During the summer months MaineHealth Institute for Research (MHIR) provides undergraduates with an opportunity to engage in biomedical research projects through the MHIR Summer Undergraduate Research Program.
Research at MHIR covers the spectrum of biomedical science in our various Research Centers: Center for Molecular Medicine, Center for Clinical and Translational Science, Center for Interdisciplinary Population & Heath Research, and the Center for Applied Science & Technology.
The Summer Undergraduate Research Program is ten weeks in duration, and students work 40 hours per week. Students are responsible for their own transportation and housing, though resources will be provided to help students search for housing options in the Greater Portland area.
We welcome you to review the information provided here about the 2024 Summer Undergraduate Research Program, including eligibility and program dates, as well as previous student projects. Please revisit this page on December 4, 2023 when the application will go live.
Please contact us with any questions.
MaineHealth Summer Research Internship Program has a two part application process.
- You must go online and complete the Maine Medical Center Employment Application
- You must complete the supplemental MaineHealth Summer Undergraduate Research Internship Program Application
Only applicants who complete both parts of the application will be considered. Applications will go live on December 4, 2023 for the 2024 Summer Program.
The MMC Employment application asks for information about your past employment and education history- you may upload a resume and it will pre-populate much of that application for you. The MMC Employment application will ask you to provide the names and contact information for two references. Your references may be contacted via email or phone but formal recommendation letters are not required to be submitted as part of the MMC or MHIR applications.
The application deadline for the Summer Undergraduate Research Program is January 31, 2024. Selection begins in February, and all students will be notified no later than April 1. Students being considered for positions may be contacted for interviews which may be conducted via telephone or virtually.
Monday, December 4 Application Available Online
Wednesday, January 31 Application Deadline
No later than April 1 Notification of Admission
April 1 – May 31 Intern Employment Onboarding
Monday, June 3 Program Orientation
Wednesday, August 7 MaineHealth Research Intern Symposium
Friday, August 9 Last day of Summer Program
| Stipend | The 2024 rate will be published when available |
| Duration | 10 weeks: June 3, 2024 – August 9, 2024 |
| Work Hours | Although there is some variation depending on research location and where you are in your research project, generally interns work from 9:00 am – 5:30 pm Monday through Friday |
| Enrichment Activities |
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| Eligibility Requirements |
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Program Stats & Previous Projects
Data below represent 2023 application numbers, and 2023 participant information.
Applications: 236
Selected Participants: 17
Class of 2023
The MaineHealth Summer Research Internship Program welcomes applications from students who meet eligibility requirements for the program. The class data below represents a snapshot of our program participants but does not represent any particular preferred population. Students are selected based on a range of factors, including research experience, academic background, and genuine engagement and interest in research, as evidenced by their submitted application materials.
Rising sophomore – 1
Rising junior- 7
Rising senior- 6
Graduating senior/postbac- 3
Colleges represented: Bates College, Boston College, Brown University, Dakota State University, Harvard University, Tufts University, University of Maine, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, University of Southern Maine, Vassar College, Williams College, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
2023 Research Project Titles:
- Assessing a Mobile App-based Mindfulness Training to Improve Mental Health of Caregivers of Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) Living in Rural Areas of Maine
- Identifying Consistent Effects of Retinoic Acid and Neuregulin1 in Human Highly Proliferative Cardiac Cells (hHiPC)
- Glycemic Profiling After Cardiac Arrest
- Characterizing Lycorine as a novel FABP5 inhibitor for Multiple Myeloma
- Characterization of Fabp4 & Fabp5 double knockout mouse for future myeloma applications
- The Importance of Health Policy to Combat Lung Cancer in Maine
- Designing and Validating qPCR primers for Pericyte Marker Genes
- Cellular Heterogeneity Among Adipocytes – identifying a new type of fat cell
- Effect of Mest Inactivation on Mitochondrial Function in Adipose Tissue
- Access to Pediatric Subspecialty Asthma Care in Maine
- Effects of Methionine Restriction on Perivascular Adipose Tissue-Derived Preadipocytes’ Proliferation and Differentiation
- Photo-inducible energy expenditure as a treatment for metabolic disease
- BMP9/ALK1 Signaling in Human Highly Proliferative Cells
- BRown Fat and ShiveRing DuRing TTM (BRRR)
- Understanding the Role of Protein CTHRC1 in Glycolytic Metabolism
- Assessing the Relationship between Chorioamnionitis/Maternal Fever and Adverse Neurological Outcomes in Newborns Treated with Therapeutic Hypothermia
- Dysregulation of the reward system in a mouse model of developmental thyrotoxicosis
