National Programs

URSCA > National Programs

Johns Hopkins University hosts several summer research experiences designed to give undergraduate students visiting from other institutions access to JHU’s world-class resources, labs, staff, and faculty. In each program, students come to Hopkins to take part in rigorous 10-week research projects. The programs, including the Amgen Scholars Program, PhD PATHS Program, and various REU programs, are funded and administered in conjunction with several other organizations.

URSCA also hosts the annual Richard Macksey National Undergraduate Humanities Research Symposium, which brings together students across all fields of the humanities to present their work to a national audience. Humanities-based research from undergraduates currently enrolled at any two- or four-year college or university is eligible for the symposium, held at Hopkins each March.

Summer Programs

Amgen Scholars Program

Johns Hopkins University accepts approximately 10 students per year to the Amgen Scholars U.S. Program, an undergraduate summer research experience in science and biotechnology. The Amgen Scholars Program is hosted by universities around the world and aims to provide undergraduates with the opportunity to engage in hands-on research. 

Students selected for this intensive research program receive a competitive summer stipend and will be housed on or near the Hopkins campus, in a community with other summer researchers. They also attend the annual Amgen Scholars U.S. Symposium. In addition to research with a faculty member, scholars participate in professional development workshops, community-building activities, and a “Scientific Bootcamp” with the Amgen Director. 

Students with reduced opportunities at their home institutions, first-generation college students, and students with financial need are especially encouraged to apply. 

During the 10-week program, students will work full-time on independent research projects under the guidance of a Hopkins faculty member, where they will have the opportunity to conduct research, analyze data, network with their peers, and build a faculty-mentor relationship. As part of the application process students are asked to identify potential mentors from the departments/fields below.

There is also a non-exhaustive list of potential mentors from these departments available on this spreadsheet.

Eligibility

Please read the below eligibility criteria carefully. There are no exceptions to any of the listed requirements.

  • Available in person for the entire duration of the program (May 31, 2026 – August 8, 2026)
  • Previous research experience helpful but not required
  • U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents
  • Undergraduate enrolled in accredited four-year college or university in the United States, Puerto Rico or other U.S. territories
  • Sophomores (with four quarters or three semesters of college experience), juniors, or non-graduating seniors (who are returning in the fall to continue undergraduate studies)
  • A cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or above
  • An interest in pursuing a PhD

The Principal Investigator (PI) of the Amgen Scholars Program is Professor Kirsten Bohn.

Applicants to the Amgen Scholars Program are strongly encouraged to also submit an application through the Leadership Alliance, which provides additional opportunities and benefits, including participation in the Leadership Alliance National Symposium and access to professional development resources and lifelong networking.

Apply

The application for the Amgen Scholars Program at Johns Hopkins University opens on November 1, 2025. Applications are due by February 1, 2026.

Apply to Amgen at JHU

PhD PATHS Program

The PhD Pathway for Advancement in the Humanities and Social Sciences (PATHS) program aims to recruit and prepare students to pursue PhDs in the humanities and social sciences.

PATHS is a 10-week residential summer research program for undergraduate students enrolled at HBCUs, HSIs, AANAPISIs, tribal colleges/universities, or other MSIs, who undertake independent research projects in a student-centered, collaborative setting that uses peer modeling to develop undergraduates as subject matter experts. Building on the model of the Mellon Humanities Collaboratory, PATHS brings together students from different branches of humanities and social sciences scholarship to work together constructively while pursuing individual projects, each culminating in a research paper and a presentation at the Hopkins Summer Research Symposium and/or the Leadership Alliance National Symposium.

PATHS also includes additional mentoring infrastructure and a more advanced framework for college juniors and seniors who are ready to pursue graduate school. Participants will leave the program with a portfolio of materials for applying to Ph.D. programs, an established relationship with a Hopkins faculty mentor and with URSCA research staff, and a cohort of peers who will remain a support network as they enter graduate programs. 

Please note: The PATHS Program is currently on pause and will not be held in summer 2026.

Program

PATHS requires an in-person residential commitment for 10 weeks, typically from mid-May through early August. Participants receive a competitive summer stipend and are housed near the Johns Hopkins campus, in community with other summer researchers. 

Students design and develop research projects in the subject areas of: 

  • Anthropology 
  • Classics 
  • Economics 
  • History 
  • History of Art 
  • History of Science or Medicine 
  • English 
  • Media Studies 
  • Modern Languages and Literatures 
  • Philosophy 
  • Political Science and Government 
  • Psychology (non-clinical)
  • Public Health 
  • Religious Studies 
  • Sociology 
  • Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
  • Humanities or social science tracks within interdisciplinary programs (e.g., East Asian Studies, Latin American Studies, etc.) 

Eligibility  

  • Undergraduate enrolled in an HBCU, HSI, AANAPISI, or tribal college/university
  • Rising junior or senior 
  • Majoring in a humanities or social sciences discipline, or with a humanities or social sciences focus in an interdisciplinary program
  • Available in person for the entire duration of the program (May 25 through August 2, 2025) 
  • Interested in pursuing a Ph.D. in a humanities or social sciences field (non-clinical)
  • Preference is given to students who have not yet had an opportunity to participate in a summer research program

Apply

The application consists of the following:

  • Personal information and educational data (current institution, major, GPA, etc.)
  • CV
  • Personal statement (1,000-word essay addressing why you are interested in humanities/social sciences research in general, and in the PATHS program in particular)
  • Writing sample (no longer than 10 pages; an example of academic writing that you feel best demonstrates your abilities as a scholar)
  • One letter of recommendation

The PATHS program is on pause for summer 2026. No applications are being accepted at this time.

Research Experiences for Undergraduates

Johns Hopkins hosts several Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programs each year, which are funded by the National Science Foundation.

Participants come from universities nationwide to participate in summer REUs in fields ranging from nanotechnology to genetics, each managed by the primary investigator of a JHU research lab. REU scholars also participate professional development workshops and community-building activities hosted by URSCA, and present their research at the Hopkins Summer Search Symposium in August.

Krieger School of Arts & Sciences REU Programs

Whiting School of Engineering REU Programs

Leadership Alliance SR-EIP

Students from other colleges and universities may visit JHU for a summer research experience though the Leadership Alliance’s Summer Research – Early Identification Program (SR-EIP). The Leadership Alliance is a national consortium of more than 30 leading higher education institutions and private industry organizations dedicated to developing the next generation of leaders in research careers both within and outside academia. The SR-EIP is an 8- to 10-week residential program through which undergraduate students work under the guidance of a faculty mentor to develop knowledge and skills in academic research; receive professional development training and support for applying to graduate programs; present their summer research at the Leadership Alliance National Symposium; and gain access to ongoing resources, mentoring, and professional networks through the Leadership Alliance community. SR-EIP participants receive a stipend and are provided with travel to and from Baltimore and housing on or near the JHU campus for the duration of the program.

Applications for the summer 2026 SR-EIP open on November 1, 2025, and are due on February 3, 2026.

Please note: if you are interested in conducting scientific research at Hopkins through the SR-EIP, you must submit an Amgen application in addition to submitting the SR-EIP application.

Apply for the SR-EIP