Blogs

This blog was authored by Mindy Reynolds and Emily Ford.

One key goal of SOT and the Faculty United for Toxicology Undergraduate Recruitment and Education (FUTURE) Committee is to engage undergraduates in toxicology early with the hope that they will continue to study and work in the field. One important way SOT supports undergraduate students exploring toxicology is by providing funding for summer research programs. This allows undergraduates the opportunity to experience toxicology research in a robust and hands-on way. Even with the pandemic challenges of the summer of 2020, the six funded programs were able to host 20 interns in a mix of in-person and virtual experiences.

The FUTURE Committee invites SOT members at academic, industry, and government facilities to apply for matching funds for undergraduate internship positions in summer 2021. The application is due January 8, 2021. FUTURE recognizes that internship experiences may require modification to accommodate pandemic-related conditions, and virtual/remote internships designed to provide interns a well-rounded research experience will be considered for funding. FUTURE will prioritize applications that provide description of activities that support strong mentorship, seminar, and presentation experience; peer group structure; the assessment plan; and other aspects that contribute to an excellent experience for the student.

SOT provides up to 50% of the support for each intern. The students funded by SOT must participate in toxicology research with a mentor who is an SOT member. The host institution determines the selection procedures and defines the research program. We encourage hosts to consider selecting students who have been involved in other SOT programs, such as the Undergraduate Diversity Program. It is anticipated that SOT-supported interns will submit an abstract for the next SOT meeting if they are able to collect sufficient data during the internship and apply for any SOT travel awards for which they are eligible.

If you have any questions about the summer internship funding, please contact SOT Headquarters.