PUMAS (Promoting Underrepresented and Marginalized Populations' Advancement in the Sciences) is our flagship internship program aimed to increase the representation of underrepresented groups in the sciences.
Join a Gladstone lab for the summer.
Selected applicants will:
- Gain hands-on lab experience in state-of-the-art facilities.
- Work with a scientific mentor(s) on an independent research project.
- Network with researchers including investigators, graduate students, and postdocs.
- Learn lab skills and techniques, including etiquette, safety, and pipetting basics.
- Improve public speaking and communication skills with workshops.
- Increase their understanding of different career paths in science.
- Learn what it means to be a scientist and get paid for their work.
PUMAS Over the Years
2014-2023 Participants
91% |
77% |
99% |
were from underrepresented populations |
were first-generation college students |
aimed to pursue a STEM- related degree at a 4-year institution |
91% |
were from underrepresented populations |
77% |
were first-generation college students |
99% |
aimed to pursue a STEM- related degree at a 4-year institution |
2018-2022 Alumni
100%
100%
93%
of respondents intend
to pursue STEM-
related careers
of respondents have
completed, are
attending, or transferring
to 4-year institutions
of respondents aspire to
advanced degrees
77%
of respondents were in
contact with their PIs
and/or mentors last year
100%
of respondents intend
to pursue STEM-
related careers
100%
of respondents have
completed, are
attending, or transferring
to 4-year institutions
93%
of respondents aspire to
advanced degrees
77%
of respondents were in
contact with their PIs
and/or mentors last year
100%
of respondents are
pursuing or did pursue a
STEM degree
100% |
100% |
93% |
of respondents intend to pursue STEM- related careers |
of respondents have completed, are attending, or transferring to 4-year institutions |
of respondents aspire to advanced degrees |
77% |
||
of respondents were in contact with their PIs and/or mentors last year |
100% |
of respondents intend to pursue STEM- related careers |
100% |
of respondents have completed, are attending, or transferring to 4-year institutions |
93% |
of respondents aspire to advanced degrees |
77% |
of respondents were in contact with their PIs and/or mentors last year |
100% |
of respondents are pursuing or did pursue a STEM degree |
2023 PUMAS Interns
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible, you must:
- Be a United States citizen or permanent resident.
- Be currently enrolled as a community college student who is planning to transfer to a four-year institution to pursue a bachelor’s degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM).
- Have successfully completed at least two semesters of college-level science courses with a lab component (chemistry and molecular biology preferred, but not required), before the start of the PUMAS internship.
- Have a minimum cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 2.50.
- Prior PUMAS interns are encouraged to apply.
Emphasis is placed on identifying applicants who are historically underrepresented in biomedical research, including students of certain ethnic backgrounds (African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Americans, Alaskan Natives, Pacific Islander Americans), students who are socioeconomically disadvantaged, first-generation college students, or students with disabilities. In-state candidates are preferred.
Discover the different career paths in science.
About the PUMAS Program
The Promoting Underrepresented and Marginalized Populations' Advancement in the Sciences (PUMAS) summer internship program aims to provide historically underrepresented community college students with laboratory experience before they transfer to a four-year institution to pursue a bachelor’s degree in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM).
2024 Program Details
- The program is limited: 12 qualified students will be accepted.
- Selected participants are paid minimum wage ($18.07/hour) and work part-time (approximately 20–25 hours per week).
- The tentative dates for the 2024 PUMAS nine-week internship program are from June 10, 2024 to August 9, 2024.
- PUMAS interns are assigned a project and conduct hands-on biomedical research in a laboratory, working one-on-one with at least one scientific mentor.
- Throughout the summer program, PUMAS interns also participate in weekly professional development meetings that cover a variety of topics, including résumé writing, research ethics, applying for graduate school, and scientific communications.
- The program ends with a scientific poster session, during which each PUMAS intern must present their research results to the community of Gladstone scientists and trainees.
- The internship will take place at Gladstone Institutes, located at 1650 Owens Street, San Francisco, CA 94158.
- Housing is not provided. PUMAS interns are responsible for their own housing and their own transportation to and from Gladstone. However, interns are eligible for an allowance to support housing, travel, or remote working.
The PUMAS program, first established in 2014, is funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health through a grant that supports educational activities that enhance diversity in biomedical, behavioral, and clinical research. The principal investigators of the grant are Melanie Ott, MD, PhD, Director of the Gladstone Institute of Virology, and Sudha Krishnamurthy, BDS, PhD, Director of Gladstone’s Postdoctoral and Graduate Student Education and Research Development Affairs.
Questions
Contact Emma Doctors-Pulido, program coordinator, Postdoctoral and Graduate Student Education and Research Development Affairs, academicaffairs@gladstone.ucsf.edu