GETTING STARTED AND SR-EIP ELIGIBILITY
PERSONAL INFORMATION, INTERESTS, AND SCHOOLS
DUE DATE AND SUBMITTING A COMPLETE APPLICATION
System requirements for the application to function correctly:
You must accept our terms of service prior to getting started. The fields for your application information will become active only after you have accepted the terms of service.
Applicants must:
Note: If you do not meet the citizenship eligibility requirements for the SR-EIP, contact summer program coordinators at Research Sites to learn about other opportunities for participation in summer research.
Applications from students who describe exceptional circumstances in their personal statement, or who demonstrate a marked progression of improving grades on their transcript, may be considered.
No. The mission of the Leadership Alliance is to broaden participation by offering preparation and guidance to undergraduates who will be applying to PhD or MD-PhD programs. Students already guaranteed admission to medical school should not apply.
In this section, you will be asked to provide personal demographic information. The answers to these questions will not affect your chance of placement. This information is used for recordkeeping and reporting purposes only.
We request that you answer both questions. These are federal categories that we will use in describing the diversity of our program. You also have the option of "decline to indicate" for either one or both of these questions.
You will be asked to select three Leadership Alliance member institutions as your preferred SR-EIP Research Sites.
To begin, select a first choice research field. From within that field select a first choice area of interest. Once you have made these selections, you will see a menu of research sites that match that area of interest.
Repeat the process for your second and third choice research sites. You may select the same research field and area of interest multiple times.
You also have the option of giving the Leadership Alliance’s Executive Office permission to submit your application to other program sites.
The Summer Program Coordinator at each SR-EIP research site will carefully consider your experiences and your interests in deciding whether to match you with a faculty mentor on their campus. Before making your selection, you will need to be familiar with the research opportunities offered at each SR-EIP Research Site. Further information is available at most research institutions’ websites.
Continue to check the Leadership Alliance website for new initiatives that may be announced.
No, you can only select three research sites.
Yes. Complete applications will be sent to all three institutions. In addition, it is possible that your application will be sent to a different institution at the discretion of the Executive Office, provided that you have chosen the option of permitting the Alliance to forward your application as needed. The forwarding of your application to any additional sites depends on the availability of opportunities at additional sites and is not guaranteed.
No. The SR-EIP is a summer program of eight to ten weeks’ duration and is not intended to be a continuation of research you are already performing at your home institution. You must select three institutions other than your home institution. There are no exceptions.
In this section, you will be asked to provide information concerning your educational and research experience as well as other relevant experience. Your current resume will be the basis for the information in this section, you will not submit a resume as part of the application process. You will have an opportunity to highlight your most significant experiences in a few brief descriptive paragraphs.
NOTE: Previous research experience is not a requirement for participation in the SR-EIP (with the exceptions that are listed by each research site).
Please provide information related to research experiences in a summer research program or during the academic year at your home institution. You are limited to a maximum of five experiences. Limit your description to no more than 100 words.
You may include up to five relevant experiences. Please describe experiences from your work or extracurricular activities that relevant to this program and that you would like to bring to our attention. Use this section to highlight your efforts and achievements clearly and succinctly. Limit your description to no more than 100 words.
The statement of purpose should be an essay crafted to convey your academic and career goals, with an emphasis on your current research interests. In this essay, you should demonstrate an understanding of questions and issues within your discipline and clearly explain your reason for pursuing doctoral level (PhD or MD-PhD) training. An interview is not a standard part of the SR-EIP application process, consider the statement of purpose your opportunity to introduce yourself to a review committee and the chance to answer any information you might share during an interview. Limit your statement of purpose to no more than 1,000 words.
We recommend that you take time to compose your statement of purpose using word processing software (Microsoft Word, Google Docs) and then paste the edited document into the Statement of Purpose text box. Be sure to spell check and proofread your essay.
The application form has space for only one personal statement. As part of your statement, you may refer to specific research areas that interests you at each of the three institutions. We do not recommend that you reference specific faculty in your statement of purpose. You can write to program coordinators directly (contact information here) to let them know faculty members whose work seems a good fit for your interests.
You will need two letters of recommendation. In this section, you will be able to request recommendation letters by sending email notifications to the two people that you identify by name and email address. You will be able to review the request before it is sent and to include a brief personal message.
Your recommenders will be asked to upload their recommendation letters directly to the SR-EIP online application.
You can log into the application dashboard to see if the letters of recommendation have been submitted. It is important to follow up with your recommenders to be sure they are familiar with the deadline of February 1. Your application will not be reviewed if it does not contain two letters of recommendation, it is your responsibility to follow-up with recommenders accordingly and confirm they will submit a letter by the deadline.
For recommendations, ask professors or instructors who know your work and can comment specifically on your performance, particularly in the field of study related to your research interest. Advisors or program directors can comment on your overall achievement, but at least one recommender should be able to comment on your abilities and potential in your chosen field of study.
Contact your professors or instructors as early as possible to give them ample time to complete the recommendations. We suggest you speak or write directly to your professors or instructors before you submit their names for the SR-EIP online application. Visit your professor or instructor during office hours or schedule an appointment to discuss your summer plans and long-term goals. Always provide a copy of your resume.
Your recommender will receive an email with your request. You must enter an accurate email address, or your recommender will not receive the request and will not be able to submit a recommendation for you. Check with your recommender to be sure you are using their preferred email address. Their username will be their email address as you have entered it, and they will set their password on the login page. If your recommender has not received an email request within 24 hours of your entering their information in your application contact samantha_andersen@brown.edu for assistance.
Unfortunately, this happens frequently. Contact your recommenders and inform them that they will be receiving a request for a letter from theleadershipalliance@brown.edu. Ask them to exempt this address from their spam filter.
You may only submit two recommendations with your application.
You must upload transcripts from all colleges you have attended full-time for at least one semester, including your Fall 2022 final grades. All transcripts must be saved as a PDF and uploaded by the applicant.
We will accept unofficial transcripts. If available to you, we prefer an unofficial transcript. If unofficial transcripts are unavailable from your university website, you may download your academic record as a PDF.
Scanned copies of your official transcripts are accepted. If official transcripts are sent to you, you must scan and upload these transcripts to your application as a PDF. Erase or cover Social Security numbers.
We do not accept electronic delivery of official transcripts via email from an online document delivery service.
If you have received an electronic transcript from a secure provider via email, do not upload it directly to your application. These electronic transcripts are password-protected, have the heading “Certified by Certified Document Services” or are otherwise locked. Print the transcript and then scan it to PDF.
Yes. If you transferred to your current school, then both transcripts are required. Upload both transcripts even if your current school transcript includes transferred courses. Upload transcripts from schools you attended full-time for at least one semester.
Your transcript must include your Fall 2022 final grades. When you make your request to the registrar, be sure that your transcript will include your Fall 2022 grades.
Late submission of your transcripts will result in your application not being processed. An exception is made only for undergraduate schools where the semester ends in late January 2023.
If your Fall 2022 grades (due to your academic calendar and exam period, or other unusual circumstances) are not finalized by February 1, 2023, you may submit your transcript after February 1. If you intend to submit your transcript after the deadline, you are required to upload a letter (PDF) notifying us of the reason for the delay and select “Complete This Section” prior to February 1. Then, after February 1, email your transcript as a PDF attachment to samantha_andersen@brown.edu with “TranscriptFor2022” in the subject line.
If you are enrolled in a university in Puerto Rico, upload your most current transcript, preferably with Spring 2022 included.
If you studied abroad in Fall 2022, submit a transcript without your Fall 2022 grades. In addition, you must upload a statement (PDF) describing your study abroad location and courses. Select “Complete This Section” prior to February 1. We do not require that you send your final grades from your study abroad.
Your application will not be considered unless it is complete.
Application packages that meet all eligibility requirements will be made available to the Summer Program Coordinators at the three SR-EIP research sites that you selected. Each research site will now make an autonomous decision about your application.
Summer Program Coordinators, on-campus mentors and mentor committees at the research institution will review each application and select eligible applicants to match with faculty mentors.
Every element of your complete application must be received no later than 11:59 PM PST February 1, 2023. A complete application includes your school transcript(s), including Fall 2022 final grades. Recommendation letters must be uploaded by the deadline. Give your recommenders sufficient advance time to write letters of recommendation.
The SR-EIP application has five sections that must be completed before your application is can be submitted. All of these must be completed via this application platform. They may be done in multiple sessions. When you access the application, you will be able to save the information you have entered, log in at a future time and continue where you left off.
A Summer Program Coordinator may email or phone you directly with an offer of placement at their research site. The offer should also appear online on the “Placement Status” tab of your application.
The Summer Program Coordinator notifies you of an offer that includes information about your mentor or the department where you have been matched, the stipend amount, housing arrangements and travel allowance. The faculty mentor may contact you directly; you will have the opportunity to be in contact with your research mentor before you accept the offer. The Summer Program Coordinator is available to assist you with your decision.
Most offers of placement are extended in March and April; biomedical programs may notify as early as February 2. No offers of placement will be made before February 2.
Your deadline for responding to a placement offer will be two weeks from the date that you are notified of the offer. After two weeks, your placement is no longer guaranteed; your place may be offered to another candidate. For offers made in April sites reserve the right to offer a shorter (1 week) decision deadline.
You may receive an offer from more than one Leadership Alliance summer program. Carefully consider your options. Once you accept an SR-EIP placement online, you cannot undo it and accept a different SR-EIP offer.
In some circumstances, a student who has accepted an offer to participate in the SR-EIP at one site may receive an offer to participate at a different Alliance research institution. You must inform the coordinator who has made the second offer that you have already accepted placement at another Alliance site.
If you accept an offer from a summer research program, do not neglect to decline any other offers you have received promptly. In this way, you help open opportunities for your peers.
If an institution has decided not to make you a placement offer, this will be indicated on the Placement Status tab of your application.
In the event you are not offered a placement at any of the three SR-EIP Program Sites you selected, the Leadership Alliance Executive Office may forward your application to additional programs if you have given us permission to do so. If there are other program sites where placements are available in your discipline, we will review your application for potential fit. The “Placement Status” tab of your application will indicate when your application is closed.
If you have questions about the online application process or the SR-EIP research sites that are not answered on the website, contact:
Samantha Andersen, Coordinator of Undergraduate Programs
The Leadership Alliance Executive Office
theleadershipalliance@brown.edu
Hispanic or Latino: Describes a person of Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin.
American Indian or Alaska Native: Describes a person having origins in any of the original peoples of North, Central, or South America, and who maintains tribal affiliation or community attachment.
Asian: Describes a person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southwest Asia, or the Indian Subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, The Phillippine Islands, Thailand and Vietnam.
Black or African American: Describes a person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa.
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: Describes a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa or other Pacific Islands.
White: Describes a person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa.