U*NEXT Program

U*NEXT Logo

  • Are you an undergraduate that is interested in pursuing a career in research?
  • Do you want to get paid to learn what it would take to transition to a Ph.D program in a STEM field?
  • Would you add to a diverse pool of undergraduates performing research within CBAS or CBHS?

The goal of the Undergraduate Experiential Training (U*NEXT) program is to increase the representation and diversity of students on a path towards obtaining a doctoral degree by offering a semester-long research training experience.

Program highlights

U*NEXT trainees will be selected based on a competitive application process and then matched with a host laboratory based on interests of the trainee. Over the Fall semester, all trainees will develop a set of interdisciplinary research and laboratory skills through faculty mentored research experiences, monthly professional development sessions, and specialized research-oriented workshops that expose the trainees to interdisciplinary research approaches within the biomedical field.

The current stipend for each U*NEXT trainee is $2,000 for approximately 10 hours a week throughout the Fall semester.

Eligibility of applicants

  • Pursuing a program of study that falls within the College of Basic and Applied Sciences or the College of Behavioral and Health Sciences
  • Have a GPA of 3.4 or higher
  • Have a genuine interest in pursuing a doctoral degree within a STEM field (students who plan to pursue a degree in the health field are not eligible)
  • Are from a traditionally underrepresented background in STEM including but not limited to certain race/ethnicities, being from a low-income family, or being first-generation to college*
  • Available to work in a research laboratory for approximately 10 hours a week during the program dates listed below. The 10 hours a week should optimally be spread out across multiple days and include the ability to work between the hours of 9 am – 5 pm.

 *For a detailed list of underrepresented populations across various research areas see the National Institutes of Health Notice of Interest in Diversity (https://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/notice-files/NOT-OD-20-031.html)

Application process and important dates
Application deadline: April 7, 2024 
Notification of selection for in-person interviews: April 2024
Tentative program dates: August 26, 2024 – December 13, 2024

2024 APPLICATION CYCLE OPEN NOW

 

As part of the application, please be prepared to have the following information:

  1. Description of your activities within the last 5 years such as volunteer work, research experience, employment, club memberships, and honors/ awards. Inclusion of high school activities is acceptable
  2. One paragraph summary of your background and how you became interested in science.
  3. One paragraph to describe a challenge you have faced and how you overcame it.
  4. A unofficial transcript that can be uploaded (Use PipelineMT > Select Registration & Student Records > Transcript icon)

If you have questions, email U*NEXT program contacts Dr. April Weissmiller (April.Weissmiller@mtsu.edu) or Dr. Tiffany Rogers (Tiffany.Rogers@mtsu.edu).

2023 U*NEXT cohort and research projects
Kamil Tanas: Development of Imidazopyrazinylphenol Based Tubulin Inhibitors for Neuroblastoma
Lydia Samuel: Exploring the meaning of science identity through the eyes of first-generation college students
Mihraeel (Jennifer) Milad: Modeling and simulation of magnetic phase transition in quantum systems
Carlos Aldana: Bitcoin price prediction with machine learning
Hannah Sisk: Investigating the contribution of AP-1 subunit composition on SWI/SNF chromatin remodeling function
Kendall Perssico: Novel Behavioral Measurements of Social Motivation in Mice: Comparison Across Sex and Strain

2023 UNEXT Cohort

2023 Summer Poster Symposium (from left) Dr. April Weissmiller, Kamil Tanas, Jennifer Milad, Hannah Sisk, Lydia Samuel, Kendall Perssico, Carlos Aldana, and Dr. Tiffany Rogers

U*NEXT PROGRAM COMMITTEE
April Weissmiller (Biology)
Tiffany Rogers (Psychology)
Rafet Al-Tobasei (Computer Science)
Souvik Banerjee (Chemistry)
Dong Ye (Mathematics)

Potential participating faculty mentors and their departments:
Note: If you are already working in a research laboratory and your current mentor is willing to serve as your U*NEXT mentor, you may stay in that laboratory for Fall 2024 if you desire.

Hanna Terletska (Physics and Astronomy)
Emmanuel Rowe (Engineering)
Justin Miller (Chemistry)
Souvik Banerjee (Chemistry)
Kevin Bicker (Chemistry)
Katy Hosbein (Chemistry, Chemistry Education Research)
April Weissmiller (Biology)
Dave Nelson (Biology)
Mary Farone (Biology)
Liz Barnes (Biology, Biology Education Research)
Rafet Al-Tobasei (Computer Science)
Joshua Phillips (Computer Science)
Dong Ye (Mathematical Sciences)
J.C. Saunders (Mathematical Sciences)
Ramchandra Rimal (Mathematical Sciences, Data Science)
Sarah Bleiler-Baxter (Mathematical Sciences, Math Education Research)
Tiffany Rogers (Psychology)
Jim Houston (Psychology)
Cyrille Magne (Psychology)
Racha El Kadiri (Geosciences)