Undergraduate Student Fellowship in Cardiovascular Disease

The program will accept up to 6 students. AHA-USF selections will be made by the program director and the advisory board.

Selections will be based on scholarship, the personal reference letter and an evaluation of the student's interests. Please be sure to include your personal statement indicating your motivation for a career in research and/or your interest in cardiovascular research.

AHA-USF Fellowship awardees will receive $6,000 (prior to taxes) for the summer.

Housing charges are the intern's responsibility. AHA-USF students invited to participate in the program may elect to live on campus in our housing facilities at an affordable rate. .

A variety of career development and scientific research seminars are offered weekly as part of the SURIP, AHA-USF and other undergraduate research programs. In addition to seminars, the career development activities offered can include: a welcome dinner, orientation and laboratory skills boot camp, tours of cardiovascular and clinical laboratories, coffee with sponsors, and a workshop to help prepare your curriculum vitae and personal statement. Each summer's program concludes with the Summer Undergraduate Research Symposium, where students present their work. .

In addition, the annual one-day program-supported day trip to the NIH Graduate and Professional School Fair in July affords the summer interns the opportunity to prepare for the next step in their careers by exploring educational programs leading to the PhD, MD, DDS, MD/PhD and other graduate and professional degrees.

On the left-hand side of the application form in the Application Status section, you will see a line "Reference received." If there is a check symbol to the left of that text, the reference has submitted a letter of recommendation.

Yes. There are on-campus, four bedroom, partially furnished apartments that are available for the summer. Interns invited to participate in the program may elect to live on campus in our housing facilities at an affordable rate. .

AHA-USF Fellowship awardees will receive $6,000 (prior to taxes) for the summer.

No. Vacations are not permitted during the 10-week research experience. All vacations must be taken before or after the program start and end dates. Penn State College of Medicine does recognize the federal Fourth of July holiday.

Students are expected to conduct research full-time (equivalent to 40 hours per week) in a supervised laboratory or clinical facility. Participation in outside activities and the establishment of a work schedule must be determined by your research mentor.

For 2025, AHA-USF begins on Tuesday, May 27, 2025, and ends on Friday, August 1, 2025.

Yes – Students on F1 visas currently attending a college in the United States can apply to AHA-USF.

No, to apply for AHA-USF, you must be between your second and third years or between your third and fourth years of college.

An important criterion for selecting the top candidates for the AHA-USF program is based on the student’s drive to participate in and contribute to cardiovascular research at the College of Medicine that is within the AHA mission. Students should be expected to be immersed in a basic science research lab focused on cardiovascular disease or stroke for the summer. The program allows students to gain critical skills in biomedical research. Students must demonstrate a strong interest in working in a research lab with a focus on cardiovascular disease or stroke.

Students must have an overall GPA of at least 3.0 (on a 4.0 scale).

Yes, the application deadline is Feb. 15. Partial applications that are not completed by the deadline will not receive further consideration. The AHA-USF application is available online beginning on Dec. 1.

No. You will need to reapply and request a new letter from your reference.

All applications and supporting documents must be received by noon EST (Eastern Standard Time) on Feb. 15. Applicants will not be able to submit an application after the deadline.

Letters of reference must be submitted electronically by noon on Feb. 15. Hard (paper) copies of letters will not be accepted.

All students must upload an unofficial or official transcript through the online application system on or before Feb. 15.

Yes. Transcripts must reflect all earned credits and grades through the fall semester of 2024.

You will be notified by the AHA-USF program director via email. Notifications are typically sent out 1-2 weeks after the review committee meets – usually by early March.

Yes, you may change your reference if a letter of recommendation has not yet been submitted and the application date for your selected program has not yet passed. First, edit the information in the Academic Reference section of the application, then click the Save and Continue button. Then, click the Resend Reference Email link on the left side of the form under Application Steps.

The College of Medicine announced it was implementing a vaccination mandate to comply with the federal order implemented by President Biden. This vaccine mandate would apply to students who are paid by the University. You will be asked to provide proof of vaccination with the required pre-arrival immunization paperwork.