Can an undergraduate get paid to do real research in the United States? Yes — the Stowers Summer Scholars Program pays undergraduates a $5,000 salary for eight weeks of full-time research at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in Kansas City, Missouri. International students are welcome, and the institute’s immigration office helps accepted scholars with the visa process.
The program runs from June 7 to July 30, and applications are already open through the GradCAS portal. The final deadline is January 17 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time, and applications are reviewed on a rolling basis — so earlier is genuinely better.
A Research Lab, Not a Classroom
This is not a summer course or a shadowing placement. Each Summer Scholar works on an independent research project under a Principal Investigator or a senior lab member, with experimental access to the latest techniques and technologies.
Every scholar attends weekly scientific seminars and a weekly lunch with Stowers scientists. At the end, each scholar presents their work in an all-Institute poster session.
The research areas tell you what kind of science this is: chromatin and gene expression regulation, chromosome structure and cell division, computational biology and modeling, developmental genetics and cell biology, developmental neuroscience, neuroscience, and stem cells and regeneration. This is fundamental biology. If your real interest is clinics or medical volunteering, read that list honestly before applying.
Who Is Allowed to Apply
The rules are short and strict: full-time availability for the entire eight weeks, at least one year of undergraduate studies completed, and age 18 or older. You must be enrolled in, or just graduated from, a degree-granting undergraduate program in biology, biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, chemistry, physics, computing, engineering, mathematics, or a related field.
Domestic and international students can both apply, and previous Summer Scholars may apply again. Students enrolled in, or beginning, a master’s, medical, or Ph.D. program in the fall are not eligible. Combined BS/MS students must be within the first four years, the equivalent of a US undergraduate program.
What You Actually Get
| Program | Stowers Summer Scholars Program, Stowers Institute for Medical Research |
| Location | Kansas City, Missouri, USA |
| Dates | June 7 to July 30 (8 weeks, full time) |
| Salary | $5,000 |
| Travel | Round-trip transportation between school and Kansas City |
| Housing | Accommodation near the Stowers campus |
| Also included | Group activities around Kansas City |
| Deadline | January 17, 11:59 PM Eastern Time |
| How to apply | GradCAS portal, “Become a Summer Scholar” link |
| Open to | Undergraduates, domestic and international |
Read the package like a budget: the salary replaces the summer job you would otherwise need, the round-trip flight replaces one you could not afford, and the accommodation replaces rent in a strange city. Together they open the program to students without family money.
Why Eight Paid Weeks Matter
Most undergraduate research is unpaid volunteering squeezed between classes. Eight weeks of full-time, paid research is different: you live inside one research question instead of visiting it for a few hours a week, and that depth is what admissions committees look for.
The final poster session matters more than it sounds. Presenting to the whole institute teaches you to explain complex biology in plain words, and it gives you a concrete result for every future application. The seminars and lunches show you what scientific careers actually look like.
The Visa Support, in Plain Words
International students are explicitly eligible, and accepted international scholars work with Stowers Immigration Services on the visa application process. That is the full official statement, and it carries real weight.
In plain terms: you do not handle the visa alone. The institute has its own immigration office, and it guides accepted scholars through the process. You still complete the visa application through the proper channels yourself, but you have institutional backing. Many research internships leave international students to figure this out alone — this one does not.
Who Should Apply — and Who Should Skip It
Apply if you are an undergraduate in a science or related field who wants a research career and can give eight full weeks. Any laboratory experience counts — school projects qualify, so classroom lab work is enough. You do not need a publication or a famous professor’s recommendation to be taken seriously.
Skip it if you are starting graduate or medical school in the fall — the rules bar you outright. Skip it if you cannot be fully present for the whole program; brief delays for school calendars can be arranged by email. With rolling review, early applications are read while places are still open.
What You Need to Apply
A completed GradCAS application needs the following. Request your two recommendation letters early — they must be uploaded before the deadline, and review everything before submitting, because the application cannot be altered afterward.
- Biographical information
- Previous laboratory experience essay — school projects count
- Statement of interest in Stowers research laboratories
- Personal statement (optional)
- Unofficial transcripts (official ones after acceptance)
- Two recommendation letters, uploaded by recommenders via GradCAS
How to Apply
Applications open October 1 through the GradCAS portal via the “Become a Summer Scholar” link on the official program page. The final deadline is January 17 at 11:59 PM Eastern Time. Start early and double-check everything.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is the program open to international students?
A: Yes — the program is open to domestic and international students, and accepted international scholars work with Stowers Immigration Services on the visa application process.
Q: How much do Summer Scholars get paid?
A: Scholars receive a $5,000 salary, plus round-trip transportation between school and Kansas City, accommodation near campus, and group activities around the city.
Q: Do I need research experience before applying?
A: The application asks for an essay about previous laboratory experience, and the official page says school projects count. You do not need professional research experience or publications.
Q: Can graduate students apply?
A: No — students enrolled in, or beginning, a master’s, medical, or Ph.D. program in the fall are not eligible.
