Summer Program in Cancer Research - U of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center has sponsored a Summer Program in Cancer Research (SPCR) funded by the National Cancer Institute for undergraduate students majoring in math or science. The program is designed to allow students to work on an independent, hypothesis-driven, research project in a biomedical research environment. For many interns, this experience is very helpful in making subsequent career choices.

For 10 weeks during the summer, students selected for the SPCR undertake hypothesis-driven, project-based investigations and attend a weekly lunch lecture series covering topics such as DNA structure and repair, epigenetics, stem cells, signal transduction and apoptosis, and emerging analytical techniques. Other student activities include social events designed to integrate summer interns into the research community, as well as tours of the MD Anderson Houston and Bastrop campuses.

The program culminates in the SPCR Scientific Symposium, during which interns will present their research by describing their research hypotheses, approaches and results. It is not uncommon for students to make significant research contributions and to earn co-authorship on scientific abstracts and manuscripts. It is anticipated that in 2024, SPCR students will receive a stipend of $6,000 for the 10-week program. The 2024 program will run from June 3, 2024 through August 9, 2024. 

Please click here to access more program information.

The deadline to complete the online application is January 5, 2024.

The professional research staff includes junior and senior faculty, postdoctoral fellows, graduate students, and research scientists.  All members of the faculty are involved in education programs, which include training at the postgraduate, graduate, undergraduate and high school levels.  If you have any questions or need more information, please feel free to contact Ms. Lisa Shriver, Program Coordinator, at spcr@mdanderson.org.