About BSBRP

Bioengineering is a very rapidly expanding interdisciplinary field. Sometimes called biomedical engineering or biotechnology, bioengineering approaches biological problems with an engineering sensibility, using advanced technology and computation to create innovative solutions in the areas of health, energy and the environment.

Bioengineering and biotech is a key industry in the United States and worldwide, in terms of employment, market growth, and in solving the pressing health problems of an expanding and aging population. The United States Department of Labor reports that the number of biomedical engineers needed will increase by at least 27 percent through 2014, a growth rate much faster than other industries. To meet that growth we need skilled leaders and researchers - trained bioengineers who can continue to advance the field through industry and academic research.

UC Berkeley is a world-class research university with a strong teaching mission. Undergraduates receive excellent instruction, including rigorous laboratory courses in the sciences and engineering. Studies show, however, that classroom education is not enough to produce the accomplished researchers who will go on to receive advanced post-graduate degrees and become leaders in the field. Intensive undergraduate research works as a method for engaging students in their work, inspiring them to pursue advanced degrees, and keeping them involved in research.

The Berkeley Summer Bioengineering Research Program is committed to fulfilling this need, as well as supporting the academic and career success of individual students, through offering hands-on summer research experience in bioengineering to a cohort of motivated undergraduates each year.

Founded in 2000, 171 students have now been mentored through the BSBRP, at a rate of about twenty students per year. Tracking highly mobile recent college grads is a challenge, but of the over 110 we have located, we know that at least 97 program alumni are attending or have attended graduate school, almost all in bioengineering or related fields like medicine or chemical engineering, and almost all at outstanding universities like: Boston, MIT, Georgia Tech, Harvard, Johns Hopkins, Stanford, UC San Francisco, UWashington, and of course, UC Berkeley. We’ve found 28 former students working at influential places like Genentech, Medtronic, SRI International and Johnson & Johnson, and even one who is now an Assistant Professor of Bioengineering at UCLA.

If you would like to see the accomplishments of students from past years, please see the past program yearbooks:

2008, 2007, 2006, 2005.

Program Overview

The Berkeley Summer Bioengineering Research Program is a sponsored internship program to allow UC Berkeley undergraduates to perform research in bioengineering. Students are selected each summer in a competitive application process to participate in funded research projects with faculty doing work in bioengineering. The aim is for students to join a research lab and perform full time research over a ten-week period during the summer. The culmination of the program is the annual poster session, where students present the results of their summer projects to faculty, students, and industry representatives.

Student Eligibility & Requirements

• Students must apply to work with a participating faculty member. Faculty mentors will be posted on this website in March 2009. Do not try to set up your own BSBRP internship with other faculty.
• Students are expected to have appropriate academic background to participate in bioengineering research.
• All students must complete the full application, including unofficial transcript, cover letter and resume.
• This is a full-time committment. Students are expected to commit to at least 30-40 hours per week, scheduled by their mentor. Actual time required may be greater. Taking summer school classes is discouraged and must be declared on the application.
• Positions begin June 1 and extend for 10 weeks (August 7)
• There are several MANDATORY events - June 1 kickoff meeting, industry tours, and the August 7 poster session. Attendance at these is required.
• Students may apply to at most three different faculty. Please see the application instructions and FAQ.

Benefits for students:

• Experience performing laboratory research with bioengineering faculty and graduate student mentors
• Experience making making and presenting a research poster to a large audience consisting of faculty, industry representatives, and other undergrad researchers
• A certificate of completion of the summer program
• Meet other undergraduate researchers in their labs and through the program
• Students are paid a stipend of $3,300
• A great summer!

Selection Process

• Applications are submitted online, due March 17, 2009
• Student applications are reviewed by the faculty mentor
• Faculty may or may not contact students for an interview. An interview can be made over the telephone, via email or in person
• Faculty submit their student selection to the program coordinator
• Students will be notified of their selection by the program coordinator, not the faculty member

Questions? Please first read the application instructions and the FAQ.

Still confused? Please contact the program coordinator, Pam Reynolds (note that this internship is for UC Berkeley students only) at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it , (510) 643-3508, or in person at 306 Stanley Hall.