Short-Term Educational Program to Unlock Potential (STEP-UP)

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Short-Term Educational Program to Unlock Potential (STEP-UP)

Undergraduate STEP-UP Basic Content

Short-Term Educational Program to Unlock Potential (STEP-UP) is a federally funded summer internship program managed and supported by the Office of Minority Health Research Coordination (OMHRC) in the National Institutes of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

The overall goal of NIDDK’s STEP-UP program is to build and sustain a biomedical, behavioral, clinical and social science research pipeline focused on NIDDK mission areas.

STEP-UP is particularly interested in increasing the participation of students from backgrounds underrepresented in biomedical research on a national basis, including individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, and individuals with disabilities.

2023 STEP-UP at the summer symposium at the NIH in Bethesda, Md.
2023 STEP-UP at the summer symposium at the NIH in Bethesda, Md.

STEP-UP provides an opportunity for students from diverse backgrounds and communities to participate in summer research in the areas of diabetes, nutrition, obesity, and digestive, kidney, and hematological diseases.

The STEP-UP program supports students for 10 full-time consecutive weeks of basic or clinical research with experienced faculty.

The research experience begins in late May and is completed by early August, culminating with an all-expense paid trip to the Annual Undergraduate STEP-UP Conference in mid-August at the NIH in Bethesda, MD. Students will present their summer research to peers, mentors, and experts from the scientific community.

This opportunity is open any undergraduate who has completed at least one year of college. Students must be U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals, or legal permanent residents.

Key Dates

  • Mid-October: Applications open for the following summer.
  • Feb. 1: Application deadline.
  • May: Online Research Training/Orientation program.
  • Late May: Research begins.
  • Late July: Research concludes.
  • Early August: Students travel to the STEP-UP Annual Undergraduate Scientific Session and Research Presentations at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, MD.

How to apply

Use the button below to go to the application website.

Apply now

What's Included

The program provides students with:

  • A Student Participation Allowance of $6,500 issued directly to the student
  • Access to the Online Research Training/Orientation program
  • Travel expenses to the STEP-UP Annual Undergraduate Scientific Session and Research Presentations in Bethesda, MD

Program Leadership

The Penn State STEP-UP program is co-directed by Dr. Brian Reeves and coordinated by Dr. Gail Matters.