Pauley Undergraduate Fellowship

National Institutes of Health R25 Fellowship

The application window for our 2025 fellowship is October 15-November 15, 2024.

15 spots available (12 incoming fellows, 3 returning fellows)

Requirements

This fellowship is funded through an NIH R25 grant and is open to full-time undergraduate students who are sophomore, junior, or senior students at our partner institutions listed below at the time of application. Students from under-represented backgrounds (as defined by the NIH) are strongly encouraged to apply.

At this time, per NIH guidelines, this fellowship is open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents only.

R25 partner schools and faculty coordinators:

Prior to the summer fellowship program, students will be required to take a one-credit preparatory course at their respective institutions during the spring 2025 semester. Please contact the program faculty at your respective institution listed above for more details on this course.

Students are encouraged (but not required) to continue their research project with their mentor after the conclusion of the summer program, with the goal of presenting their findings at a national meeting and eventually defending an honors thesis before they graduate.

Summer Program Dates

For 2025, the summer portion of this program will be held onsite at the VCU Health campus in downtown Richmond from Monday, May 19-Friday, July 25, 2025. Participants must be available and willing to attend in-person for the full 10 weeks of the summer fellowship and be able to commit to at least 30 daytime hours per week Monday-Friday (actual hours may vary depending on your research project and arrangements made with your faculty mentor). Check out the Program Overview section of our website for a sample weekly schedule.

Stipend & Housing

NIH R25 fellows will receive a stipend of $6,000 which will be paid in two installments (exact payment dates TBD but typically in late June and late July).

VCU dormitory housing will be provided as needed (at no cost to students) for the 10 weeks of the summer fellowship. Note: Students are not required to stay in the dorms if they have other housing options.

How to Apply

APPLY HERE

The application portal will be open from October 15-November 15, 2024. Students will be notified of application decisions on December 2024.

Application requirements:

  • Online application form
    • Within the application form, applicants will be provided a current list of faculty mentors and their research projects and are required to rank their top three choices of faculty to be paired with for the summer. You can see a sample list of past faculty mentors and research areas here.
    • The form will include a personal statement section in which applicants must address the following prompts:
      • Explain your interest in cardiovascular research and this program.
      • How do your skills and experiences prepare you to be successful in completing the proposed research duties?
      • In what ways will this research fellowship help you in advancing your academic, career, and/or professional goals?
      • One goal of the NIH R25 grant through which this program is funded is to increase diversity in health-related research. Describe your understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) along with an example of how you have sought (or will seek) to advance DEI. 

  • Undergraduate transcript(s) from all undergraduate institutions attended (including transfer institutions)
    • PDF format preferred.
    • Unofficial transcripts are acceptable.
    • If including transcripts from another institution from which you have transferred, please insure all letter grades are listed.

  • Two recommendations

All application materials, including recommendation forms, must be submitted by 11:59 PM on November 15, 2024. Any questions can be directed to pauley.undergradfellowship@vcuhealth.org.