Aspirnaut Summer Research Internship
Program Description
Aspirnaut™ is a K-20 STEM Pipeline for diversity with the goal of increasing the numbers and diversity of the STEM Workforce. Aspirnaut™ Summer Research Internships are hands-on and mentored biomedical science research laboratory experiences for undergraduate students interested in a career in biomedical research. The program is supported by the Division of Kidney, Urologic, & Hematologic Diseases of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Recruitment of participants includes those who identify as underrepresented in the biomedical, clinical, behavioral and social sciences as described in NIH's NOT-OD-20-031. (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-20-031.html)
There are two principle aims for this program:
1. An intense research experience for undergraduate students involving crafting of questions, designing and conducting experiments, and presenting and arguing results on the topic of "Renal Biology and Disease."
2. To augment the discovery science experience with professional skills development and guided self-discovery.
Participants reside on the campus of Vanderbilt University and conduct research activities at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). Research assignments are coordinated under the direction of Billy Hudson, Ph.D., Scientific Director for the Aspirnaut™ Summer Research Internship Program and Director of the Vanderbilt Center for Matrix Biology. Interns are assigned to a mentor and research lab related to renal biology and disease. Interns are fully engaged in their research project and meet regularly to discuss their projects with scientific mentors and interact with distinguished guest speakers. At the end of the program, interns prepare abstracts, give oral and poster presentations to their peers and mentors, and attend the KUH Undergraduate Research Conference. Activities and assignments will vary within a standard nine-to-five timeframe in laboratory atmospheres, with evenings and weekends available to participants. In addition to the discovery science laboratory experience, interns receive training in science communication, mentorship and career mapping, and wellness training. There is plenty of free time to explore the university, the city of Nashville, and surrounding areas.