Information for Prospective Students

Information for prospective students

Click here to apply for the 2025 WISER|MURE|FURP 2025 cohort.

Applications are due on November 1st, 2024.

*Note that you need to submit an unofficial transcript. Plan ahead as it may take a week or so to obtain a copy of your unofficial transcript from an institution.

*Click here to view a sample application.

The page below provides details about the internship. Read the entire page BEFORE applying.

Eligibility

  • Applicant must be a U.S. citizen. Permanent residents are not eligible.
  • Applicant must be a Penn State University Park first-year undergraduate student. Minority students may apply in their sophomore and junior year.
  • Applicant must qualify for at least one of the following programs: WISER, MURE, or FURP. See the homepage for a description of each program.
  • Applicant must be able to commit to spending five hours per week in research related activities each semester of the program.

Program Details

  • The internship occurs over the spring and fall semesters of the 2025 calendar year (the internship does not extend through the summer)
  • You are expected work on your research project for ~5 hours per week (including lab meetings, etc.) and be in communication with your faculty mentor.
  • You are awarded $700 for each semester (spring and fall) of the 2025 calendar year.
    • Funds are deposited directly into your PSU account in by early February (spring) and again in late September (fall) of your second semester of participation.
  • We highly encourage participation in the WMF research symposium at the end of your internship (November)
  • At the completion of your internship you will complete a project summary of your research. This is a short synopsis of your research project that is submitted to PA Space Grant at the end of your internship. Detailed information about this requirement is provided for students in the “Interns” tab .

Application Process

  1. Review the research laboratory/project descriptions posted by participating faculty members. Make a note of up to three labs in order of your interest (1-most interested lab, 2- very interested, 3-somewhat interested).  Please select three labs to increase your likelihood of being selected.
  2. Complete and submit an online application by November 1.
  3. In November, participating faculty will be notified of your interest in their lab and may choose to interview you (zoom/phone/in person). Be ready to respond to their emails! Please note that interviews are OPTIONAL for faculty; some faculty set up interviews and many do not. If you do not get contacted for an interview, it does NOT mean that you have been unsuccessful in the application process.
  4. Decisions will be made in late-December. All applicants will be notified by email. If selected, your internship will start right away in January when classes begin and last for both the spring and fall semester (summers are not part of the program). If you have not heard from us by December 31st, please reach out.

Please direct questions related to laboratory selection or general questions related to WISER/MURE/FURP to Dr. Erin DiMaggio at: dimaggio@psu.edu