BRI Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (BRI-SURE)

Our 2024 BRI Undergraduate Summer Research Poster Fair was on August 09, 2024.

The UCLA Brain Research Institute (BRI) sponsors a summer undergraduate research experience (BRI-SURE) pathway program for students currently participating in the Maximizing Access to Research Careers (MARC) and other honors research programs whose goal is to increase diversity. This program solicits applications from college/university students across the nation. BRI-SURE is an 8-week, hybrid, intensive summer training program for exceptional students interested in pursuing research careers in Neuroscience or Physiology. The program is designed to provide a rigorous, in-depth research experience to prepare participants for top-quality Ph.D. and M.D./Ph.D. graduate programs. BRI-SURE participants will:

• Conduct independent research with outstanding faculty mentors, working in a cutting-edge scientific and technological environment
• Gain exposure to some of the nation’s finest biomedical investigators and an extensive variety of research topics
• Receive individualized career counseling and develop career interests
• Participate in workshops, seminars, and journal clubs
• Build a social network with student peers and faculty
• Prepare to apply to the best Ph.D. neuroscience and physiology programs

BRI-SURE selects participants based on academic achievement, leadership, and commitment to diversity. BRI-SURE seeks students from either underrepresented or economically disadvantaged backgrounds. We will engineer a robust and rewarding research experience, including (1) analysis of data from ongoing experiments, (2) modeling of biological or behavioral systems, (3) computerized coding, and a variety of other analysis tools/methods. During the summer research experience, host labs will train scholars to conduct a rigorous research project; the program will culminate in a poster competition. Apart from conducting experiments, students will also be involved in activities that enrich their summer experience, including (1) writing a research paper, (2) exploring the Ph.D. career path, (3) learning about applying to Ph.D. programs and funding opportunities, (4) participating in research journal clubs, seminars, and career panels, (5) preparing abstracts and posters, and (6) visiting cultural centers in Los Angeles (e.g. California African American Museum, the California Science Center, the Hammer Museum, the Getty Center). The program is under the administration of the UCLA Summer Programs in Undergraduate Research (SPUR) umbrella.

Application Requirements:

• Be in good academic standing with a minimum GPA of 3.0
• Completion of UCLA SPUR online application form
• Academic transcript
• Personal statement (limit: 1000 words) that describes your past, present, or future leadership in and commitment to research and diversity in science
• Summary of prior research, if any (limit: 1000 words)
• Two letters of recommendation from science faculty (due February 12, 2025)
• Paragraph (limit: 500 words) summarizing your interest in neuroscience or physiology
• In a separate file, please rank your top three research training areas: Neuroendocrinology, Sex Differences, and Reproduction; Neural Repair; Neural Microcircuits; Neurobehavioral Genetics; Molecular and Cellular Neurobiology; or Molecular, Cellular, and Integrative Physiology.

This is an 8-week program running from June 16 to August 09, 2025.

• Applications are due by January 22, 2025, 11:59 PM PST. Please send all additional application materials to BRI-SURE at brisure@ucla.edu.
  • Use “BRI-SURE Application Materials – [First Name, Last Name]” in the subject line for tracking purposes.

For application instructions, click here. For more details about SPUR, click here.

For additional information about BRI-SURE, please contact Program Director Dr. Ketema Paul at ketema.paul@ucla.edu.