Programs

UP On EHS

University of Chicago

Up on EHS is an environmental health research training program for college students interested in careers in the environmental health sciences (EHS). For two consecutive summers, trainees work full time in the laboratories of established EHS researchers, including Chicago Center for Health and the Environment (CACHET) members, at the University of Chicago or the University of Illinois at Chicago. Rigorous research training is complemented with an EHS-based summer lecture series, year-round career development and skill-building workshops, CACHET seminars and workshops, and a network of faculty mentors dedicated to trainees’ success. The program culminates in a research symposium to showcase trainees’ work across air, soil and water pollution, climate change, biomarkers of exposure, molecular processes of toxicity, environmental justice, community environmental health, community engagement, and other human health aspects of environmental exposure.

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Program Components

Primary Areas of Focus
  • Recruitment (i.e. increasing awareness of and/or stimulating interest in health profession careers and degree programs
  • Retention or completion of health professions degree programs (support for those currently enrolled)

Program Location

Settings: In-person

County: Cook County / Chicago, IL

Timing

Duration: Two consecutive summers

Time periods: None

Program Components
  • Academic instruction (e.g. coursework)
    Hands-on experience in an environmental health sciences laboratory or research group
  • Mentoring (e.g. pairing with current health profession student)
    Ongoing mentorship from a network of university faculty, research professionals, program personnel, and peers
  • Professional skills development (e.g. teamwork, ethical conduct)
  • Research experience (e.g. summer program)
    Rigorous research training is complemented with an EHS-based summer lecture series, year-round career development and skill-building workshops, CACHET seminars and workshops, and a network of faculty mentors dedicated to trainees’ success.

Program Information

Education Levels
Health Professions

Eligibility Criteria and How to Apply

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Eligibility Criteria
  • Underrepresented racial and/or ethnic background
    Individuals from racial and ethnic groups that have been shown by the National Science Foundation (see here and here) to be underrepresented in health-related sciences on a national basis. The following racial and ethnic groups have been shown to be underrepresented in biomedical research: Blacks or African Americans, Hispanics or Latinos, American Indians or Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians, and other Pacific Islanders. In addition, it is recognized that underrepresentation can vary from setting to setting; individuals from racial or ethnic groups that can be demonstrated convincingly to be underrepresented by the grantee institution should be encouraged to participate in this program. For more information on racial and ethnic categories and definitions, see NOT-OD-15-089.
  • Socio-economically disadvantaged
  • Other
    Individuals with disabilities, who are defined as those with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities, as described in the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, as amended Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, defined as: Individuals who come from a family with an annual income below established low-income thresholds. Individuals who come from an educational environment such as that found in certain rural or inner-city environments that have demonstrably and directly inhibited the individual from obtaining the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to develop and participate in a research career.
Required Application Documents

Financial Assistance

A taxable stipend of $3,500 per year ($1,000 during the school year and $2,500 during summer)

Contact Information

Andy Craver, Research Specialist
Email: cravera@bsd.uchicago.edu
Phone: Office: (773) 702-9644

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