About Summer Scholars Program

Overview

Saint Joseph’s University Summer Scholars Program provides support for currently enrolled undergraduates (and students in 5-year programs) to engage in research, creative writing, fine and the performing arts, and other scholarly endeavors alongside a faculty mentor

The goals of the program also include fostering close professional interaction between students and faculty mentors as an expression of cura personalis, and offering students the opportunity to publicly share and present the results of their work, both within and outside of the SJU community.

The 10-week program, which runs from mid-May through early August, provides students with a stipend of $3,200 and, if they choose, on-campus housing at a greatly reduced charge. Additionally, a number of social and educational events are hosted throughout the summer

History

The Summer Scholars Program traces its origins back to a grant from the Howard Hughes Medical Research Institute to the Department of Biology in 1994. This formal program included weekly meetings of all participants and various social and educational activities. It grew to ultimately include all of the departments and programs in the Math and Natural Sciences division of the University.

In 2005, the University administration committed nearly $100,000 in additional funding to provide positions for students throughout the University. With this expansion, the Summer Scholars Program was created. In the first formal year (2006), the program was able to support more than 70 students. Today, it supports about 60 students through a competitive application process. Research grants to individual faculty members, gifts from alumni and corporate sponsors, and other sources of funding support additional students beyond the university’s allocation.