Eligibility
Q. I am a college freshman. Am I eligible to apply?
Yes. We do accept applications from freshmen, although preference is given to students who are currently juniors and seniors with at least one semester of remaining undergraduate coursework, those who have completed advanced coursework relating to the research area, and those with interest in pursuing an advanced degree. Each research program may have unique criteria or prerequisites. Learn more by visiting the research program pages.
Q. I am a senior that will graduate in May/August. Am I eligible to apply?
No. Only undergraduates with at least one semester of remaining coursework after summer research are eligible to apply. (E.g., students graduating in May are not eligible for the Summer Research Program for the summer in which they graduate.)
Q. I am not a member of a minoritized group. Am I eligible to apply?
Yes. The program seeks to increase graduate school access for students from groups underrepresented in graduate education, including students from minoritized populations, first-generation college students, students with disabilities, and students from low-income families, as well as those from minoritized racial/ethnic groups. We also encourage applications from those attending academic institutions where research programs are limited.
Q. I am a DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) student or a student with asylee status. Am I eligible to apply?
Yes. We do welcome applications from those with a DACA status. However, because DACA students aren’t currently eligible to receive federal aid, it’s advisable to reach out to the program that you’re interested in to see if there is a different funding source available. Be sure to also mention your DACA status in short-answer question 3.
Q. I am an international student. Am I eligible to apply?
No. The Nebraska Summer Research Program is only open to domestic students (U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or non-U.S. citizens with DACA status) who are attending U.S. post-secondary institutions.
Q. Can I apply even though I’m attending a community college?
Yes. Applications from those attending community college are accepted.
Q. I currently attend the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL). Am I eligible to apply?
Yes. University of Nebraska-Lincoln undergraduates are eligible to apply to the Nebraska Summer Research Program. However, it is preferable that UNL students apply to the Undergraduate Creative Activities and Research Experience at Nebraska (UCARE), which is geared directly toward UNL students. The application can be found here: https://ucare.unl.edu/
Q. What is the GPA requirement?
The Nebraska Summer Research Program doesn’t have a minimum GPA requirement for application. However, each research program may have unique criteria or prerequisites. Learn more by visiting the research program pages.
Q. I’ve applied to the Nebraska Summer Research Program in the past but didn’t get accepted. Can I apply again?
Yes. Students who have applied to the Nebraska Summer Research Program in the past may apply again. A previous application will not influence your current application.
Q. I’ve previously participated in the Nebraska Summer Research Program. Can I apply again?
Yes. Students who are previous participants may reapply. Each program has different guidelines for acceptance based on their grant, so you should contact the program PI or coordinator for more information.
Application
Q. Should I be using the Big Ten Academic Alliance (BTAA) or NSF shared application?
The Nebraska Summer Research Program has a campus-specific application and does not participate in any shared application process. Applicants can use the shared applications for other SROP opportunities, but Nebraska doesn't review applicants through these applications.
Q. When's the best time to apply?
Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis, continuously throughout the application cycle. Because many programs use the priority deadline, aim for a complete application by February 1st.
Q. I’m interested in more than one research program at the University of Nebraska. Can I apply for multiple programs?
Yes. The Nebraska Summer Research Program application allows applicants to apply for up to three research programs. Additionally, applicants can rank projects of interest within each program.
Q. How are applications reviewed?
Applications to the Nebraska Summer Research Program are reviewed by faculty within each research program to which an applicant has applied. Only complete applications, including resume, transcripts, and 2 recommendations, are guaranteed to be reviewed.
Q. How do we find out if our recommenders submitted letters?
You can check on your application status, including recommendation letters, by logging into the Applicant Checklist. You’ll need your unique application ID, assigned when you submitted your application, and your email address.
Q. How do we submit additional transcripts?
You can submit additional transcripts by logging into the Applicant Checklist. You’ll need your unique application ID, assigned when you submitted your application, and your email address.
Q. How are we notified about our application status?
Status notifications are sent via email. Individual research programs will email acceptance offers on a rolling basis until spots are full. Once all offers have been accepted, other notifications are sent via email mid-April.
Program
Q. How many students are accepted for the Nebraska Summer Research Program?
The exact number of students accepted varies per year. However, we typically make offers to 110-125 students.
Q. If I'm chosen to participate, how long do I have to accept an offer?
All Big Ten Academic Alliance universities have agreed to a March 15 deadline for binding decisions. Before March 15, any acceptance decision is non-binding. Offers made after the binding decision date can only be accepted if you haven't already accepted a position from a BTAA institution.
Q. Is my travel covered if I live outside of the United States?
Unfortunately, we are unable to provide or reimburse travel outside of the United States to Nebraska. For scholars studying or living abroad, the Summer Research Program will cover expenses from your U.S. location to Nebraska.
Q. Can I enroll in summer school or have a job while participating in the program?
We do not advise taking courses or working while participating in the Nebraska Summer Research Program. Participants do research full-time (40 hours/week on average), take part in professional development workshops, and enjoy social activities with other scholars.
Q. How much do we earn for the 10-weeks of research?
Each research group has a pre-set stipend available for scholars. Those stipends are split into bi-weekly payments via direct deposit. Housing, meals, and travel expenses (air travel, mileage, travel meals) are also covered by the research groups’ grants and funding sources. Scholars will receive a 1099 tax form prior to tax season, as the stipend and the value of housing, meals, and air travel are taxable items.