American Heart Association Summer Undergraduate Training | Cardiovascular Institute | Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

Undergraduate Fellowship Program at CVI

The American Heart Association Summer Undergraduate Fellowship Program at Penn CVI allows undergraduates, including those who are underrepresented in medicine or from smaller institutions without extensive research programs, to gain exposure to state-of-the-art cardiovascular research. The types of research include, but are not limited to: cardiovascular molecular and cellular biology; physiology; vascular biology; genetics; metabolism; clinical research; and implementation science. This immersive 10-week program offers students hands-on experience in laboratories with faculty mentors who are members of CVI. In addition, undergraduate interns will have the opportunity to participate in seminar series, networking, and an end-of-summer symposium. This internship is ideal for students who are interested in pursuing advanced biomedical degrees to have a research-focused experience in cardiovascular science.

Summer Program Dates

Th fellowship program will run from Monday, June 5, 2023 through Friday, August 11, 2023. Participants must commit to the program for its duration. Participants can expect to engage in lab and program activities for approximately 40 hours per week.

Eligibility

Student applicants must be enrolled at a 4-year college or university, and not yet graduated at the time of the summer internship.
Students must be able to attend the full, 10-week program.
Students of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply, including those who are underrepresented in medicine, from disadvantaged backgrounds, first generation students, and students with disabilities.

Compensation

Students will receive a $6,000 stipend, as well as funds to travel to a scientific meeting.

Admissions

The deadline for submitting applications for Summer 2023 has passed. The application submission process will reopen in December 2023 for Summer 2024 placements.

Cover Page (PDF)
Personal Statement (1 page, 0.5" margins, 11 pt font) detailing your research interests and career/academic goals.
CV/ Resume
Most recent college transcript (unofficial is acceptable)
Two (2) confidential letters of recommendation. Letters should be from academic faculty who know you personally and can comment on your academic abilities and your aptitude for research.

Please send all application documents except for letters of recommendation in a single PDF to Emily Romick by February 15, 2023 at 5pm. Please be sure to include the Cover Page in your documents.

Letters of recommendation should be sent separately by your references to Emily Romick by February 15, 2023 at 5pm.

Overview of Internship

Mentors

Mentors are drawn from over 120 faculty members of Penn CVI. Mentors have primary academic appointments in an array of clinical and basic science departments. Interns will be matched with mentors based on mutual research interests, and the research program and capacity of the mentor. Interns will have regular contact with their mentor and receive daily support from a senior lab member.

Seminars and Networking

An end-of-summer student symposium will allow interns an opportunity to present their summer research experience. Interns will also have the opportunity to participate in journal clubs, seminars, and career talks. There will be opportunities to interact with other summer interns from the AHA and other summer biomedical internship programs at Penn.

Campus Life and Philadelphia

Philadelphia is a dynamic and diverse big city made up of neighborhoods with great restaurants, shops, history, and culture. The University of Pennsylvania is a large, urban campus with many summer programs and free events that happen on campus for students during their summer months in the Fellowship Program.

If you have any questions about the program or submitting an application, please contact Emily Romick, Program Coordinator.