We invite you to watch a series of videos to learn more about the 2025 summer cancer research programs at the University of Illinois Cancer Center for high school, undergraduate, postbaccalaureate and medical students. Applications are now open for most of the programs and deadlines to apply are approaching. Programs, application details and embedded videos are below.
High School Students
CHESS – Cancer Health Equity Summer Scholars
- Who can apply: High school students completing their sophomore, junior, or senior years from backgrounds underrepresented in science and healthcare.
- Apply by: January 20, 2025
- Program dates: June 16 – August 8, 2025
- Program description: The Cancer Health Equity Summer Scholars (CHESS) program is an eight-week summer program that trains and mentors underrepresented minority high school students interested in careers focusing on cancer research and other health professions. CHESS is a collaboration between the University of Illinois Cancer Center and the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) Urban Health Program. Students will receive a $3,000 stipend for completing the program.
ResearcHStart Program
- Who can apply: High school students completing their junior or senior year
- Apply by: 2025 application not yet available.
- Program dates: Eight-week summer program (early June through mid August)
- Program description: The ResearcHStart program is a collaborative training program between the University of Chicago, the University of Illinois Cancer Center, Rush University, Northwestern University and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Students gain hands-on research experience, working in a UIC faculty lab on an independent project. At the end of the summer, students present their work during the Cancer Center’s student research symposium. Students will also attend workshops, lectures, and other activities focused on building research, professional and academic skills.
Undergraduates and Postbaccalaureates
UI DICR – University of Illinois Diversity in Cancer Research
- Who can apply: College students (at the time of application must be a freshmen, sophomore or junior) interested in careers in research and healthcare who are underrepresented in the biomedical workforce.
- Apply by: January 26, 2025
- Program dates: June 9 – August 15, 2025
- Program description: Students conduct their own cancer research project under the mentorship of a University of Illinois Cancer Center faculty researcher with a focus on healthcare disparities. Students participate in skill-building workshops, research symposiums and social functions. Participating students can expect to commit up to 40 hours per week and will receive a $5,000 stipend.
ChicagoCHEC – Chicago Cancer Health Equity Collaborative Fellows Program
- Who can apply: Undergraduate and postbaccalaureate students at Northeastern Illinois University, University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), Northwestern University, the City Colleges of Chicago, and other Community or Junior Colleges in the Chicago metropolitan area who are planning to apply to graduate or medical school.
- Apply by: December 18, 2024 (Early Application Deadline); February 5, 2025 (Final Application Deadline)
- Program dates: June 9 – August 1, 2025
- Program description: This program is focused on the development of academic, technical and professional skills in preparation for careers in social, behavioral and biomedical research and in healthcare. ChicagoCHEC Fellows will spend the summer in seminars, workshops and research lectures learning from leading researchers, including at the University of Illinois Cancer Center, which is part of UI Health, the academic health system at UIC.
Medical Students
Winn CIPP – Robert A. Winn Clinical Investigator Pathway Program
- Who can apply: Medical students who identify as Underrepresented in Medicine or from a disadvantaged background. Definitions of URiM and disadvantaged background are defined by the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
- Apply by: January 8, 2025
- Program dates: June 9 – July 20, 2025
- Program description: The Robert A. Winn Clinical Investigator Pathway Program (Winn CIPP) offers medical students (current first- to third-year medical students from diverse backgrounds) a six-week summer service-learning externship in community-based clinical research sites. The Winn CIPP program is designed to expose students to clinical research, community engagement experiences and leadership development.
