Summer Fellowship: how to apply
The Summer Fellowship program consists of a two-part (or two-step) application process: First, a candidate must apply and be accepted into the Summer Fellowship program; second, once accepted, Fellows must apply and get accepted into a Harvard host lab. As the laboratories receive many requests every year, and there are only a limited number of positions available, we strongly encourage applicants to contact their laboratories of interest as soon as possible, while completing the first step of the selection process. Contacting the laboratories in advance provides important potential benefits: (a) increases the chances of securing a position in a specific lab, and (b) provides a better understanding of the ongoing projects in each lab, therefore making a better informed decision and strengthening the application. Please note that, once accepted, the Fellows receive guidance in the lab application process, but they are responsible to contact the PI and request a lab placement.
The Giovanni Armenise Harvard Foundation and its partners provide partial funding to Summer Fellows to receive basic biomedical research training in a laboratory at Harvard Medical School (HMS) or an affiliated hospital, from June 30 – August 29, 2025. The program is aimed at students enrolled in Italian universities, who wish to explore the American research system and who will return to their home institution to complete their degree.
Notes:
- Applications from students enrolled in an Italian university who are permanent residents of Italy (but non-Italian citizens) will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.
- Exchange students (i.e. students who moved to Italy solely to attend school) at Italian universities are not eligible.
- Clinical research or clinical activities are not supported by this program.
- At the time of this Call, we anticipate being able to offer the Summer Fellows Program in Boston in the summer of 2025. We will, however, continue to monitor any public health related issues and adjust the program according to safety guidelines, U.S. and/or Harvard travel bans and exemptions, and any suspension of visa issuance, as the situation evolves.
The Foundation receives on average 100 applications and awards ten fellowships per year. Aside from an outstanding academic record and an overall well-rounded application, the Selection Committee particularly focuses on the Personal Essay and Lab Choice Statement. Key elements of your application are: demonstration of maturity, ability to articulate why you want to spend the summer in one of the labs chosen, and how this experience could benefit your career path.
This program is under the Patronage of the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research.
ELIGIBILITY
Students enrolled in an Italian public or private university [1] in a “Laurea Specialistica” (4th and 5th year) with a focus on biomedical and STEM research or in the 4th, 5th, or 6th year of Medicine. Students expecting to graduate before August 31, 2025 are not eligible. Previous research experience is strongly recommended.
The Armenise Harvard Summer Fellowship is NOT compatible with having any other summer fellowship or position that requires research activity at the same time. The Summer Fellowship program demands a full-time commitment on your part.
FELLOWSHIP PAYMENT
Successful applicants will be awarded a fellowship payment of USD 4,000 intended to help with costs associated with travel to Boston, housing during the fellowship, health insurance, visa application fees, and incidentals. The fellowship payment will occur as reimbursement at the end of the program so Fellows should plan their summer finances accordingly. Please be aware that the amount of the fellowship stipend is NOT sufficient to cover the total cost of living in Boston for two months. Based on the experience of past awardees, consider a total cost of approximately USD 6,000. NB: Only for students who are receiving fellowship payments directly from the Armenise Foundation, a portion of the fellowship will be withheld for U.S. income taxes; per the U.S. Internal Revenue Service. For these students, taxes will be withheld from payments processed through Harvard. However, this withholding may be returned when personal U.S. income tax returns are filed after January 1 the following calendar year. Fellows who receive fellowship funding from an Italian institution are not subject to U.S. income tax withholding.
PAST SPONSORS
Fellowships in the past have been sponsored by the Giovanni Armenise Harvard Foundation, Alira Health, Charles River Laboratories, Chateau Restaurant, Collegio Ghislieri, Collegio Nuovo, Fondazione Ospedale Alba-Bra Onlus, Fondazione CEUR, Fondazione Invernizzi, University of Catania, University of Pavia, Italian National Research Council (CNR), University of Naples “Federico II”, Humanitas University, San Raffaele University, and CIBIO/University of Trento.
INFORMATION SESSIONS
The Giovanni Armenise Foundation will offer two information sessions regarding the Summer Fellowship application process and program. All interested candidates can participate by clicking the Zoom links below:
Monday, October 21, 2024 at 17:00 Italy/11:00 AM Boston:
https://harvard.zoom.us/j/94088321216pwd=vB3YKdG9RtXQ4BnogcTsv4uGZ4Cyag.1
Friday, November 8, 2024 at 17:00 Italy/11:00 AM Boston:
https://harvard.zoom.us/j/92413379348?pwd=qQf5Yefnc6DPHgZhSj5ikb9uP2mkub.1
APPLICATION GUIDELINES
The Summer 2025 Call for Applications opens on October 1, 2024. The deadline for submitting applications and a letter of reference is December 1, 2024. Applications and a letter of reference submitted after 11:59 pm EST on December 1, 2024 will NOT be accepted. Applications must be in English and fully compliant with these instructions. The application process includes completing an electronic application and submitting attachments in the following order:
Student Curriculum Vitae summarizing both academic and extra-curricular achievements. Tips to compose CV: focus on education, basic research laboratory experience, and other interests/skills. Please make sure NOT to include your photo, and to indicate clearly the dates and duration of your research experiences. (File name: LastNameFirstInitialCV, e.g. MillerLCV.pdf) The file name should be included as a header or footer in each page of the document.
For guidance on how to write a CV and resume, refer to the information in this link (provided by the HMS Office for Postdoctoral Fellows):
masters_resume_cover_letters.pdf
University Transcript in English (official statement of exam results) with translation, if necessary. (File name: LastNameFirst InitialTranscript, e.g. MillerLTranscript.pdf)
One page (approx. 500 words) Personal Essay describing your career path and research experience, if any, and how you will benefit from this program. The essay must speak to who you are, your research experience, your scientific interests, and where you see yourself in the future. Be specific and personal. While it is acceptable to use an English speaker to edit the language in the essay, students who use an essay written by someone else or AI will be disqualified. Tips to write the Personal Essay: 1. Personality – Describe your strengths and your areas that need development. 2. Drivers – What are the reasons you want this fellowship? What would you like to achieve? How do you expect this experience to impact your career/academic development? 3. Science – Why did you choose science? What kind of scientific experience do you have? If you have worked in a lab, what did you learn? What did you like or not like about it? (File name: LastNameFirstInitialPersonalEssay, e.g. MillerLPersonalEssay.pdf). The file name should be included as a header or footer in each page of the document.
For guidance on how to write a cover letter, refer to the information in this link (provided by the HMS Office for Postdoctoral Fellows):
masters_resume_cover_letters.pdf
One page (approx. 500 words) Lab Choice Statement indicating three laboratories at HMS or affiliated hospitals you are most interested in, and why, listed in order of preference. For each laboratory, specify the full name of the Principal Investigator, the department, and institute. Refer to the list below for lab possibilities. Tips to write Lab Choice Statement: 1. Do Research! – You cannot change your choice of labs after you have submitted your application (unless none of the laboratories you indicated offers you a position). Therefore, read all the information you can find about the labs you’ve chosen. You are encouraged to contact the labs to gain an understanding of their current research activities and the potential projects a student intern might work on. Your lab statement should represent your research interests and the ranking order you indicate will be used to place you. You will benefit greatly from reaching out to the labs in advance to learn their latest research projects. 2. Information – Clearly state the full name of the Principal Investigator, the department, and institute for each of your lab choices. 3. Science – Describe each lab’s research activity and explain the scientific reasons why you want to join that lab. What kind of project would you like to be involved in? Why do you think it would benefit your academic/professional development?
(File name: LastNameFirstInitialLabs, e.g. MillerLLabs.pdf) The file name should be included as a header or footer in each page of the document. For guidance on how to write a cover letter, refer to the information in this link (provided by the HMS Office for Postdoctoral Fellows):
masters_resume_cover_letters.pdf
One Letter of Recommendation from a professor who knows you well, addressing your independence, aptitude and academic performance. The letter should be on institute letterhead, signed, scanned, and emailed directly from the referee (professor) to armeniseharvardfdnsummer@hms.harvard.edu in a pdf file. (File name: LastNameFirstInitialofStudentfromReferee, e.g. MillerLfromCorsi.pdf)
SELECTION PROCESS & AWARD NOTIFICATION
Applicants will be notified of the results of the initial selection process by the end of January, 2025. Semi-finalists will be invited for a Zoom interview with the selection committee on Saturday or Sunday February 1 or 2, 2025. Final decisions will be sent to all interviewees by mid-February.
Reminder: The Summer Fellowship program consists of a two-part (or two-step) application process: First, a candidate must apply and gain acceptance into the Summer Fellowship program; second, once accepted, Fellows must apply and get accepted into a Harvard host lab. During this time, Fellows receive guidance in the lab application process, but they are responsible to contact the PI and request a lab placement.
HMS LABORATORIES & AFFILIATED HOSPITALS
We encourage you to seek laboratory opportunities on the Harvard Medical School (HMS) campus. Please refer to the following links to HMS labs. Summer Fellows placed in HMS labs receive incidental Harvard benefits, including a Harvard-issued ID which provides access to the Longwood M2 Cambridge-Boston shuttle, HMS Countway Library and other HMS buildings, and Harvard gymnasiums.
http://cellbio.med.harvard.edu/
http://genetics.med.harvard.edu/
https://immunology.hms.harvard.edu/
https://micro.hms.harvard.edu/
http://sysbio.med.harvard.edu/
The following laboratories are located at Harvard-affiliated hospitals and can be considered for lab placements as well. Summer Fellows placed in an affiliate hospital lab will receive a hospital-issued ID, not a Harvard ID.
https://hscrb.harvard.edu/Research
http://www.childrenshospital.org/research/
http://www.brighamandwomens.org/research/
http://www.bidmc.org/Research.aspx
http://www.dana-farber.org/Research/Lab-Websites.aspx
https://www.massgeneral.org/research/
https://www.broadinstitute.org/
ADDITIONAL IMPORTANT INFORMATION
Visa Application Process: Information on the visa application process will be provided after acceptance into the program. Applications for a visa from students enrolled in an Italian university who are permanent residents of Italy (non-Italian citizens who do not hold Italian passports, but have “permesso di soggiorno” status) will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. Exchange students (i.e. students who moved to Italy to attend school only) at Italian universities are not eligible.
As part of the visa application process, fellows will require evidence of personal financial resources to support their time at Harvard, i.e. a bank statement demonstrating that the fellow and/or their parents have funds of at least USD 2,000.
There are costs associated with obtaining a visa, including a visa fee, a SEVIS fee, and health insurance. These fees can be reimbursed as part of the fellowship payment of USD 4,000, but not until after completion of the summer program.
Cost of Living: Boston is ranked as one of the top 5 most expensive cities in the U.S. The amount of the fellowship stipend is not sufficient to cover the total cost of living in Boston for two months. Based on the experience of past awardees, consider a total cost of approximately USD 6,000. Expect monthly expenses to include: metro pass (~USD90); housing (~USD1,500/for a room in a shared house); groceries (~USD500). Fellows should also budget for entertainment, travel, and personal effects.
Housing: information on accommodation in Boston will be provided after acceptance into the program. Housing costs in Boston have increased greatly over the past several years.
Lab Placement: Once accepted into the Armenise Harvard Summer Fellowship Program, Summer Fellows are responsible for finding a placement in a host lab, i.e. contacting the lab, setting up a lab interview, etc. The Summer Fellow will receive guidance from the Summer Fellows Director in applying for an internship to the labs. We highly encourage candidates to contact their first choice lab in order to have an idea of possible research projects that they could work on, and availability.
Career Development Seminars: Fellows are required to attend weekly Career Development seminars and workshops where they will meet scientists and faculty, working in both academia and/or industry, based in Boston or in Europe to discuss education and career choices. These weekly sessions are an integral and significant component of the fellowship program. Active and engaged attendance and participation is mandatory to earn the Certificate of Completion.
Research: the fellowship experience will culminate in Research Day, an event that provides fellows with the opportunity to share their summers’ lab work with their PIs, lab members, and the entire Summer Fellows community.
Final Report & Evaluation: Fellows will be required to submit a final report on or before Research Day, August 29, 2025, reflecting on their overall fellowship experience and scientific achievements gained during the summer. At the conclusion of Research Day presentations, Fellows will receive a Summer Fellowship Program Certificate of Completion, provided that they have submitted a final report; failure to submit a final report on August 29, 2025 will result in forfeiting the Certificate of Completion. An evaluation of the program via an online survey is required within ten days upon completion of the fellowship.
[1] (a) Applications from students enrolled in an Italian university who are permanent residents of Italy (but non-Italian citizens) will be evaluated a case-by-case basis. (b) Exchange students (i.e. students who moved to Italy to attend school only) at Italian universities are not eligible.
For inquiries related to the Summer Fellows program or application process, please contact: