Summer Undergraduate Research Opportunities

Listing of undergraduate summer research opportunities across STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering & Math) and Healthcare disciplines at Duke University. 

H=Housing provided, $$= Stipend provided, and T=Travel Funding Available

Summer Research Opportunities in STEM

Requirements: US Citizen, Rising Junior or Senior

This 10-week program is designed for full-time first- and second-year underrepresented minority (URM) students at any college or university. The program provides high-quality mentored training experience for URM underclassmen to gain the experience, knowledge and skills to pursue and successfully complete a major in a STEM field and prepare for a job or higher learning in a STEM-related field.

Amgen Scholars Program Website

Requirements: US Citizen, rising juniors and seniors

During a period of nine weeks, students will work full-time in a research project, will participate in weekly seminars and workshops, and will attend regular group meetings in their research labs. We strongly encourage students from underrepresented minorities groups and students with disabilities, to apply. REU participants have the opportunity to conduct research in a large spectrum of interdisciplinary topics broadly organized into five areas: energy, environment, health, national security, and learning.

REU Website

Requirements: US Citizen, Rising Sophomore or Junior

This 10-week program is designed for full-time first- and second-year underrepresented minority (URM) students at any college or university. The program provides high-quality mentored training experience for URM underclassmen to gain the experience, knowledge and skills to pursue and successfully complete a major in a STEM field and prepare for a job or higher learning in a STEM-related field. 

Genome Sciences & Medicine Summer Scholars Website

Requirements: Open to all years and experience levels

10-week training program designed to give motivated undergraduate students hands-on experience in graduate-level biomedical research. We welcome applicants from around the United States who are seriously considering joining a Ph.D. graduate program after completing their undergraduate degree. Students from underrepresented groups are strongly encouraged to apply.

SROP Website 

Requirements: US Citizen, open to all years no previous research necessary

The eight-week program,will give participants who are interested in science and medicine real hands-on experience in research methodology and writing. Participants are placed in teams and matched with Duke faculty mentors to work on an original, hypothesis-driven project, originating as a one-page summary and culminating in a complete research paper. A goal of the program is to have every participant qualify for co-authorship on a peer-reviewed manuscript related to their team’s project.

Summer Training in Academic Research (STAR) Program Website 

Requirements: US Citizen, Rising Junior or Senior

The SURPH@Duke fellowship is targeted to rising juniors and seniors who are interested in future graduate study to obtain a PhD. This ten-week summer research experience focuses on learning how scientific discovery at the bench can be translated to treatment of disease. Students will train with a faculty mentor and carry out an independent research project in Duke’s Department of Pharmacology and Cancer Biology.

SURPH Program Website

Requirements: Undergraduate and Masters level students

This program allows students to select from a network of projects funded by the the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). All projects at Duke Superfund Research Center focus on early, low dose exposure toxins and their developmental impacts that are usually only evident during later life stages. In addition to working with their project or core, interns will be expected to participate in weekly research discussions and lab meetings and to present their research.

Superfund Summer Research Internship Website

Summer Research Opportunities in Healthcare and Medicine

REACH Equity Summer Undergraduate Research Program (RESURP) is an 8- week summer program for rising junior and senior undergraduate students. The overall goals of the program are to: increase students’ knowledge of the causes and consequences of racial and ethnic disparities in health; introduce students to basic skills in clinical research, professional development workshops, and provide an opportunity to conduct and present a health disparities research project.

RESURP Website


Undergraduate Research Support Office

The Undergraduate Research Support Office (URS) promotes undergraduate research at Duke through workshops, the annual Visible Thinking Symposium, funding independent research, assistantships and conferences and by providing support for summer research programs. See the complete list of URS programs