Application submission deadline: November 21, 2023
The Research Apprenticeship program provides funded opportunities for undergraduate and pre-doctoral graduate students from India to conduct research at the University of Notre Dame (ND) in the summer of 2024. Students will gain valuable hands-on research experience while working on current research projects with Notre Dame faculty and graduate students.
Eligibility Requirements
- Undergraduate or pre-doctoral level graduate students enrolled in any accredited institution in India
- Must be age 18 or older at time of application
- Must be in good academic standing (transcript will be required)
- Fluency in English
- Exceptional motivation, emotional maturity, and a high aptitude for adapting to a new environment
- Strong interest in scientific research and some research experience preferred
About the Program
The program has 2 consecutive components:
- In-person research at Notre Dame for 6 weeks at the onset of the program; and,
- Continued research on the project at the home institution with the support of the home institution faculty advisor.
The program will be offered at the following times and each applicant will need to indicate their availability:
- June 2, 2024 - July 27, 2024
- July 7, 2024 - August 21, 2024
Funding
Funding includes:
- Accepted Students: round-trip flight, visa fee, and on-campus room and board.
- Home Institution Advisors: Round-trip flight, visa fee (if relevant), and accommodations for one visit during the student's stay at Notre Dame. Meals are not included.
Application
Students will apply for the specific research project from the list below, on which they wish to work.
- Each application must be supported by a letter of recommendation from a faculty member who can recommend the student and attest that they are willing to assist in the supervision of the student's continued work on their project upon their return to their home campus.
- The faculty member must also state their interest in visiting the student at Notre Dame during the on-campus research apprenticeship period.
- Each faculty member can only recommend 1 student.
PLEASE NOTE: The recommendation will not be included in the on-line application but should be emailed separately to Geraldine Meehan at gmeehan@nd.edu, no later than November 22, 2023.
Research Apprenticeship Sample Application
Contact
Notre Dame Mumbai
Email: mumbai@nd.edu
Phone: +91-22-35920949
Research Projects
Students must apply for one of the research projects listed below.
1. Semiconductor Nanostructures for Light Energy Conversion (up to 2 students accepted)
Faculty Member: Prashant V. Kamat
The research project focuses on exploring excited state properties of semiconductor nanostructures (e.g., CdSe, AgInS2, and CsPbBr3) and their utilization in generating solar fuels (e.g., H2 from water photoelectrolysis) or solar cells, The project involves synthesis of semiconductor nanocrystals and their characterization using electron microscopy and time resolved absorption and emission.
spectroscopy techniques. Tuning the photoresponse of the semiconductor nanostructures through size and shape control, and composition will enable the students to study light harvesting properties of these newly synthesized materials. Applications of these semiconductor materials in solar cell fabrication will also be undertaken during the course of investigation.
2. Investigating molecular mechanisms to better understand and treat rare neurological and infectious diseases (up to 2 students accepted)
Faculty Member: Kasturi Halder
Path 1: Neurodegeneration: Intellectual disability, seizures, and chronic pain in mouse models of monogenetic disorders. Combining molecular genetic data with single cell analyses to define mechanisms of glial activation and neuronal death in the brain. They have developed gene therapy as well as brain permeant, epigenetic drugs and to measure how they rescue mechanisms of disease in the brain.
Path 2: Neglected Infectious Diseases: Here the focus is in parasitic and bacterial pathogens and their engagement of the host response to define mechanisms of inflammation and resistance to drugs. Here a major focus is malaria parasites and genetic changes in clinical strains that confer drug resistance to hinder malaria elimination.
A recent NPR report referenced Prof. Kasturi’s lab’s work on malaria elimination in Bangladesh.
3. Data and Society (will accept several students)
The Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society will accept driven, talented interns to join a cross-organization, multidisciplinary team of researchers, engineers and policy advocates in the broadly defined area of “Data and Society.” The Lucy Family Institute provides a dynamic experiential learning environment for students interested in the STEM fields. Students will work with the Institute’s faculty and staff and industry leaders in different sectors such as manufacturing, healthcare, pharmaceutical, life sciences, automotive, financial services and insurance. There are many projects at the Institute at any given time; some of them are described in the 2023 Institute’s annual report and are still ongoing and accepting students as interns for summer 2024.
During their internship, students will participate in cohort learning opportunities, collaborate with other interns and researchers on data science centric problems, present their findings, and contribute to the vibrant life of the international research community.
PLEASE NOTE: Applicants for an internship in Data and Society must have an interest in data science, computer engineering, sociology, business, or a related field.