Program Timeline
![2019 OUR Summer Conference](/content/hnfe_vt_edu/en/TOURS/timeline/_jcr_content/article-image.transform/m-medium/image.jpg)
Students who have completed their sophomore through senior years of their undergraduate degree at Virginia Tech or another institution are eligible to apply. While students in biology, nutrition, or animal-related disciplines usually have the best fit and interest with NIDDK-related research, there is no departmental stipulation to apply; previous Scholars have included students from statistics and computer engineering. On the application, students will need to articulate their interest in NIDDK-related biomedical research and how their current training and education has prepared them to be a TOUR Scholar.
Program Timeline
Fall
- Call for applications
- Summer research information sessions held (September - October)
- Due date for applications
- Review of applications
- Notification of acceptance and mentor matching
- First meeting with mentor (November – December)
- Sign up for Independent Study course
Winter/Spring
- Prepare for summer project with background reading and meetings with mentors and research groups (January - May)
- Library database workshop: effective library research (February)
- Read Ignorance: how it drives science by Stuart Firestein
- Research Compliance (IACUC, IRB, COI) completed during semester
- Meet with program directors (in person or WebEx)
- Develop timeline for summer project goals
- Proposal based on summer project (April)
- Advisory Board reviews TOUR Scholars grant proposals (May)
- Pre-program data collection
Summer Program
- Week One: Boot Camp Week (orientation and team-building exercises)
- Weeks Two - Ten:
- Weekly meetings
- Research (up to eight hours a day)
- Poster and presentation preparation
- Office of Undergraduate Research Summer Research Conference
- Post-survey data collection
Post Program
- Travel grants awarded to those who apply
- Evaulation
- Data Analysis