Stowers Summer Scholars Program — Internship

The Stowers Summer Scholars Program is an intensive eight-week research internship at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in Kansas City, Missouri. Undergraduates work full-time on an independent research project under the guidance of a Principal Investigator or a senior lab member, immersed in a Stowers laboratory studying fundamental biological processes.

Scholars attend weekly scientific seminars and career lunches with Stowers scientists, and present their work at an all-Institute poster session at the end of the summer. The program is supported by a donation from the Stowers Foundation.

Benefits & funding

$5,000 salary for the eight-week program (no participation fee, no application fee).
Round-trip transportation between the scholar’s school and Kansas City.
Accommodations near the Stowers campus.
Group activities around the Kansas City area.
Mentored, independent research with access to the latest techniques and technologies, plus weekly seminars and career lunches.

Eligibility

Open to domestic and international students; accepted international scholars work with Stowers Immigration Services on the visa process.
Must have completed one year of undergraduate studies by the program start, and be currently enrolled in — or a recent graduate of — a degree-granting undergraduate program.
Eligible fields: biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, chemistry, physics, computing, engineering, mathematics, or a related field.
Must be 18 years or older before the program start date.
Full-time availability for the entire program (June 1 – July 24, 2026); a brief delay may be granted for school calendars.
Students enrolled in or starting a master’s, medical, or PhD program (Fall 2026) are not eligible. Combined BS/MS students must be within the first four years. Previous Summer Scholars may reapply.

Can you apply?

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Education required
Bachelor Enrolled · Bachelor
Age requirement
≥ 18 yrs

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Application process

1
Create an application in the GradCAS online portal.
2
Submit biographical information, a previous-laboratory-experience essay, a statement of interest in Stowers research laboratories, an optional personal statement, and unofficial transcripts.
3
Request two letters of recommendation, uploaded by recommenders through GradCAS by the deadline (a third is optional).
4
Submit by the deadline; applications are reviewed on a rolling basis and cannot be altered after submission.

Program timeline

Applications open (rolling)
Oct 1, 2025
Application deadline (11:59 pm Eastern)
Jan 16, 2026
Final offers sent (rolling notifications from November)
Mar 31, 2026
Program begins
Jun 1, 2026
Program ends
Jul 24, 2026
Recurs annually; the next cycle is expected to open around October 2026.