awarded a grant by the DeNardo Education and Research Foundation to support four full-time summer undergraduate researchers.

No prior experience is required to apply for either program.

SURGE IDBI-SPUR

• Flexible experience for those planning to participate in shadowing, volunteering, classes or other summer activities
  • 20 hours/week, eight-week summer research internships
• Cohort training and social activities
• Required presentation at fall IDBI Research Symposium
• Supported by SLU-SURGE (Scholarly Undergraduate Research Grants and Experiences)

DeNardo IDBI-SPUR

• Full-time experience for those seeking a more in-depth research opportunity
  • 40 hours/week, 10-week summer research fellowship
• Cohort training and social activities
• Required presentation at fall IDBI Research Symposium
• Supported by the DeNardo Education and Research Foundation

Faculty interested in volunteering to mentor a SURGE or DeNardo student should contact IDBI Co-Director Blythe Janowiak (blythe.janowiakmulligan@slu.edu)

Program History

In the summer of 2022, SLU-IDBI formalized our summer research program by working with the University to incorporate the inaugural Scholarly Undergraduate Research Grants and Experiences (SURGE) program. SURGE funding provides part-time paid internships for eight weeks for SLU students to work in SLU-IDBI labs. In addition to the three SURGE-IDBI interns, six more students entered member labs directly through the University SURGE program. The culmination of the summer research program was celebrated by inviting all IDBI trainees to present research posters at the inaugural IDBI Research Symposium in the fall of 2022. At the symposium, eight IDBI undergraduate summer researchers presented their work, and two shared the honor of best poster. 

In the spring of 2023, IDBI received a DeNardo Education and Research Foundation grant to expand undergraduate research opportunities within IDBI member labs. With this funding, IDBI can offer the DeNardo IDBI-SPUR program to support four undergraduate students for full-time summer research. The extended time frame will allow the student researchers to fully immerse themselves into the lab community and in a hypothesis-driven research project from beginning to end. Student participants are invited and encouraged to continue their research into the academic year, earning academic credit.