Summer Intern
Missouri U Alcohol Research Training Summer School & Internship (MU-ARTSS)
June 2-July 30, 2021
Travel days: June 1 & July 31 Orientation day: June 2
The Department of Psychological Sciences at the University of Missouri (MU) hosts a diverse cadre of psychologists dedicated to research into the etiology and course of alcoholism and related disorders. MU-ARTSS professors represent a wide array of expertise in the science of alcohol and addiction including genetics, personality, psychopathology, social and affective neuroscience, and social network analysis. Students participating in the MU-ARTSS program are part of the larger MU Summer Undergraduate Research Program (MU-SURP) which hosts approximately 100 students from universities and colleges across the nation every year. All students participating in the program develop a research abstract and create a poster to present at the Summer MU Undergraduate Research and Creative Achievements Forum.
The MU-ARTSS program is structured into a week-long didactic program (June 3-June 9, 2021) providing an intensive introduction to alcohol research followed by an 8-week research internship (June 10-July 30, 2021) in the lab of a MU-ARTSS professor. The program is set up to provide an independent learning experience and offer the intern an opportunity to get a sense of a ‘grad school’ working environment. The internship is full-time with a stipend of $3,800. In addition, the University of Missouri will be providing room and board at no cost to the intern. However, travel costs are not covered and are the responsibility of the intern. Interns will receive 1 hour of academic credit (course title: Special Problems in Psychology, Psych 2950) from the University of Missouri which is paid for by the program. MU-ARTSS aims to increase the pipeline of scientists among minority and nonminority undergraduates who are interested in pursuing careers in alcohol research and is supported by a grant from the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA, R25AA023687), part of the National Institutes of Health. Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents.
The summer program will contain four components:
1) A week-long didactic program held in the Department of Psychological Sciences from June 3–June 9, 2021. Topics to be covered include both psychosocial and biomedical aspects of alcohol use and disorder, its causes, consequences and treatment.
2) At the conclusion of the didactic program, MU-ARTSS students will be placed in internships from June 10-July 30, 2021 in the laboratories of addiction researchers housed in the Department of Psychological Sciences at MU. Depending upon students' interests, students will be placed in laboratories that focus on one or more of the following areas: (a) human genetics, (b) behavioral pharmacology, (c) psychiatric epidemiology, (d) neuroimaging, and (e) statistical modeling. In these internships, students will work alongside other interns, graduate students, and faculty members to gain experience in contemporary alcohol research that will provide valuable experiences in preparation for graduate study. This experience will culminate in a formal presentation to MU-ARTSS interns, faculty, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows and a poster presentation at the Summer Undergraduate Research & Creative Achievements Forum.
3) Weekly meetings with the MU-ARTSS group to update on the status of the project, professional development discussions, informal discussions on research topics led by postdoctoral and predoctoral fellows, and viewings and subsequent discussions of classic movies that portray the myriad of ways alcohol affects people’s lives.
4) Structured activities as part of MU-SURP on campus, including seminars, training in the responsible conduct of research, and professional development.
Application deadline is February 15, 2021. Applicants will be notified of decisions by March 15, 2021.
Impact of COVID-19
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the University of Missouri and Boone County Department of Public Health have established guidelines and protocols designed to minimize risks from the disease. More details about these plans can be found at the following websites:
Students who participate in this program will be expected to follow all university and county public health guidelines. These guidelines are subject to change, but currently include wearing face coverings whenever indoors on campus, maintaining at least 6 feet of social distance from others, and checking oneself for COVID symptoms on a daily basis (e.g., temperature checks). In the event that we are not able to offer the program on campus due to campus and/or county restrictions, we plan to offer the program virtually. We will notify applicants as soon as possible regarding any changes or adjustments that need to be made.
To Apply Applicants must:
1. Complete and upload application form on our website.
2. Request two rating/recommendation forms, available on our website, from individuals familiar with academic potential and performance of the applicant be submitted to muartss@missouri.edu
3. Submit or upload on website an unofficial academic transcript from currently enrolled institution to MU-ARTSS coordinator, muartss@missouri.edu, or 150 Psychology, 200 S. 7th St., Columbia, MO 65211. NAME AND GPA must be included on the transcript.
4. Include a resume with current address and email, phone number, computer skills, and research software with which you are familiar. Please indicate the type of research you are interested in exploring.
For more information, please contact Carol Waudby, MU-ARTSS Coordinator (email: muartss@missouri.edu, phone: 573-882-1682).