The Biological Sciences major is offered in both the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the College of Arts & Sciences. The major is administered by The Office of Undergraduate Biology.
Funding your summer opportunity
Looking for funding to participate in a summer opportunity at Cornell or elsewhere? Below is a guide to some of the sources of funding for undergraduates. This is certainly not an exhaustive list, but it’s a good place to get started. Please contact the appropriate office for questions and information.
Undergraduate Funding Opportunities for students from ANY COLLEGE
In addition to the list below, for research-related funding, check out the OUB’s research funding page.
Student Assembly Summer Experience Grant
The Student Assembly Summer Experience Grant (SASEG) is designed to aid students to complete summer unpaid or minimally paid career-related experiences. It is meant to help students who would not be able to take on a summer career-related experience or would have a difficult time doing so. The funds are drawn from the Students Helping Students fund and are open to first-years, sophomores, and juniors in all seven undergraduate colleges. Each college’s career office will be reading their own students’ applications, but the main administration of the grant will be coordinated by A&S Career Development.
Develop Your Own (DYO) Summer Internship Program
The Develop Your Own Internship Program is an opportunity for students to use Federal Work Study funds for a summer internship. Students and employers who want to work together apply for the DYO Program—as long as both parties are eligible, Federal Work Study will subsidize a portion of the student’s wages. Funding is awarded on a rolling basis beginning in March. Questions? Email DYO_Program [at] cornell.edu
Atkinson Center Summer Internships
Atkinson Center summer internships, sponsored by David and Pat Atkinson, give Cornell undergraduate and graduate students hands-on experience at the intersection of science and policy. These internships expose student scholars and budding scientists and social scientists to the inner workings of leading environmental advocacy groups, such as Environmental Defense Fund (EDF). The interns work on cutting-edge sustainability issues in vibrant workplaces to gain subject matter expertise and workplace skills.
Fellowships
Fellowships are endowments used to provide financial support to individuals pursuing advanced study or training. They can be for schooling, travel to certain countries, or projects within a given organization or group. See the Cornell University Fellowships Program for more information.
Financial Aid Office
The financial aid office is a great resource for outside scholarships and grants, though usually applicable for tuition assistance. Access the Financial Aid Office web site for more information. If you receive a work study award during the school year and are returning in the fall semester, then you are eligible to apply for a summer work study award which will cover 50% of your summer wages for a position (up to a defined limit, details available from the Financial Aid Office). Work study students are also eligible for the summer DYO program (see above) which provides off-campus funding. Work study application forms (available by mid-March) are here on the Financial Aid Forms page: https://finaid.cornell.edu/forms. Summer work study is first come, first served until it runs out. You must list your summer employer or lab in order to submit the form.
Scholars Programs
There are several scholars programs to which students can apply that offer funding and professional development to support your scholarly work and research. These include:
- McNair Scholars (apply in sophomore fall). Contact OADI for more information.
- Rawlings Cornell Presidential Research Scholars (RCPRS). Sophomores can apply, but must also be nominated by a faculty member. The request for nominations goes out in February – talk to your faculty mentors if you are already in a lab about being nominated!. Applications will be available by March 10h and are due at the end of April.
- Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (for PhD-bound students). Students in all of these programs are encouraged to work with a faculty member to nominate them in advance of the application deadline.
Jane McKinely ’74 Family Grant
The Janet McKinley ’74 Family Grant is open to all Cornell sophomores for the purpose of assisting students in pursuing interesting, provocative, and entrepreneurial summer projects, with the intent of having a direct and lasting impact on many generations of Cornell students.
Andrew Kohut Fellowship Program
The Kohut Fellowship honors the memory of Andrew Kohut and his numerous contributions to the science and art of survey research. Kohut Fellows will (1) engage in their own original public opinion-focused research project using data from the Roper Center archives; (2) learn about the methods and techniques of survey research and other forms of public opinion research, analysis, and dissemination; and (3) participate in supervised projects of the Roper Center at a level appropriate to their abilities, training and educational goals. Kohut Fellows will receive a $4,000 stipend for the summer.
For more information, contact the Roper Center.
Libraries
Olin Library maintains an extensive and helpful section on grants and scholarships. Mann library also has some resources. For assistance, contact the reference desk librarian.
Access Fund
The goal of the access fund is to provide enrolled full-time undergraduate, graduate, and professional Cornell students with access to financial support to help mitigate on-campus barriers, cover emergency expenses, and participate in transformative experiences not covered through financial aid or other university resources. The fund is not intended to replace or supplement financial aid and unlike a loan, do not need to be repaid. Please note, due to limited funds, we may not be able to fulfill all requests. Visit the Access Fund web site to apply. The applicant must be a currently enrolled full-time undergraduate, graduate, or professional student. Funding priority will be given based on the urgency of the situation, level of hardship, and the student’s overall financial situation. Eligible students can apply for up to $500 per academic school year (August – May).