Academic Year: 2021 – 2022
Our Research Associates Program (M-RAP) provides students with an opportunity to conduct research in an appointed lab throughout the academic year. Continuation in M-RAP is evaluated at the end of every semester, and students are eligible to participate up to two academic years. Once a student is named a research Associate, they must abide by our Associate Expectations (see below).
Eligibility
WashU students who are from backgrounds historically underrepresented in STEM are eligible to apply. These backgrounds include: low-income, first-generation college, African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians and Native Pacific Islanders, and those with disabilities.
Program Components
- $3,000 stipend/semester
- Travel budget
- Professional development
- Mentored research
- Lab experience
Associate Expectations
Include, but are not limited to:
- Complete monthly Check-In forms
- Maintain a 3.0 GPA or higher
- Work at least 6-8 hours/week in the research mentor’s laboratory
- Present your research
- Enroll in and attend the weekly u-STAR Seminar course
- Attend and/or Participate in at least one WashU MOLSAMP community activity per semester
Application Process
Application Form
After preparing all your materials, you will need to complete the application form found below to submit your documents.
Research Proposal
Please provide a research proposal (up to 500 words) clearly addressing:
- The purpose of the project;
- Why you are interested in this research;
- The academic fields or disciplines into which the project fits and how it will contribute to those fields;
- Why this research may have significance even for those outside of those fields;
- What research questions are underlying or animating your project;
- What methods you plan to use and why those methods are appropriate for your research questions;
- What preparation or skills you have that make you well suited for this research;
- Whom you have selected to be your faculty mentor, how the mentor’s expertise aligns with your research, and how your mentor will contribute to your development.
Personal Statement of Purpose
Provide a statement of purpose (up to 500 words) articulating your commitment to the aims of MOLSAMP/GUILD as indicated in the mission statement. Your statement should be written as a cohesive narrative essay that addresses all of the following:
- Has your college experience been impacted by underrepresentation of certain groups in academia? Briefly elaborate.
- What are your goals for the future?
- In what specific ways do you hope to change higher education by way of those goals?
Unofficial Transcripts
Include a current unofficial transcript (in PDF form).
Faculty/Staff Recommendations
You will need two letters of recommendation. One must be from a faculty member who has taught you in a course relevant to the field/area in which you propose to work.
It is your responsibility to reach out to your recommenders and provide them with the following information:
The letters of recommendation must be submitted through email to molsamp@wustl.edu using the following subject line: [Student Last Name]_LOR_[Faculty Last Name]. They must address the student’s intellectual curiosity, academic diligence and discipline, and propensity for research.
(Optional) Work Plan
Please attach a detailed work plan (in PDF form) that includes a schedule of how your research will be divided over two semesters, and what you may need (supplies, books, travel, etc.) to complete that research successfully.