Summer Honors Undergraduate Research Program
Summer Honors Undergraduate Research Program (SHURP) is a is a 10-week summer research program for college students interested in pursuing a PhD in the life sciences.
Participants will:
- Conduct 10 weeks of paid, scholarly research under the guidance of a faculty member and research mentor
- Participate in weekly career and professional development sessions and science communication sessions
- Meet with peer mentors
- Present a poster presentation at the Leadership Alliance National Symposium
- Present an oral presentation at the conclusion of the program
- Gain a professional network of mentors and peers
*SHURP 2026 will be 10 weeks from Sunday, May 31 to Saturday, August 8.
Applications for SHURP 2026 will open on November 1 on the Leadership Alliance website.
For students who are interested in pursuing an MD-PhD, we invite to apply for our MD-PhD track through the Harvard/MIT Early Access to Research Training MD-PhD Summer Program (HEART). For more information about how to apply to HEART, please visit this website: https://www.hms.harvard.edu/md_phd/heart/admissions.html
To learn more about SHURP and HEART, you are invited to attend the Harvard Summer and Postbac Programs Virtual Open House on Tuesday, December 2 at 5:00-7:00 PM ET. You can register and learn more here: https://harvard.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_SACcD1kRTzmOQ8W5zps6UQ
From our past SHURPers
Jacob T. Holmes
Georgia State University, class of 2021
SHURP and Harvard University changed my life. I gained the confidence to apply to schools I had only ever dreamed of applying to. I also made friends, learned a ton about the graduate school process, and even honed in on my own goals. SHURP gave me stability during the 2020 quarantine while helping me develop professionally, and I will be forever grateful.
Roland Scott
Pomona College, class of 2022
Despite the online format, SHURP gave me the opportunity to work with an incredible lab and with wonderful mentors who provided the support I needed to work virtually. I now feel prepared to apply to and succeed in graduate programs that interest me because I received invaluable guidance and advice during SHURP. It is stunning that such an empowering program could have been put together in such a short period of time for us and executed so well.
Kaci Craft
Langston University, class of 2021
SHURP 2020 was one of the best internships I have ever experienced. I felt so connected to the entire faculty and gained so many skills that will allow me to complete graduate school. I will always be in connection with my SHURP family.
Santos Navarro
University of Colorado Boulder, class of 2021
SHURP was an amazing experience because a community of diverse students from Harvard welcomed me. Most importantly, I grew as a researcher during the program and I learned that I can become a successful graduate student at schools like Harvard.
Edward Campos
Lindenwood University, class of 2020
I truly believe that the SHURP program was a positively transformative experience for me! It allowed me to conduct a meaningful research project as well as create long-lasting relationships throughout all the uncertainty present during the COVID-19 pandemic. The SHURP cohort did their absolute best to make the program a meaningful virtual experience. It is a great honor to be an alumnus of this excellent program!
Apply through the Leadership Alliance. There are two Harvard programs, make sure to select "Medical Sciences." For more information about the Leadership Alliance, including the application process click here.