U-CREATE
The Undergraduate Cancer Research Exploration and Training Experience (U-CREATE) at the University of Illinois Cancer Center, part of the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC), is a summer initiative designed to train and mentor undergraduate students who are passionate about pursuing careers in biomedical fields, health-related professions, and cancer research. The program is supported by the American Cancer Society.
At a Glance
- 2026 Program Dates: June 1 – August 7
- Program Length: 10 weeks, 40 hours per week
- Daily Schedule: Boot camp week + mentored research (View a sample summer schedule.)
- Stipend: $5,000 on successful completion of the program
- 2027 Application: Opens in November; closes in mid-January
Eligibility
- Rising sophomore, junior, or senior undergraduate student in any STEM discipline
- Minimum 3.0 GPA (4.0 scale)
- Not have received a bachelor's degree by the end of the program
- Not enrolled in summer courses
- Have an interest in healthcare or biomedical fields
- Able to commit to 10 weeks, 40 hours per week, in the summer, and 4 quarterly virtual career development and networking sessions
The program seeks a cohort of students with varied backgrounds and experiences, including students whose parents or guardians did not attend college and students from under-resourced communities and households.
U-CREATE students gain hands-on research experience by working on independent projects in faculty labs. Students are matched with labs based on their interests, allowing them to explore diverse areas of cancer research—from molecular biology to computational science and biostatistics.
In addition to lab work, students engage in workshops, lectures, and other activities that build research, academic, and professional skills.
When the summer ends, they present their findings at the Cancer Center's student research symposium.
Questions?
Please email crtec@uic.edu.
