Participants will receive a $3,000 stipend and comprehensive research training.
Undergraduate students from colleges across Micronesia are encouraged to apply for an opportunity this summer to contribute scientific data from their islands to a University of Guam–based research program.
In the Micronesia Summer Bridge to Bachelor’s Program, participants will collect marine and coastal data within their respective areas from April to June. Their data will then be analyzed, either virtually or in person, in June in conjunction with members of their team in Guam.
Samples collected in last year’s program resulted in student researchers discovering and naming several previously undocumented types of algae.
Applicants must be interested in STEM research and enrolled at Northern Marianas College, Palau Community College, the College of Micronesia-FSM, or the College of the Marshall Islands.
Applicants in the Northern Marianas and Palau must be able to travel to Guam in June, while applicants in the Federated States of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands must be able to meet virtually, due to flight restrictions, on a regular basis during the month of June.
PCC student Kebang Ngiraklang participated in the program in 2021 and is hopeful for a future in science.
“The Bridge to Bachelor’s research program has motivated me to keep continuing to pursue my career as a scientist,” Ngiraklang said. “I think this program is a great opportunity to thrive and motivate students like me to pursue a career as a scientist.”
Participants will receive a $3,000 stipend; comprehensive research training; faculty and near-peer mentorship; and travel, lodging, and food accommodations for those traveling to Guam.
Applications are due by Sunday, April 24.
The Bridge to Bachelor’s Program is overseen by the UOG Center for Island Sustainability and UOG Sea Grant in partnership with the UOG School of Education. It is funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation through UOG’s Inclusion Across the Nation of Communities of Learners of Underrepresented Discoverers in Engineering and Science (INCLUDES) Supporting Emerging Aquatic Scientists (SEAS) Islands Alliance Guam Hub.
For more information, email NSFINCLUDES@triton.uog.edu
