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If accepted a student is assigned to a STEP-UP Coordinating Center (CC)
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Students are assigned to a CC after they are accepted into the program. The CC serves as the HS-STEP-UP student’s primary contact for any administrative or programmatic needs during the summer research experience. The CC provides direct oversight for all student activities.
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| Once assigned to a CC, students are asked to provide proof of health insurance (exceptions will be granted for students living in the Pacific Islands) and a copy of a US passport, US birth certificate, or government-issued photo identification document
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| Each student works with their assigned CC to select a research location and mentor
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Students DO NOT have to conduct their research at a coordinating center. Instead, students can work with their CC to identify and secure a research institution and research mentor closer to their home. Research can be conducted at colleges or universities, hospitals, departments of public health, private research institutions, etc. We highly recommend that students conduct research at institutions within commuting distances of their homes, because housing or funds to be housed elsewhere are not provided by HS-STEP-UP.
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| Students complete the required trainings and begin summer research
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The start dates for the HS-STEP-UP program are determined by the CC and research mentor and may vary based on the student’s school year. All students are expected to have a minimum of eight weeks of research experience during their HS-STEP-UP experience. Students are assigned research that may not necessarily match their research interests; however, the program does its best to match students with a great research experience. If there is a research mentor and/or institution that a student is interested in, we attempt to make that connection. The program encourages, but does not require, that students pursue research within the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) mission areas of diabetes, endocrinology and metabolic diseases; digestive diseases and nutrition; or kidney, urologic and hematologic diseases. Staff at CCs attempt to match students with research mentors within NIDDK core mission areas before matching students with research mentors outside of the NIDDK core mission areas.
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| Students attend the annual summer research symposium
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Students are required to attend the annual research symposium to present their research project. The symposium is held on the NIH campus in Bethesda, MD in early August. Transportation and hotel accommodations are provided. Students are required to attend all of the activities of the symposium, which includes a variety of career development workshops; students deliver both poster and oral presentations of their summer research projects.
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