President Obama stated in his State of the Union speech that we need kids to not only look up to those who win the superbowl but also admire those who win the science fair! 

As a African American girl, I loved signing up for science fairs but didn’t see many other girls like me at the competitions.       

There are many cool discoveries out there to be made!  So I highly encourage girls/young women to pursue science careers.  If you’re a high school or college student interested in science, medicine and/or health, consider applying for the below summer institute sponsored by NIH (the world’s leading research institute).  The sites are in many locations across the country. Applications are due March 1st.

Summer Research with the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) encourages students from groups under­represented in the sciences to pursue careers in biomedical and behavioral research. Through the program, high school and undergraduate students from underrepresented groups are introduced to the exciting field of substance abuse and addiction research via research placements with some of our most distinguished scientists. Students work with leading investigators for 8-10 weeks during the summer. The experience may include formal courses, participation in meetings, data collection, data analysis, interviewing, laboratory experiments, manu­script preparation, library research, literary reviews, and much more.

This program emphasizes placing applicants who are from groups underrepresented in the biomedical and behavioral sciences (including African Americans, Hispanics, American Indians/Alaska Natives, and Asian/Pacific Islanders), although all can apply. Applicants must be currently enrolled in high school or college and in good academic standing.

Applicants must be at least 15 years of age and citizens or permanent residents of the United States (no excep­tions). Applicants under the age of 18 can only be placed at research sites within daily-commuting distance from their home.

High school students will receive stipends for the summer based on the rate agreed upon with each research site, not to exceed $8.00 per hour for a maximum stipend of $3,200 for 10 weeks. Graduating high school seniors will be paid at the high school level.  Undergraduate students will receive stipends for the summer based on the rate agreed upon with each research site, not to exceed $10.00 per hour for a maximum stipend of $4,000 for 10 weeks.

For application and program information see: http://www.drugabuse.gov/pdf/sposummer.pdf<www.drugabuse.gov/pdf/sposummer.pdf>;