The Brown Cancer Center (BCC) at the University of Louisville announces the High School Summer Research Program (HSSRP) for 2025. The HSSRP is open to high school sophomores, juniors and seniors in Louisville and the Jefferson County Metro area who will be 16 years old by June 9, 2025. This year the program will accept up-to twenty high school students for an 8-week research internship (Monday, June 9th – Friday, August 1st).

The goal of this summer program is to afford students an opportunity to obtain an initial intensive 2-week hands-on wet-lab research tutorial followed by an individual mentored research lab experience with Brown Cancer Center faculty. For the students to be immersed in the research culture, students are expected to commit a minimum of 30 hours per week to working in the research lab for the entire 8-week period of the program.

A seminar series – organized specifically for this group – will be held at noon each Wednesday during the program. Speakers, primarily research faculty at the University, will discuss their current cutting-edge research projects or, in some cases, the hottest topics in cancer research today. Students are also welcome to attend the regular departmental and BCC seminar series.

At the end of the 8-week period, each student will prepare a poster of their research results for presentation at a special poster session to be held at the end of the summer program.

Each student will receive a stipend of $4000 for participating in the internship program. All other expenses will be funded by the Brown Cancer Center, including funds for research supplies, seminar lunches and lab coats.

If you are a current high school student who is interested in participating in and learning more about cancer research, and you will be 16 years of age by June 9, 2025, we invite you to submit a completed application packet, consisting of:
(1) Application form and essay, (2) consent form, and (3) letter of recommendation from your primary science teacher or, as appropriate, your counselor (the letter may be included in the packet or sent separately by the teacher).

Please send your application materials, no later than Friday, March 14th, to: Ashley Curry at ashley.kareken@louisville.edu.

Decisions of the HSSRP Selection Committee will be announced by April 11th.