Summer Research High School Students

I have a summer research opportunity for high school students I hope you can share with interested parties. Your assistance in recruiting for this summer program would be greatly appreciated. The High School Apprenticeship Program, funded by the ARO, and called HSAP, supports research opportunities for two high school students (2) for several weeks during this next summer (2022). High School Seniors and Juniors are most encouraged to apply since they will have a greater understanding of the research project.

Student candidates for both programs will apply through a web site however they should feel free to contact me and discuss with me even before (and/or after) they apply. Feel free to share my email (norton) and/or my cell phone number  with students of your choice. For this opportunity no prior research experience is required. The usual Science courses appropriate for the student’s level are all that are required.

Some other details:
High School Apprenticeship Program:
Applications must be filed online. Early application is encouraged so the deadline does not slip by ! If students have any difficulty filling out the form, they should feel free to call/contact me.
In short, selected students would perform experiments related to designing and creating sensor related materials using DNA Origami and other laboratory techniques. The apprenticeship would be between 5 and 8 weeks in duration (only 2 are available in my lab per year). The students are required to work for a minimum of 200 hours up to 300 hours during the summer, and their stipend is set by the program at $10 per hour during the summer.

We will work hard to align with their summer schedule, including any breaks they will need for vacation time. There is no geographical (state) limitation, however they should just live within commute distance. There are some stringent eligibility requirements which are listed below. I know that there are excellent students who meet these requirements, and I hope you can encourage such students to apply.

It is fine if they would like to discuss our mutual interests with me before applying, email seems like a good way to first get in contact with me to discuss the opportunity (norton). They should indicate an interest in the ARO HSAP program in their email to me so that I know of their program of interest since I am involved in several similar opportunities with slightly different application/selection/age requirements.

Students should also be informed that because their applications will go through a pre-approval process to make sure the applications are competitive, the student should do their best job of making a compelling application packet. This includes completely answering the questions requiring essay or extended answers.

Each student apprentice will receive an educational stipend from $ 2,000 up to $3,000 and is required to conduct research for a minimum of 200 hours and a maximum of 300 hours during the summer months. Although we can be flexible, the optimum window for working these hours is 8 weeks (for students electing for the 300 hour option) of the 9 week period starting on June 6, 2022 and ending on August 5, 2022.

Student effort toward project tasks is expected to be ~ 7.5 hours per day. We understand that students may need to take time off during this period for vacation or other reasons.

The basic criterion for selection of student apprentices will be the potential shown for pursuing careers in the sciences, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM). Factors to be consideration in the selection process include:
(i) Previous demonstrated abilities or interests in STEM;
(ii) Potential for a successful career in the…