LGS-SOAR

Apply HERE; Application Guidelines HERE

Deadline: January 18, 2023, at 11:59 PM EST

The LGS-SOAR (Summer Opportunity for Academic Research) (May 30-August 4, 2023) partners with the well-established Emory College SURE (Summer Undergraduate Research Experience) Program and will host potential LGS students (current NON-Emory Undergraduate scholars) who want to explore, experience, and conduct full-time independent and mentored research for the summer.

The program is unique in that all scholars will be from historically underrepresented ethnic and racial backgrounds in graduate education or who participated in  NIH-RISE, NIH-IMSD, Mellon Mays, McNair Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program, OR who are first-generation college scholars who participated in Upward Bound, Talent Search, Educational Opportunities Centers, or similar programs. Additionally, financial support will be provided by either LGS or the home institution of the student. Housing is also included. All LGS-SOAR students will adhere to any and all COVID protocols instilled by the university. All administrative activities (besides training for your specific research group) will be handled by LGS-SOAR/SURE.

About the Program

The 2023 LGS-SOAR Program will be a 10-week summer learning experience. LGS-SOAR scholars will participate in Professional Development and Research Ethics Sessions with the LGS-SOAR Leadership team. LGS-SOAR provides an opportunity to build your professional network and have an immersion experience that will help prepare you for graduate school in all fields of studies offered at the Laney Graduate School. The sessions will include topics such as:

  • Making the Most Out of Your Summer Experience
  • Graduate-Level Research Papers, Proposals, and Presentations
  • Developing My IDP and More
  • Applying to Graduate School? (or Not)

This learning experience will be offered both in-person and virtual. Below are the different learning experiences:

LGS-SOAR ON-CAMPUS EXPERIENCE

  • During this 10-week in-person program, research fellows conduct full-time research mentored by an Emory.
  • The scholar will be required to participate in the LGS-SOAR Professional Development and Research Ethics sessions over the summer beginning May 30, 2023, and ending August 4, 2023. Additionally, a final report will be required as well as participation in a 2023 Research Symposium.
  • This program option is ideal for scholars currently in their 2ndor 3rdyear of their undergraduate degree who have conducted some research, are interested in graduate school, and desire an intensive, immersion research experience.

Finding a Mentor

  • What areas of research interest you? It is likely that you have a few topics that truly catch your attention.
    • Use local media, the library, other web resources to seek additional information and review our tips for identifying a mentor on our Finding a Mentorpage).
  • Talk to your academic advisor and to your instructors for suggestions. It is very likely that one or more researchers in the Atlanta area are currently working on topics that you enjoy.
  • Do not contact any Faculty Members at Emory. The LGS-SOAR Program Administration will handle all the initial contact and faculty mentor matching, however, do list at least 3 faculty in your application to ensure matching is possible. Here are some tips on how to identify a potential research mentor.
    • Please contact Dr. Amanda Marie James (amandamariejames@emory.edu) with any questions or concerns about identifying potential mentors and their availability.

LGS-SOAR VIRTUAL EXPERIENCE

  • This 10-week remote program differs from LGS-SOAR On-Campus in that scholars will not work directly with Faculty Mentors to conduct research; however, they will participate in Research Discipline sessions led by current Laney Graduate School students.
  • LGS-SOAR Virtual provides an opportunity to build your network with some of our top Laney Graduate School scholars who conduct research in a variety of disciplines.
  • This program option is ideal for scholars currently in their 2ndor 3rdyear of their undergraduate degree who have conducted some research and are interested in graduate school; however, due to numerous factors they cannot engage in person.

LGS-SOAR TO-GO PROGRAM

  • During this 10-week remote program, scholars will interface with research materials provided by the LGS-SOAR team via Microsoft Teams only. These scholars will not be conducting research with Emory faculty and will not participate in a comprehensive research/scholarly project. They will have the opportunity to communicate with Laney Graduate School Centennial Scholars at least once a week.  
  • LGS-SOAR To-Go provides an opportunity to connect with some of our top Laney Graduate School scholars who conduct research in a variety of disciplines, as well as other undergraduate scholars from around the country.
  • This program option is ideal for scholars currently in their 1stor 2ndyear of their undergraduate degree who have not conducted any major research but are curious about graduate school. 

Eligibility

All students who have an interest in applying to and attending a doctoral program at Emory University's Laney Graduate School are encouraged to apply. Applicants must also fit these criteria:

  • Must NOT be graduating before December 2023.
  • Must be on track to graduate by June 2026.

Program Requirements

  • All applicants must complete an application by January 18, 2023, at 11:59 PM EST.
  • Attend and participate fully during the entire program (May 30 – August 4, 2023).

Apply

  • Before Applying
    • Confirm your availability for the entire program (May 30 – August 4, 2023).
  • Application

Notification

  • Notifications will be sent via email no later than March 8, 2023.

Emory Forward (COVID-19 Program & University Policies)

All LGS-SOAR On-Campus Scholars will be enrolled as non-degree-seeking LGS students for Summer 2023. As LGS students, all LGS-SOAR On-Campus scholars will comply with all LGS and Emory Policies  such as  Emory Forward, Campus Life Policies, Code of Conduct, LGS Honor, Conduct and Grievance Policies and others.

LGS-SOAR On-Campus scholars will participate in Professional Development and Research Ethics sessions with the LGS-SOAR Leadership team in-person weekly. These sessions will be run by Dr. Amanda Marie James and will require up-to-date clearance status (based on Emory’s public health protocols) to be able to attend in person.

Additionally, each LGS-SOAR On-Campus scholar will conduct research under the mentorship and advisement of an LGS faculty member. These faculty members will support the continuous abiding and adhering to all University COVID-policies, including but not limited to the gathering policy and the lab/space density.

LGS-SOAR On-Campus scholars will be housed by Emory’s Summer Intern Housing Program (SIHP). All SIHP residents/LGS-SOAR scholars will live on Emory University’s Clairmont Campus. Scholars will register for housing via the Iris Registration system, following the current social distancing protocol for housing. Additionally, with the constant changes regarding COVID-19, all LGS-SOAR On-Campus scholars will abide by Emory’s COVID guidelines for residential students.

Public Safety at Emory

Emory maintains its own police department that manages law enforcement, fire safety, and emergency medical services.  Emergency "blue light" phones, located throughout campus, link callers directly to the department to report emergencies and request security escorts.

The Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response (CEPAR) coordinates campus-wide activities related to unusual events.  The Emory Emergency Notification program is a multi-modal system for alerting students, staff, faculty, and visitors of an emergency affecting the Emory community. The wide array of notification options affords Emory the flexibility to convey emergency information in the most appropriate manner and provides redundancy to help ensure the message gets out. These options include outdoor sirens, Emory email, text messages, and the Emory CEPAR social media pages (@EMORY_CEPAR on Twitter and EmoryCEPAR on Facebook).  For more information on campus safety, please click here.

Frequently Asked Questions

SHOULD I CONTACT ALL THE FACULTY MEMBERS AT EMORY THAT I MIGHT WANT TO WORK WITH?

No. The LGS-SOAR Program Administration will handle all the initial contact and faculty mentor matching; however, do list at least 3 faculty in your application to ensure matching is possible. Here are some tips on how to identify a potential research mentor. Please contact Dr. Amanda Marie James (amandamariejames@emory.edu) with any questions or concerns about identifying potential mentors and their availability.

WHY DOES THE PROGRAM TARGET RISING SOPHOMORES, JUNIORS, AND SENIORS AND NOT FIRST-YEAR STUDENTS?

Many available projects require students who have completed freshman-level coursework and beyond.

ARE GRADUATING SENIORS (SENIORS THAT WILL GRADUATE AT THE END OF THE SPRING QUARTER/SEMESTER PRECEDING THE SUMMER EXPERIENCE, OR IN THE SUMMER) ELIGIBLE?

No. The program is designed to support students currently enrolled in an undergraduate program. You are not eligible for the summer research program if your bachelor's degree has been awarded by the time the program starts or before the program ends (Summer term degrees).

IS THE SUMMER RESEARCH PROGRAM OPEN TO STUDENTS WHO ARE NOT AMERICAN CITIZENS?

Funding is available to US citizens and permanent residents. International students are also eligible to apply but funds are limited. Undocumented Students are also encouraged to apply.

CAN I PARTICIPATE IF I HAVE MY OWN FUNDING?

We encourage students who have funding from their home institution or special program to indicate this on their application and to contact Dr. Amanda Marie James (amandamariejames@emory.edu). Assuming the student is a competitive candidate and that laboratory and housing space are available, we will do our best to place the student in our program. Note that funding availability alone does not guarantee a position: all applicants must be competitive as determined by the selections committee.