1. Does the BP-ENDURE program permit students to apply if they are not matriculated at Hunter College or NYU? No, a student must be matriculated at either Hunter College or NYU to apply.
2. What status must a student have for the BP-ENDURE program? The student status must be one of the following: U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals, or permanent residents.
3. Who are the underrepresented targeted groups for the BP ENDURE program? As defined by the founding agency, NIH (see RFA-MH-10-070), the underrepresented targeted groups are African American, Hispanic American, American Indian, or Natives of the US Pacific Islands.
4. If a student is clearly not an underrepresented targeted group, could the student still qualify? A student may still qualify if he/she meets the economically disadvantaged, first-generation college student, or disability criteria.
5. What guideline is used to meet the disability criteria? Student has a documented disability (for instance, the student is registered through the college’s office of disability).
6. If a student receives financial aid, would this automatically qualify a student as being “economically disadvantaged” and qualified to apply? The BP-ENDURE program will confirm the student's documentation poverty threshold.
7. What guideline is used to meet the criteria of first-generation college student? The applicant's parents never received a degree from a granting two or four year college outside or within the United States.
8. Does the program accept students interested in pursuing medical school? No. The BP-ENDURE program prepares students for entry to Ph.D. or MD/Ph.D programs in neuroscience-related fields. The goal of the BP-ENDURE program is to ultimately send students to Ph.D. programs in the neurosciences and not to medical school.
9. Can part-time matriculated students participate in this program? No, students must be matriculated full-time each semester while in the program.
10. Does the program permit second degree seeking students, post baccalaureate students, or students in a masters program? No.
11. Does the program permit entering students who have less than a year to obtain their bachelor's degree? No.
12. What is the minimum and maximum amount of time that a student must participate while in the BP-ENDURE program? The BP-ENDURE program is a two (2) year commitment and students must participate for this length of time. Upon receiving a bachelor's degree, a student is no longer eligible to participate.
13. Can a BP-ENDURE student attend a summer research internship that is not in partnership with the BP-ENDURE program? No, the BP-ENDURE student must select a summer program with a summer partnership institution such as Brown University, University of Michigan, and Vanderbilt University. However, a BP-ENDURE student matriculated at Hunter College may spend the summer conducting research at NYU, although a spot is not guaranteed, and only one summer may be spent in New York while the student is in the program. However, NYU students may not spend the summer conducting research at Hunter.
14. If a student applies to the BP-ENDURE program, will he/she be contacted for an interview? The BP-ENDURE program is very competitive. Only a small number of slots are available each year. The BP-ENDURE Admissions Committee determines which applicants will be interviewed. 15. In general, I am seeking a summer internship anywhere. How can I find information on summer research programs in neuroscience? Students should search on the internet for summer internships with schools that are of interest to them. A summer coordinator usually runs the summer internship for the school or department. Contact this person for further information.