UNCF•Merck Undergraduate Science Research Scholarships

 

The United Negro College Fund and the Merck Institute

for Science Education announce the availability of the

UNCF •Merck Undergraduate Science Research Scholarship Awards.

 

These awards are a component of the UNCF•Merck Science Initiative,

the goal of which is to support the training and development

of world-class African American biomedical research scientists.

 

At least 15

UNCF•Merck Undergraduate Science Research Scholarship Awards

will be made per year. The competition is open to all students

who meet the eligibility criteria. Award recipients will be selected

based on the applicants’ abilities and accomplishments.

 

PURPOSE

The UNCF•Merck Undergraduate Science Research Scholarship Awards are intended to encourage the interest of African American undergraduate students in furthering their science education and pursuing biomedical science careers by providing tuition support and opportunities for research experience in a state-of-the-art industrial laboratory.

 

AWARD DESCRIPTION

Awards up to $35,000.

At least 15 Undergraduate Science Research Scholarship Awards will be made in 2010. Each award is up to a maximum of $35,000 that consists of a scholarship award of up to $25,000 and two summer research internship stipends totaling at least $10,000. For administrative purposes, the scholarship portion of the awards will be sent directly to the institutions of the award recipients. As the scholarship award is intended to support the award recipient’s tuition, room and board, and billable fees, no part of the award may be used for indirect costs. Awards are not transferable and may not be used at institutions abroad. Awards will be distributed for a September 1, 2010 start date.

 

Scholarship Award and Summer Internships

Each award recipient will receive a Scholarship Award of up to $25,000 to support tuition, room and board, and billable fees for the academic year 2010-11. Award recipients will be known as UNCF•Merck Undergraduate Fellows. An award recipient may not receive more funds than are adequate to cover his/her tuition, fees and room and board costs for one academic year.

In addition to the scholarship award, each award recipient will be mentored by a Merck scientist and receive two ten to twelve-week Merck Summer Internship assignments. Each ten to twelve-week internship carries a stipend of at least $5,000 which is subject to tax withholding. The actual stipend amount will be determined according to the current compensation scale set by Merck Research Laboratories. The internship stipends are payable directly to the award recipient. Each internship will be conducted under the guidance of the Merck mentor at a Merck research facility located in Rahway, NJ or West Point, PA or Boston, MA. Merck will offer optional housing but interns are responsible for room and board costs. Round trip public transportation to and from internships will be provided. Shipping costs are the responsibility of the Fellow. The first internship assignment will take place during the summer of 2010; the second internship assignment during the summer of 2011. In order to qualify for the second internship assignment, a UNCF•Merck Undergraduate Fellow must have completed all graduation requirements before the second internship begins, a satisfactory performance appraisal for the first internship assignment, and a demonstrated commitment to pursue terminal degrees in the biomedical research sciences.

 

In summary, each 2010 award will consist of the following:

 

• First 10 to 12-week summer internship in 2010 with a stipend of at least $5,000
• Tuition scholarship of up to $25,000 for the academic year 2010-11
• Second 10 to 12-week summer internship in 2010 with stipend of at least $5,000.

 

Department Grant

The award recipient’s department may apply for a Department Grant of up to $10,000. The actual amount of the Department Grant will total the amount of funds remaining from the scholarship portion of the award after all tuition, room and board, and billable fees have been paid, up to $10,000. The Department Grant is intended to support the research of the department and may be used to purchase research supplies and equipment or support scholarships for other students in the department. The Department Grant may not be used to support salaries, travel, or indirect costs.

 

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

To be considered for the UNCF•Merck Undergraduate Science Research Scholarship Awards, an applicant must be:

• African American (Black)
• Enrolled full time in a four- year college or university in the United States
• A junior who will be a degree candidate in the 2010-11 academic year
• A life or physical sciences major. Physical sciences majors must have completed two semesters of organic chemistry by the end of the 2009-10 academic year. First professional degree (Pharm.D., D.V.M., D.D.S, etc.) and engineering majors are ineligible.
• A student with a minimum GPA of 3.3 on a 4.0 scale
• Committed to two ten to twelve-week summer internships at a Merck research facility
• A citizen or permanent resident of the United States.

 

SELECTION

A UNCF•Merck Selection Committee consisting of educators and Merck scientists will review applications and select award recipients. Applicants will be selected on the basis of their GPA, their demonstrated interest in furthering their scientific education and pursuing a career in scientific research, and their interest in and ability to perform laboratory work.

 

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

Online applications must be submitted by December 1, 2009, at www.uncf.org/merck.

 

All required information (marked with an *) must be entered or submission will not be allowed

 

Save each page as you fill in the requested information before going to the next page. Failure to do so may result in your being required to reenter information.

 

When you submit your completed application, an email will be automatically sent to the institutional officials listed in your application notifying them that you have applied for the scholarship

 

Recommendation letters from three individuals is required for a complete application and may be uploaded to your application by the recommenders. Recommendation letters must be uploaded before December 1, 2009. In order to give recommenders the maximum amount of time to submit recommendation letters, you should enter all information for your recommenders as early as possible and click the "email" button. This generates an email to each recommender notifying them of your application and request for a letter of recommendation. They should log on to the website and register as a recommender using the information contained in the email, and upload a letter of recommendation for you.

 

The following item must be uploaded from your computer

• Career Interest and Goals Statement
• Resume/C.V.

 

The following items must also be uploaded by December 1, 2009. Without these items, an application is considered incomplete.

• Proof of U.S. citizenship or permanent residency (copy of birth certificate, U.S. passport, Resident Alien Card)
• Recent transcript

 

Please complete the online application and submit it by midnight December 1.2009. All required documents must be uploaded online and nothing will be accepted by mail.