Navigating the Amgen Scholars Program: A Comprehensive Guide

The Amgen Scholars Program offers undergraduate students a unique opportunity to engage in hands-on research at leading institutions across the globe. This article provides a detailed overview of the program, its eligibility requirements, expectations for scholars, and insights into various participating institutions.

Introduction to the Amgen Scholars Program

The Amgen Scholars Program is designed to provide motivated undergraduate students with hands-on, biology-related laboratory research experience. It is a chance to experience the joys of discovering something completely new while learning to overcome the challenges inherent in scientific research. The program aims to foster the next generation of scientists by providing them with research opportunities, mentorship, and professional development.

General Eligibility Requirements

The Amgen Scholars Program has some general eligibility requirements that apply across all participating institutions. Keep in mind that it’s important to read each site's requirements carefully, as other requirements and application processes may vary slightly. To be eligible, applicants must:

Be U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, or have Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status (this may vary by program site).
Be matriculated in a degree-granting undergraduate program. High school students who are co-enrolled in college courses are not eligible.
Have an interest in pursuing a Ph.D. or joint M.D./Ph.D.
Have completed at least one year of undergraduate studies but not be graduating before the program starts (typically, be sophomores, juniors, or non-graduating seniors who are returning in the fall to continue undergraduate studies). You must have completed 3 semesters or 4 quarters of college before applying to the Amgen Scholars Program.
Maintain a strong academic record, typically with a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or above (on a 4.0 scale).

Please note that students who have been an Amgen Scholar, at any site, are not eligible to apply again.

Program Expectations and Commitments

Upon receiving an Amgen Scholarship, students are expected to fully commit to the program and adhere to certain requirements. These commitments typically include:

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Full-Time Participation

Scholars are expected to work full-time for the duration of the program, generally around 40 hours per week, and devote full effort to conducting the Amgen Scholars project. Participation is not compatible with attending summer school or working at another job. Vacations during the program are not allowed.

Research and Reporting

Scholars are expected to conduct research from the start to end date, often a 10-week period. They must submit interim reports approved by their mentor, an abstract of their project approved by the mentor, and a written technical report approved by the mentor. Additionally, they must give a final presentation on one of the scheduled seminar day symposia.

Attendance and Participation

Scholars are required to attend weekly Amgen Scholar meetings, fully participate in Amgen Scholar assessment efforts, and abide by the host institution's honor code.

Housing

To live in provided campus housing.

Program Components

The Amgen Scholars Program offers a range of activities and resources to support scholars' research and professional development. These components often include:

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Research Project: Students work on independent research projects under the guidance of a research scientist.
Weekly Meetings: Students gather to hear scientists describe their research, listen to peers present their research, or present their own findings.
Symposiums: Amgen Scholars are often required to present their work in poster format at a symposium held after the program.
Professional Development: Workshops and panels on topics such as science communication, research integrity, the Ph.D. and MD/Ph.D. student experience, graduate school funding opportunities, and careers in industry and academia.

Financial Support

Participants typically receive a stipend to cover living expenses. Housing is often provided on campus, and a travel allowance may be offered to cover travel expenses to and from the program site.

Participating Institutions and Specific Requirements

The Amgen Scholars Program is offered at various institutions, each with its own unique focus and requirements. Here's a look at some of the participating institutions:

California Institute of Technology (Caltech)

Caltech students interested in undergraduate research should consider applying to one of the other Amgen sites in the US. Caltech students interested in conducting research on campus should apply through the SURF program.

Upon receiving an Amgen Scholarship, students sign an agreement to fulfill the following requirements:

To conduct their research from June 16 - August 21, 2026 (Student must commit to these dates. No exceptions will be made.)
To live in provided campus housing
To devote full effort to conducting the Amgen Scholars project (Scholars cannot take courses or hold another job.)
To submit two interim reports approved by the mentor
To attend the mid-summer Amgen Scholars conference in July
To submit an abstract of their project approved by the mentor
To submit a written technical report approved by the mentor
To give a final presentation on one of the scheduled seminar day symposia
To attend weekly Amgen Scholar meetings
To fully participate in Amgen Scholar assessment efforts
To abide by Caltech's Honor Code

Caltech is committed to equal opportunity for all persons without regard to sex, race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship, ancestry, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy or perceived pregnancy, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, protected military or veteran status or any other characteristic or condition protected by the state and federal law. It is the policy of Caltech to provide a work and academic environment free of discrimination as required by federal and state law, including Title IX which prohibits discrimination based on sex in Caltech's educational programs and activities. Caltech will take all reasonable steps to address and prevent discrimination, harassment, and sexual violence in its work and academic environment, in accordance with its anti-discrimination policies and procedures.

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Columbia University

Columbia University offers a summer research program to a select group of motivated undergraduate students who will benefit from the opportunity of hands-on biology-related laboratory research. Students work at Columbia University (either at the Morningside Heights campus or at the Medical Center campus).

You may apply if you are a US citizen or permanent resident and currently a sophomore, junior, or non-graduating senior at a four-year college or university in the United States, Puerto Rico or other US territory. If you are a Columbia University undergraduate student and wish to be considered for the Amgen Scholars program, you should apply to the SURF program and you will automatically be considered for both programs.

No previous research experience is necessary and you do not need to be a biology major to apply.

The Amgen Scholars Program runs for ten weeks, beginning the Tuesday after Memorial Day. During the 10-week program, students work full-time (about 40 hours/week) on independent research projects under the guidance of a research scientist. Once a week, students gather to hear a scientist describe his or her research, hear about a peer's research, or present their own research to the other Amgen Scholars. Amgen Scholars are required to write an original research article (due after the program ends) and present their findings orally to their peers. Additionally, all Amgen Scholars participate in the Amgen Scholars National Symposium in California. Columbia students are required to present their work in poster format at a symposium, held the winter after the program.

Participants receive a stipend of $5500, $500 in flex and housing on the Morningside campus of Columbia University.

Applications are accepted until 5pm on February 1st, 2026.

University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)

During summer 2026, UCLA will host 10 Amgen Scholars. Students interested in summer research in any area of biomedical science, chemistry, bioengineering or chemical engineering are encouraged to apply. Students will be paired with a UCLA faculty mentor if the student does not already have a mentor at UCLA.

You will receive mentorship by UCLA Faculty Dr. Beth Lazazzera and Dr.

Must be available to participate in all 10 weeks of the program. Please note that this might conflict with the semester system. Cumulative G.P.A. Interested in pursuing a Ph.D. To devote full effort in participation in the Amgen Scholars Program. Scholars cannot take any courses or hold a job throughout the duration of the program. To complete all necessary lab training courses prior to beginning work in their research lab. UCLA students should have completed all required classes prior to applying.

TRAVEL ALLOWANCE: A travel allowance of up to $500 is offered to non-UCLA out of state students for travel to/from Los Angeles. For UCLA Students Receiving Financial Aid: When Financial Aid is disbursed, it credits to a UCLA student’s BAR account, paying current year outstanding charges. These charges include registration fees, tuition, and other education-related expenses. Note: Since Amgen Scholars cannot enroll in courses over the summer, they typically do not use financial aid during this time.

The following faculty have agreed to consider hosting an Amgen Scholar for 10 weeks in the summer. Be sure to list the faculty you are interested in working with in your faculty mentor request form. You are also welcome to search through UCLA’s departmental sites to identify other faculty that interest you. Zhou, Z.

UCLA also provides information about current Amgen Scholars and their projects. For example:

Millie is researching depressive-like states with Dr. Austin Coley.
Xagros is developing nanovial-based platforms for single-cell antibody delivery with Dr. Dino Di Carlo.
Shivani is developing a new mucoadhesive hydrogel for ocular delivery of extracellular vesicles (EVs) with Dr. Nasim Annabi.
Gordon is elucidating the effects of ascorbic acid on NK cells and exploring its potential to engineer a more effective NK cell treatment for cancer immunotherapy with Dr. Timothy O’ Sullivan.
Elizabeth is developing methods for non-invasive isolation of neuronal extracellular vesicles from urine with Dr. Gal Bitan.
Sofia is working on a project to identify novel treatments for Fragile X syndrome (FXS) with Dr. Carlos Portera-Cailliau.
Alen works in Dr. Lena Pernas’ lab studying host-pathogen and inter-pathogen interactions in dually infected cells.
Bridget focuses on studying innate immune activation mechanisms in response to an immunotherapy platform consisting of RNA complexed in lipid nanoparticles (RNA-LNP) with Dr. Caius Radu.
Rista is investigating the influence of thalamic neurons on cortical fate specification with Dr. S. Bhaduri.
Cindy is conducting research at Dr. proteins as well as its possible role as an E3 ubiquitin ligase activity.
Caroline is researching the metabolism of the retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) with Dr. Ajit Divakaruni.
Camryn works in Dr. David Nathanson’s lab to investigate the molecular biology of malignant brain tumors, specifically glioblastoma.

University of California, Berkeley

UC Berkeley accepts unofficial transcripts. Upload your transcript(s) as a PDF and your current transcript must include your 2025 fall grades. Study Abroad applicants may submit their fall grades later, if needed.

Visit UC Berkeley's GPA calculator and enter the units and grades for all your classes or just your science classes. For your major GPA, please calculate your GPA in classes required by your major. You will need your overall GPA and major GPA when you complete the online application.

To convert a 5.0 GPA to a 4.0 GPA, divide your cumulative 5.0 GPA by 1.25, or divide your cumulative GPA by 5 then multiply by 4. Both ways will yield the same 4.0 GPA conversions.

Within your online application, you will request for the letter writer to submit a letter of recommendation on your behalf. You can also change or add a different request. Carefully follow the instructions provided within the online application. Letters from people who have experience working with you in a research setting, faculty mentors, principal investigators, professors, and teachers are preferred. Two letters from the same lab are considered as one letter (i.e. A letter from your pastor, resident advisor, music teacher, high-school teacher, or relative unless you have worked directly with one of these people conducting research is not preferred.

Letters of recommendation may be submitted before or after your application is submitted, but they must still be submitted by the application deadline.

Placement will be based on the applicant's research area and lab availability. Please note that placements with specific faculty are not guaranteed.

You are required to participate for the entire 10 weeks except for students on a quarter system who must arrive late and participate approximately 9 weeks.

Harvard University

The Amgen Scholars Program at Harvard is a 10-week undergraduate research program taking place at Harvard University and affiliated laboratories for undergraduate students interested in research in biotechnology and related fields and who aspire to advanced training and education in the sciences and engineering.

Harvard Amgen Scholars conduct hands-on, innovative research in cutting-edge facilities of Harvard under the mentorship of faculty and direct project supervisors. Laboratory hosts are affiliated with a variety of divisions of the university - the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) departments, such as Chemistry and Chemical Biology (CCB) and Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB); as well as Harvard’s research institutes, hospitals and professional schools, including the Wyss Institute, Broad Institute, Harvard Stem Cell Institute (HSCI),School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS), the Division of Medical Sciences (DMS) at Harvard Medical School (HMS).

Scholars participate in scholarly and pre-professional development sessions and social activities with their cohort and as part of the broader Harvard College Summer Undergraduate Research Village (HSURV). They attend the Amgen Scholars North American Symposium. Examples of pre-professional development and scholarly training include workshops and panels on the topics such as science communication, research integrity, PhD and MD/PhD student experience, graduate school funding opportunities, and careers in industry and academia.

Scholars are expected to:

Participate fully in the research program for 10 weeks. Amgen Scholars cannot take courses and hold other concurrent opportunities (service projects, employments, internships), while in the program. Vacations during the program are not allowed.

Howard University

The Amgen Scholars Program at Howard is a 9-week residential summer research program for undergraduates interested in doing research in biotechnology and related biomedical sciences. Internship Dates: Saturday, May 16, 2026 through Saturday, July 18, 2026.

Howard Amgen Scholars conduct hands-on research under the mentorship of faculty and supervisors (post-docs and doctoral students). Laboratory hosts are affiliated with a variety of divisions of the university - the Faculty of Arts and Sciences (FAS) departments: Physics, Chemistry, Engineering; Howard University Medical School, Molecular and Cellular Biology, and Howard’s Interdisciplinary Research Institute.

Howard Amgen Scholars participate in scholarly and pre-professional development sessions and cohort social activities and will attend the North American Amgen Scholars Symposium. Examples of Howard’s pre-professional development and scholarly training include workshops on topics such as how to think like a scientist/researcher, research integrity, PhD and MD/PhD student experiences, and the graduate school application process. Additionally, the interns will have the opportunity to speak to graduate students, and various scientists.

Scholar expectations include:

Full participation in the 9 weeks of the internship program. Scholars will not have time to take summer courses or have a job other than the Howard Amgen Internship.
Reside in housing provided on Howard’s campus
Participate as a full collaborator in the assigned laboratory
Attend all activities as part of the summer experience
Mandatory attendance and participation in the Amgen Scholars Symposium
Present his/her/their summer project at the symposium oral presentation
Complete surveys, readings (articles) as assigned

Scholars will receive:

A $5,000 stipend
Housing and meals paid for by the Howard Amgen Program
Travel allowance for travel to and from DC
Paid travel to and from the Amgen Scholars Symposium.

The Amgen Scholars Program at Howard selects undergraduates with high academic success, research interests in the indicated fields, and a commitment to pursuing a career in science, especially research.

Key Considerations for Applicants

Multiple Applications: Yes, you can apply to multiple program sites.
Application Deadlines: Supporting documents need to be submitted by the application deadline, only completed applications are reviewed.
Research Experience: Research experience is not required; however, it is strongly recommended.
Program Participation: You can only participate once in any Amgen Scholars Program.
Contacting Faculty: Please do not contact faculty members to request a placement in their lab. Program staff will coordinate the placements and match admitted scholars with selected faculty mentors.

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