Gaining undergraduate research experience – either clinical, field based or in a lab – during your college summers is invaluable whether you area considering graduate and professional schools or looking for entry-level positions in science and health industries. This is the time to research funded off campus opportunities and to start your application process. Due dates for many programs are between mid-January and mid-February. Contact your professors for recommendations soon – do not wait until you return to campus! Make a spreadsheet of the various opportunities. These positions are highly competitive so apply to between 8 -10 to increase your chances. Programs – commonly known as Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REUs) – can be found on eBear, LACN and on Pathways to Science. There is also an extensive list of summer research internships compiled by the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) Office of Biological Sciences. We have NOT vetted the list – and some of the internships may not be updated for 2014 – but it is vast and worth exploring.