Overview

Professor Burwell has a longstanding interest in increasing numbers of women and individuals from underrepresented minority groups in neuroscience. Her efforts have been supported, in part, by her National Science Foundation grants. As a part of her NSF work, she initiated a small program to give Tougaloo College students with interests in behavioral neuroscience research the opportunity to participate in a summer program of laboratory research in her laboratory. Tougaloo College is a historically black, church-related college in Jackson, MS. To date, five Tougaloo students have rotated through the Burwell lab on Summer Research Fellowships. Two of those students earned authorship on a peer-reviewed publication. All five are currently in medical school or graduate school, or are applying to graduate school. This program was highlighted by NSF as a model funded program for integrating research and educational activities.

With the awarding of her new NSF grant, Dr. Burwell has expanded the program to include two additional historically black universities in New Orleans, LA — Xavier University and Dillard University. So far, one Dillard student was awarded a Summer Research Fellowship.

Summer Undergraduate Research Program

We have a limited number of summer research rotations for undergraduates. If you are a sophomore or junior at Tougaloo College, Xavier University, or Dillard University and have an interest in academic research career in biological psychology, behavioral neuroscience, or systems neuroscience, please consider applying to the program.

Summer Activities

Successful applicants will spend 10 weeks in the summer at Brown University working with Dr. Burwell and a graduate student or postdoc. Students will be housed with Leadership Alliance students in Brown housing and will receive a stipend for the summer. Travel to and from Providence, RI will be covered by the program. The summer rotation is intended to provide an academic research experience in behavioral neuroscience. In addition to research training, activities will include instruction in presentation skills, science writing, and research ethics. You can download the brochure about the program here.

How to apply

Interested students should download a Summer Undergraduate Research Program Application.docx.  Applications are due in February 28 and decisions will be made by March 15.