Apply to the Eugene and Ruth Roberts Summer Student Academy

Application for the 2026 Eugene and Ruth Roberts Summer Student Academy are no longer being accepted for the 2026 summer. 

 

If you plan to submit supplementary documents (not required), they must be submitted by March 12, 2026; 11:59 pm PST. *Link to upload recommendation letters are only provided after application is submitted.

 

In the meantime, please be sure to check the FAQ sections for common questions asked during the process. 

Application Requirements

  • Applicants must be at least 16 years old before their internship begins on June 1.
  • Applicants must be high school or undergraduate students.
  • Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
  • Applicants must have completed the online application by March 11, 2026; 11:59 pm PST.
  • Most students submit additional materials such as transcripts, letters of recommendation and resumes, but these are not required. If you plan to submit supplementary documents, they must be submitted by March 12, 2026; 11:59 pm PST. *Link to upload recommendation letters are only provided after application is submitted.

Applicants must be available to participate in the entirety of the program dates: June 1 - August 7, 2026 (Time off will not approved during this time).

If you plan to request a letter of recommendation, please remember to provide your recommender time to write and submit their letter. Once you submit your application you will receive a URL by email that can be provided to your recommender(s). Your recommender(s) can use this URL to upload their letter of support directly to your application file. You can also use this URL to submit additional materials if necessary. *Link to upload recommendation letters are only provided after application is submitted.

Under the umbrella of the Roberts Summer Academy, additional subprograms are available for interested students:


CIRM TEAMS program is focused on providing high school students who reside in California with an opportunity to carry out research in the field of stem cell biology and regenerative medicine.  This program is limited to 14 students who will be matched with mentors whose research is focused on stem cell biology or regenerative medicine.  In addition to the Roberts Academy program, these students will participate in activities including field trips, outreach, and a CIRM symposium.


CAMP program will provide support for undergraduate students from around the nation to participate in the Roberts Academy.  Students selected to participate in CAMP will carry out research in fields spanning basic, applied, and translational topics focused in the areas of cancer, aging, obesity, and metabolic disorders.   For those students selected to participate in the CAMP program, they will also have additional opportunities to participate in professional and career development programs relevant to careers in biomedical science
 

For students interested in the CIRM SPARK or CAMP programs, please fill out the main application and check the respective boxes to indicate your desire to be considered. Only students who apply to the Roberts Academy are considered for the CIRM SPARK and CAMP program.

Selection Process

The Roberts Academy utilizes a two-stage selection process. In stage one, a committee reviews and scores all online applications to identify students displaying the most potential. These students will advance to stage two as either “accepted” into the program or “waitlisted.” Students who did not advance beyond stage one will receive an email notifying them that they have not been chosen for the program. Due to the size of our program, only the exact number of students we can fund will be accepted into the program. If a student who is accepted declines their invitation, we will reach out to students on our waitlist to join the program. The wait list provides us with one more opportunity to consider the candidacies of accomplished applicants who were not admitted. Unfortunately, we will not be able to predict our response to students on the wait list. Once the program enrollment is completed, we will email the remaining students of our decisions.