URC-IIFH Undergraduate Research Fellowship

Does your research relate to agriculture, food, and/or health?  Are you an undergraduate researcher looking for funding to support your summer research experience while also learning about innovation and entrepreneurship?  Do you have future goals to develop innovative ideas that address issues in the food system?  We invite you to apply for the 2024-2025 URC-IIFH Undergraduate Research Summer Fellowship!

The URC-IIFH Undergraduate Research Fellowship supports undergraduate students to pursue a research experience aligned with the mission of the Innovation Institute for Food and Health (IIFH) and inspires undergraduate students to catalyze innovation to provide safe, secure, and sustainable nutrition that is accessible to all.  

This fellowship program complements training for undergraduate research with translational relevance to agriculture, food, and health and endeavors to promote an innovation/entrepreneurship mindset through interactive workshops, communication activities, and networking with entrepreneurs. Prior experience in entrepreneurship is not required and you do not need to already have a business/commercial idea. 

Typically, this program seeks to identify 3-4 fellowship candidates who meet the criteria below.  This summer, IIFH fellows:

  1. Must be a continuing undergraduate student (will be enrolled in fall quarter, not graduating in fall 2023 or winter 2024); preference will be given to 2nd or 3rd-year students (including incoming transfer students) in good academic standing
  2. Must be participating in a faculty-mentored research position with translational relevance to agriculture, food, and health with a potential focus on products, processes, or technologies that advance food system transformation (note: based on the IIFH focus, this program gives less priority to device development or drug discovery)
  3. Must be available to participate in 8-10 weeks of full-time research over summer (30-40h/week)
  4. Must be available to participate in 10-12 hours of research during the quarter.
  5. Must be available to participate in weekly workshops and activities (2-3 h/wk) related to entrepreneurship, innovation, and communication skills (potentially throughout the academic year)
  6. Must be available to present your research at the summer research symposium (August 23, 2024, location and format TBD)
  7. Must be available to participate in other entrepreneurship and innovation events during the academic year (such as online modules, poster competition, Health Entrepreneurship Academy, little bang, etc.)
  8. Must present at the Undergraduate Research, Scholarship, and Creative Activities Conference in late April.
  9. Should possess excellent communication skills or the desire to develop skills to communicate about research and entrepreneurship ideas

 

The 2024-2025 URC-IIFH Undergraduate Research Fellowship includes a summer stipend of $3,500 and some funds for travel and/or supplies, if needed.  

How to Apply:  

1. Complete the online application form and upload the requested documents:

2. Upload your resume or CV.

3. One letter of recommendation from your faculty research sponsor/PI is optional.

Summer 2025 Participation:

  • Deadline: TBA

Applicants with an active research position are expected to conduct full-time research during summer 2025.  Fellows must also attend weekly professional development workshops and submit a research log signed by your PI, and a final IIFH report at the end of summer 2025.   

APPLY HERE 

For more information or questions, please contact Lolita Adkins at lrnelson@ucdavis.edu or the Undergraduate Research Center at urc@ucdavis.edu.