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Higher Education

Enrichment and Internship Programs

American Indian Science and Engineering (AISES) College and Early Career: Access and Success

http://www.aises.org/students
AISES is involved in developing and delivering opportunities for American Indian and Alaska Native college and graduates students in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math. Its programs include scholarships, summer internships, as well as non-AISES opportunities. This site provides links to scholarships and internships, as well as non-AISES opportunities.

Association of American Indian Physicians (AAIP) College Programs

https://www.aaip.org/programs/student-programs
AAIP offers a variety of college-level programs with the aim to identify, recruit, mentor, and prepare American Indian and Alaska Native college students interested in medicine and other health professions.

Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital

  • Four Directions Summer Research Program (FDSRP)

    https://cdi.brighamandwomens.org/four-directions-summer-research-program/
    For over ten years, FDSRP has provided a uniquely tailored program to those with the desire to serve Native American communities through science and medicine. This eight-week program will allow students to participate in a basic science research project.

  • Summer Training in Academic Research and Scholarship ( ) Program

    https://cdi.brighamandwomens.org/bwh-stars-program/
    STARS is an eight-week program that provides underrepresented minority medical and undergraduate students with an opportunity to engage in basic clinical and translations research projects during the summer at Brigham and Women’s Hospital.

Harvard Medical School

  • Summer Clinical and Translational Research Program (SCTRP)

    https://dicp.hms.harvard.edu/dicp-programs/college
    SCTRP is a ten-week mentored, summer research program designed to enrich the pipeline of college students' understanding of, and interest in, pursuing clinical and/or translational research, as well as to increase underrepresented minority and disadvantaged college student exposure to clinical/translational research.

  • Summer Honors Undergraduate Research Program (SHURP)

    https://shurp.hms.harvard.edu/
    SHURP is a ten-week summer research program primarily for college students belonging to groups that are under-represented in the sciences. Currently-enrolled undergraduates who are considering careers in biological or biomedical research sciences, who have already had at least one summer (or equivalent term-time) of experience in a research laboratory, and who have taken at least one upper-level biology course that includes molecular biology are eligible to apply.

National Cancer Institute

  • Cancer Research Interns (CRI) Program

    https://www.cancer.gov/grants-training/training/at-nci/cri
    This internship program offers development and training in the newest biomedical technologies for students with cancer-related research interests. It has been designed specifically for students from groups under-represented in biomedical science and/or disadvantaged backgrounds.

  • Introduction to Cancer Research Careers (ICRC)

    https://www.cancer.gov/grants-training/training/idwb/cancer-research-postbac-program
    This two-day program has been designed for talented researchers from populations underrepresented in science and individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds. ICRC participants will have the opportunity to tour the facilities of the NCI and the NIH, listen to and network with research fellows, and potentially interview for an internship with NCI Investigators. Participants will have the opportunity to experience the NCI first-hand and personally interact with the world’s leading cancer researchers.

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, Biomedical Research Training Program for Individuals from Underrepresented Groups

https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/grants-and-training/training-and-career-development
The purpose of this program is to provide research training opportunities to individuals from health disparities groups that are underrepresented in health-related research. It offers each participant the opportunity to work closely with leading research scientists in NHLBI laboratories and offices, and is designed to provide trainees with hands-on training in a research environment as well as an opportunity to present their scientific research at national meetings.

National Institutes of Health

  • Clinical Center’s Clinical Electives Program for Medical Students

    https://www.cc.nih.gov/training/students/clinical_electives
    Four-to-twelve-week clinical elective rotations are offered to senior medical or dental students in a multitude of specialty fields and biomedical disciplines at the NIH Clinical Center, the world’s largest hospital devoted to human subjects research.

  • Clinical Center’s Clinical Research Training Program (CRTP)

    https://ocreco.od.nih.gov/courses/duke.html
    This includes a twelve-month program designed to attract the most creative, research-oriented medical and dental students to the intramural campus of the NIH in Bethesda, Maryland. An individualized program is developed for Fellows, who attend clinics, see patients on the wards, and work with a principal investigator in our laboratories on selected clinical research projects.

  • Graduate Partnerships Program (GPP)

    https://www.training.nih.gov/programs/gpp
    This program focuses on training the next generation of scientific leaders by emphasizing communication and collaboration skills, integration of information, and interdisciplinary investigation. Participants work in a highly collaborative research environment with leading scientists and clinicians, and share the NIH campus with the largest transitional research hospital in the nation.

  • NIH Academy

    https://www.training.nih.gov/programs/academy
    The NIH Academy is a postbaccalaureate biomedical research program for recent college graduates with an interest in domestic health disparities, differences in the frequency or severity of diseases, and other adverse health conditions among populations in the U.S. Academy members spend a year (or possibly two) working side-by-side with NIH investigators in an environment devoted exclusively to biomedical research.

  • Postbaccalaureate Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) Program

    https://www.training.nih.gov/programs/postbac_irta
    The NIH Postbac IRTA program (CRTA, Cancer Research Training Award, in the National Cancer Institute) provides recent college graduates who are planning to apply to graduate or professional (medical/dental/pharmacy) school an opportunity to spend one or two years performing full-time research at the NIH.

  • Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research (SIP)

    https://www.training.nih.gov/programs/sip
    This NIH-sponsored program provides eligible students with an opportunity to spend eight to ten weeks performing biomedical research alongside NIH investigators.

Society for Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)

  • Undergrad & Postbac Opportunities

    https://opportunitiesboard.sacnas.org/
    This website is a great resource for Native students interested in programs such as research internships and travel fellowships in biomedical / health sciences. It is updated often to reflect the most up-to-date opportunities.

  • Grad Student Scholarships & Opportunities

    https://opportunitiesboard.sacnas.org/
    This website is a great resource for Native graduate students interested in programs such as research internships and travel fellowships in biomedical and health sciences. It is updated often to reflect the most up-to-date opportunities.

University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University’s Summer Undergraduate Research Program for Underrepresented Students (SURPUS)

http://somgrad.pitt.edu/programs/summer-research/summer-undergraduate-research-program
This is a ten-week summer research and professional development program for undergraduate students in the field of biomedical sciences. Students receive intensive research laboratory experience and mentorship.

Weill Cornell/Rockefeller/Sloan-Kettering Gateways to the Laboratory Summer Program

https://mdphd.weill.cornell.edu/summer-program
This summer program began in 1993 for underrepresented minority and disadvantaged college students wishing to pursue the combined MD-PhD degree. Every year since then, 15 students embark on a ten-week intensive journey of learning about the challenging and gratifying road of becoming a physician-scientist through independent research, workshop participation, and ongoing mentorship.

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Financial Aid & Scholarships

American Indian College Fund

American Indian Education Foundation (AIEF)

American Indian Graduate Center (AIGC)

  • AIGC Scholarships and Services


    The AIGC provides scholarship dollars and support services for American Indian / Alaska Native students seeking undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees.

American Indian Science and Engineering (AISES) Scholarship Programs

http://www.aises.org/students/scholarships
Established in 1983, this program awards scholarships to college students pursing degrees in the sciences, technology, engineering, medicine, natural resources, and math. In order to apply, students must be AISES members and be able to show proof of tribal affiliation.

American Indian Services (AIS) Scholarship

https://www.americanindianservices.org/
AIS makes educational opportunities possible for qualifying Native American students who otherwise could not afford it.

Association on American Indian Affairs (AAIA) Scholarships

https://www.indian-affairs.org/nativescholarship.html
AAIA has been providing scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students from federally recognized tribes for several decades. Funding is made available due to the generosity of AAIA’s donors; therefore the number of scholarships provided varies from year to year.

American Medical Association (AMA)

  • Physicians of Tomorrow Awards

    https://www.ama-assn.org/about/awards/physicians-tomorrow-awards
    This scholarship program was created in 2004 to provide financial assistance to medical students facing spiraling medical school debt. The scholarships reward current third-year medical students/individuals who are approaching their final year of medical school. Includes Underrepresented in Medicine Award.

The Gates Millennium Scholars

http://gmsp.org/
The Gates Millennium Scholars Program, funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, was established in 1999 to provide outstanding African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, Asian Pacific Islander American, and Hispanic American students with an opportunity to complete an undergraduate college education in any discipline area of interest.

General Assembly Mission Council’s Native American Education Grant

https://www.presbyterianmission.org/ministries/racial-equity-womens-intercultural-ministries/native-american-intercultural-congregational-support/
This grant is for Alaska Natives and Native Americans pursuing full-time post-secondary education. Preference in awarding is given to members of Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) congregations. Native American students from all faith traditions are encouraged to apply.

Indian Health Service (IHS)

  • Preparatory Scholarship

    https://www.ihs.gov/scholarship/scholarships/
    The Preparatory scholarship provides financial aid covering tuition and required fees for qualified American Indian and Alaska Native students, who are members of federally or state-recognized Tribes, to enroll in undergraduate prerequisite or preparatory courses in preparation for entry to health and allied health professional schools, such as nursing, pharmacy and others, as needed.

  • Pre-Graduate Scholarship

    https://www.ihs.gov/scholarship/scholarships/
    The Pre-Graduate scholarship provides financial aid covering tuition and required fees for qualified American Indian and Alaska Native students (members of federally or state-recognized Tribes) to enroll in courses leading to a bachelor's degree in specific pre-professional areas, such as pre-medicine, pre-dentistry, pre-podiatry and others as needed by Indian health programs.

  • Health Professions Scholarship

    https://www.ihs.gov/scholarship/scholarships/
    The Health Professions Scholarship provides financial aid covering tuition, required fees and other educational and living expenses for qualified American Indian and Alaska Native students (members of federally recognized Tribes only) applying to, accepted by, or enrolled in health and allied health professions programs. Students incur service obligations and payback requirements on acceptance of their scholarship award. Priority is given to graduate students and junior- and senior-level students unless otherwise specified.

International Order of the King’s Daughters and Sons’ North American Indian Department Scholarship

https://iokds.org/native-american-scholarship/
The Order offers small scholarships for technical, vocational, or college studies but not granted for studies beyond a Bachelors degree.

Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation - Udall Scholarship

https://www.udall.gov/OurPrograms/Scholarship/Scholarship.aspx
The Foundation expects to award 80 scholarships of up to $5000 to sophomore and junior level college students committed to issues related to Native American nations or to the environment.

National Institutes of Health

  • Undergraduate Scholarship Program (UGSP)

    https://www.training.nih.gov/programs/ugsp
    UGSP offers competitive scholarships to students from disadvantaged backgrounds who are committed to careers in biomedical, behavioral, and social science health-related research.

  • Loan Repayment Programs

    Extramural and Intramural:
    https://www.lrp.nih.gov/eligibility-programs#programs
    One purpose of the NIH Clinical Research Loan Repayment Program (CR-LRP) is to recruit and retain highly qualified health professionals from disadvantaged backgrounds to serve as clinical researchers or investigators.

The National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) American Indian Scholarships

https://www.dar.org/national-society/scholarships/american-indian
The American Indians Committee of the DAR awards scholarships to Native Americans and is intended to help Native American students of any age, any tribe and in any state striving to get an education. All awards are based on financial need and academic achievement.

NW NARCH RESEARCH SUPPORT FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

http://www.npaihb.org/northwest-native-american-research-center-for-health-nw-narch/
The NW NARCH Research Support Fellowship provides funding for American Indian/Alaska Native graduate students conducting scientific research supervised by an academic mentor.

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