UC LEADS

To be eligible for selection, applicants must be:

• Enrolled in a UC undergraduate degree program in a Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics (STEM) major
• Educationally and/or economically disadvantaged
• Interested in research (note: you do not have to have previous research experience to apply to this program)
• Seasoned UC sophomores or rising junior standing with two more full academic years until graduation (Students who have recently transferred from a community college with less than two years until graduation are encouraged to apply)
• Intent to pursuit a PhD in a STEM field
• In good academic standing in undergraduate degree program with a minimum GPA of 3.0
• Able to demonstrate potential for success in a graduate program
• Citizens or permanent residents of the United States or AB540 students

The UC LEADS program identifies students who have:

• Experienced educational barriers to their academic progress, or who express a commitment to addressing the barriers that prevent participation of students from underrepresented groups in graduate programs.

• Experienced situations or conditions that impacted their advancement or ability to advance in a STEM field (e.g. the absence of a role model in the STEM field, absence of a family member who received a four-year college degree or graduation from high school with por financial or curricular support).
• Leadership potential to address the issues of underrepresentation of domestic minorities in the STEM fields.
• The potential to gain the personal and multicultural competency skills necessary to address the needs of a diverse State and global community through science and technology.

Steps to apply:

1. Fill and submit an online application 
   • Sections on the application include personal information, academics, co-curricular activities, and others. 
   • The applicant will need to copy and paste their statement of interest in the online application before submitting. Respond to the statement of interest questions below. 
   • All the questions in the application need to be completed before submitting, otherwise the application will be considered incomplete. 
2. Request one letter of recommendation 
   • This letter of recommendation is required from a faculty advisor, course instructor, TA or employer (one who is familiar with your scientific skills).
   • Your recommender would need to email the letter of recommendation to ucleads@ucsd.edu with the student name in the subject line. 

Statement of Interest Questions (max. 1000 words)

• Describe your desired research area of interest and why it interests you.
• Discuss why you are interested in participating in an undergraduate research program and what you feel you can gain from this experience.
• Discuss why you are interested in pursuing a graduate degree, what kind of graduate degree, and what you plan to do with that graduate degree (career objective).
• Describe your educational background and achievements, providing information on barriers (educational, social, and/or cultural) you may have personally faced and how you overcame them.

1. If I have additional questions, who should I contact?
   
   • Please contact the program coordinator Edgar at eabeas@ucsd.edu
2. Can I do summer school or take summer courses and do this program?
   • Unfortunately no, you'll be required to do 35 hours a week of a faculty mentored research experience during the summer. 
3. I already have a UCSD faculty research mentor that I've been working with, can I still apply to this program?
   • Yes
4. I am a freshmen or senior, can I still apply?
   • Per our statewide efforts, every year we recruit sophomores or new transfer juniors to our program.
5. Will we have an opportunity to present our research?
   • Yes, every summer scholars do a 15 minute oral presentation and then a research poster presentation in March.