Applications are invited for SuRF@inStem Summer Research Fellowships Program 2025. The last date of application is March 22.

About the Program

The inStem Summer Research Fellowships program places students with faculty members at inStem for 10-week long summer research internships. The program provides an intensive research experience for students preparing to pursue their PhD in Life Sciences. Students will participate in individualized projects in a research lab at inStem which will enhance their experimental skills and prepares them to articulate a research problem and design experiments to tackle novel questions.

The program will provide students an immersive experience of an academic research environment which will allow them to envisage the rigor and discipline required for a PhD degree. This is the first year of the fellowship program and we are excited to open our doors to students from across the country, striving for diversity and inclusivity. Students selected under this program will have the opportunity to work under the following verticals:

  • Stem cell biology: Cutting edge research in human pluripotent stem cells that tackle areas ranging from tissue development, congenital disorders and neurodegenerative diseases.
  • Tissue engineering: Development and maintenance of organ structures and how tissues regenerate in response to an injury.
  • Chemical biology: Research ranging from RNA biology to the metabolic underpinnings of cell fate decisions.

Stipend

Selected students will also receive a competitive stipend of Rs. 25,000 for the duration of the program.

Eligibility

  • Students who are currently enrolled in M.Sc., B.Tech, B.Sc. (4 year degree only), M.Tech. or Integrated Bachelor’s- Master’s degree programs in India are eligible.
  • Students must be about to enter the final year of their degree in Aug-Sept 2025. Students who have completed the penultimate year of their degree program are eligible.
  • Students who have completed their degree program prior to the start of the internship are not eligible to apply.
  • Although students with Life Sciences background are the primary target of this program, we encourage students in diverse disciplines like chemistry, physics and mathematics to apply.
  • Multiple criteria based on the overall academic performance, research interest, research fit in instem, space and availability, reference letters and suitability of the candidate will be considered.

Duration

May 15-July 24 (10 weeks). It is a mandatory 10-week program and the students have to adhere to this timeline

Program Details

  • Orientation: Fellows will be given an overview of inStem and the campus
  • Laboratory research: Fellows will be placed with inStem faculty and will work in their laboratories on a defined project.
  • Short courses: Students will be provided an opportunity to participate in short courses or workshops on campus, in several areas (programming and statistics, or science communication, or poster making and presentation, etc):
  • Lecture series: Students will get to hear talks from eminent scientists on campus and from researchers at other Institutes in Bengaluru about their research.
  • Final presentations: Fellows will present their work as short research talks to the campus.
  • Completion certificate: An internship certificate will be presented to all the fellows upon completion of the program.

How to Apply?

Interested candidates can apply online via this page.

Important dates

  • Applications open: March 1, 2025
  • Applications close: March 22, 2025
  • Decisions communicated to successful applicants: April 4, 2025
  • Acceptance deadline: April 11, 2025
  • Program start: May 15, 2025
  • Orientation: May 15, 2025
  • SuRF student seminar: July 22, 2025
  • Program end: July 24, 2025

Click here for the official notification of SuRF@inStem Summer Research Fellowships Program 2024.