Following is a message from the BMBB Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee regarding research opportunities for Underrepresented Minority Students (URM):
Hello first- and second-year URM students in CBS,
Are you interested in science and doing undergraduate research? Do you want to attend graduate school (STEM PhDs are free + you receive a stipend!) and pursue a career in science? If yes, the BMBB Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) committee is here to offer you personalized guidance in finding a paid undergraduate research assistantship as early as possible in your first or second year of college! Having these initial, early research experiences will increase your chances of getting subsequent, more competitive, paid summer research internships and will boost your resume for your future career.
Our goal is to help URM students to overcome barriers to academic research, whether it be by finding a lab that sparks your scientific interest, crafting professional emails and contacting faculty, or finding and applying for different paid research opportunities. As graduate students from different backgrounds in the BMBB department, we understand how hard it can be for underrepresented populations in STEM to navigate resources to participate in research. We have all personally struggled with uncertainty and unnecessary detours before finally getting to graduate school, but we believe that in sharing what we learned in the process we can help you delineate a plan and get there faster.
If it sounds like we could help you, please feel free to email us at bmbbdei@umn.edu. We will send you a short form with a couple of questions so that we are able to better help you individually!
Sincerely,
Santiago Martinez Cifuentes, Sofia Moraes, and Sze Cheng
Ph.D. students on behalf of the BMBB DEI committee