Harvard Amgen Scholars conduct hands-on, innovative research in cutting-edge facilities of Harvard under the mentorship of faculty and direct project supervisors. Laboratory hosts are affiliated with a variety of divisions of the university - the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) departments, such as Chemistry and Chemical Biology (CCB) and Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB); as well as Harvard’s research institutes, hospitals and professional schools, including the Wyss Institute, Broad Institute, Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI),School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), the Division of Medical Sciences (DMS) at Harvard Medical School (HMS). Scholars participate in scholarly and pre-professional development sessions and social activities with their cohort and as part of the broader Harvard College Summer Undergraduate Research Village (HSURV). They attend the Amgen Scholars North American Symposium. Examples of pre-professional development and scholarly training include workshops and panels on the topics such as science communication, research integrity, PhD and MD/PhD student experience, graduate school funding opportunities, and careers in industry and academia.
Scholars are expected to:
Produce a research elevator pitch, research abstract and final oral presentation
Benefits
In addition to engaging in research and scholarly development activities, scholars will receive:
Program Dates: June 3, 2026 - August 8, 2026 [Move in date: June 3, Wednesday; Move out date: August 8, Saturday]
All application materials should be submitted to the Harvard University Funding Portal by the deadline: February 1, 2026, 11:59PM EASTERN TIME. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
There are 5 components to this application: A) Essays, B) Resume, C) Letters of Recommendation, D) Transcript, E) Research Areas and Lab Interests
All uploaded materials should be in PDF Format.
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A) ESSAYS: Essays should be written in a word document and then saved as a PDF. The PDF file should be uploaded to this portal.
Document formatting:
The essays should be single spaced and written in a font size no smaller than 11pt and no larger than 12pt.
Each page of the document should have the applicant's Last Name and First Name at the top, and be numbered.
Each essay question should be labeled accordingly as Research Interest, Preparation, Goals, and Contribution to Community.
Essay 1. Research Interest: Describe the research area that is most interesting to you. How does your first-choice lab advance these interests and what might you learn from this lab? Why does this research matter to the field and to others beyond academia? Focus on your first choice lab but include a paragraph at the end to discuss your second and third choices.
(375 words minimum, 750 words maximum)
Essay 2. Preparation: Your essay should address all points below.
Explain how your coursework has prepared you for this research experience. Instead of listing all courses, reflect on the key courses (or groupings of courses) that have shaped your intellectual interests, and your preparation and motivation for doing research. Describe what you learned and how those outcomes relate to this research experience.
Describe the skills and knowledge you have developed in contexts outside of your coursework and how these insights may support your success in this research experience. Contexts you may consider drawing from may be jobs/other professional experiences, self-study, sports/athletics, group work, extracurriculars/clubs, community service, tutoring, research experiences, and any other areas relevant to you.
(250 words minimum, 500 words maximum)
Essay 3. Goals: Your essay should address all points below.
Describe your long-term and short-term professional and academic goals. How do you see your participation in the Harvard Amgen Scholars Program advancing these goals and your development as a scientist?
In reflecting about your goals for this question, applicants should also make sure to: Describe two learning goals they would like to work on through the program and how these goals relate to your development and trajectory as a scientist. Additionally, describe what success would look like for you at the end of the summer program and how you will know you are successful.
(250 words minimum - 500 words maximum)
Essay 4. Contribution to community: The program community is built on shared interests in scientific discovery, exchange of ideas and learning resources, peer support and connection. Describe 2–3 actions you have taken to support peers’ learning and/or to foster community, and 2–3 actions you plan to take during this summer experience to do the same. (250 words minimum - 500 words maximum)
B) Two (2) page (maximum), single-spaced resume
C) Two (2) letters of recommendation
Letters should be from science professors, academic advisors, or previous/current lab research mentors (if any). Letters should be on institutional letterhead and in PDF format; Letters should not exceed two-pages single spaced.
Letter writers should comment concretely about the applicant’s preparation, potential, drive, and curiosity for pursuing questions in science, their aptitude for doing research, and how the program may further benefit the student’s development and the achievement of their intellectual and professional goals. Points letter writers should address are the following:
How long and in what capacity do you know the applicant?
Can you provide brief examples of their initiative, motivation, and determination in an academic and/or research activity?
In your opinion, how is the applicant prepared to enter the research training environment provided by at this Amgen Scholars Program site (Harvard)?
If you have only interacted with the student in a classroom setting, please reflect on how the student’s performance and participation in that course connects to their research potential and ability to be successful in and contribute to a research environment.
Please address the applicant’s potential lab host selections and/or their potential research training environment. Why might any of these choices or exposure to particular learning environments be a good fit for the applicant at this time and as the experience relates to their overall academic and professional goals?
How would the applicant practically benefit from and contribute to the Harvard-Amgen Scholars community?
D) Current Transcript
Applicants must
Be U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents
Be undergraduate students enrolled in accredited four-year colleges or universities in the United States, Puerto Rico or other U.S. territories
Be sophomores (with four quarters or three semesters of college experience), juniors or non-graduating seniors (who are returning in the fall to continue undergraduate studies) at the time of application
Have a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or above (on a 4.0 scale)
No prior research experience is required. All students who meet the above criteria may apply.