Summer Training Academy for Research Success

Source: https://grad.ucsd.edu/oar2/oar2office/programs/undergraduate-programs/stars/index.html Parent: https://grad.ucsd.edu/oar2/oar2office/programs/undergraduate-programs/index.html

STARS 2026 Program is June 21st to August 14th

STARS applications are now closed

What is STARS?

The University of California, San Diego Summer Training Academy for Research Success (STARS) program is an eight-week summer research academy for community college students, undergraduate students, recent college graduates, and masters students. Open to all disciplines, STARS offers student participants a rigorous research opportunity with esteemed UC San Diego faculty, informative transfer and graduate school preparation workshops, and educational, cultural, and social activities in sunny San Diego.

Students will:

Gain hands-on research experience with a faculty mentor's research project
Attend transfer and graduate school preparation workshops
Receive instruction on the transfer and graduate school application processes. Students may also receive instruction on graduate school fellowship applications.
Present research at the UCSD Summer Research Conference
Enjoy social activities with the cohort such as visiting the San Diego Zoo, beach trip, and the UCSD Challenge Course

Eligibility

Applicant must

Be 18 years of age
Be U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents. AB 540 students are eligible.
Be interested in conducting full-time research in the summer for eight weeks with no commitments such as summer school, a full/part-time job
Demonstrate academic aptitude and achievement

Application Instructions

Personal Statement (max. 500 words) addressing the following points:
How did you become interested in your field of study?
What are your educational and career goals?
What experiences have contributed toward your preparation for your educational and career goals?
What are your research interests?
Why are you applying to STARS?
How are you a “match” for STARS?
Consider opportunities to talk about your leadership, community involvement, and/or obstacles you may have overcome.\
Do not include the faculty you want to work within this section unless you are already working with them. We will try to match you to the faculty you list in your application. But if we cannot, we may send your personal statement to other faculty within your discipline.
CV/Resume
A copy of current Academic Transcripts (unofficial are OK)
List three (3) preferred UCSD faculty mentors in your application (do not include them in your personal statement or letters of recommendation). Click here to view the list of STARS 2026 faculty mentors, which will be updated until the application closes.
Two (2) Letters of Recommendation from a counselor, faculty member, research mentor, principal investigator, etc.
You will be asked who your Recommenders are in the "Recommendations" Tab of your STARS Application. Once you add Recommenders to the STARS Application portal they will be sent an email requesting a Letter of Recommendation and submission instructions. This email will be sent to your Recommender within a few minutes of being added and does not require you to submit your application.
Please ask your recommenders to submit their recommendations by the priority deadline of the current admissions cycle you are applying.
The letter should address the following questions:
- What is your relationship to the applicant? Please include information on how long you have known the applicant and the extent of your interactions.
- What is the applicant’s current research topic? If not actively involved in research, what are the applicant’s interests?
- Please comment on the applicant’s academic merit including his/her aptitude for pursuing a Ph.D.
- In your opinion, why and how would the applicant benefit from participating in STARS?
- What is it about the applicant that leads you to recommend him/her for STARS?
- Please ask your recommenders not to include the faculty you want to work with.

Selection

Applications will be evaluated based on:

Competitive students will be supported by funded undergraduate research programs
Cumulative or term GPA above 3.0
Relevance of completed courses to research interest
Writing skill
Compatibility of applicant's research interest with available faculty mentor research projects
Interest in pursuing a doctoral program
Letters of Recommendations

Funding

Competitive participants may be funded through a variety of undergraduate research programs at their home institutions, such as:

Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP)
Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD)
California Pre-Doctoral Program
California Alliance for Minority Participation (CAMP)
Louis Stokes Alliance for Minority Preparation (LSAMP)
Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)
Minority Access to Research Careers (MARC)
Ronald E. McNair Achievement Program (McNair Scholars)
Research Industry Summer Experience (RISE)
UC Leadership Excellence through Advanced Degrees (UCLEADS)

We also welcome the opportunity to collaborate with other programs not currently listed. If you are in another program that can fund your summer research, please ask your program director to email us at urstars@ucsd.edu.

Application FAQs

*Can I edit my application?*Yes, you may edit your application and save the progress. However, you will not be able to make any changes once you have submitted the completed application.

How should Letters of Recommendation be submitted?

You will list your recommenders in the “Recommendations” tab of your STARS application. Once added, each recommender will automatically receive an email with instructions on how to upload their letter. This email is sent within a few minutes of being added and does not require you to submit your application first. Please remind your recommenders to submit their letters by the priority deadline.

Who can write my recommendation letter?**Recommendation letters may be written by a counselor, faculty member, research mentor, or principal investigator. Choose recommenders who know you well and can speak specifically to your abilities, academic potential, and suitability for your chosen field of study.\

Can my STARS Application be submitted at a different time than my Letters of Recommendation?

Yes. You may list your recommenders and have them submit their letters before you submit your STARS Application. However, once you have submitted your application, you will not be able to add or change your recommenders.

How do I know whether my Recommenders have submitted Letters of Recommendations?

You will receive a confirmation email each time a Letter of Recommendation is received. You can also check the status of your letters by logging into your STARS Application and viewing the “Recommendations” tab.

How do I choose which faculty to work with?**Before starting your application, please review the Research Projects page for examples of faculty whose work aligns with your interests. Do not contact faculty members directly.** You will have the opportunity to list your preferred faculty mentors in your application, and the STARS program will reach out to them on your behalf if you are selected as a competitive candidate.

You may also explore UC San Diego Degree Programs to learn more about UC San Diego faculty and their research interests.

Can I choose a faculty member who is not on the list?**If you are part of a graduate preparation program (such as Sally Casanova, McNair, or UC LEADS) that funds your research experience and requires you to contact faculty directly to secure a placement, you may do so. Otherwise, you are welcome to list faculty members who are not on the provided list, but please do not contact faculty directly. The STARS program will conduct outreach to potential mentors on your behalf.

Can I apply as an international student?**Unfortunately, the STARS Program is not accepting international students at this time. However, if you are an international student participating in an undergraduate research program that will fund your research experience, your program director may contact urstars@ucsd.edu for eligibility information.\

Can I apply if I’m a U.S. citizen living outside the country?**Yes. However, STARS can only cover domestic flight travel within the United States.\

*Am I guaranteed to be matched with at least one of the faculty I requested within my application?*No. Faculty matches are not guaranteed. The STARS team will make every effort to pair students with faculty whose research aligns closely with the student’s major and academic interests.

If I mention a specific faculty member in my personal statement or recommendation letter, will that increase my chances of being matched with them?**No. We do not recommend listing specific faculty in your personal statement or letters of recommendation. Instead, please include the names of faculty you are interested in under the “STARS Additional Information”** tab of the STARS Application. Faculty matching is not guaranteed. \

Can I request to be matched with a faculty member whose prerequisites I do not meet but would like to learn?**No. If a faculty lists prerequisites, you are expected to already have those skills before the start of the program. These prerequisites ensure you are prepared to successfully engage in the research project.\

*What if I need to arrive late or leave the program early? Am I still eligible?*Students must commit to the full length of the program. Extenuating circumstances (i.e. classes beginning close to program end date) will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

All eligible students are encouraged to apply. The STARS Program does not consider race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, and/or other protected categories as part of the application and selection process. Selected applications may be forwarded to academic departments for faculty review and compatibility with faculty mentor research projects. All applicants will receive timely notification of status.

Non Discrimination Statement: In accordance with applicable Federal and State law and University policy, the University of California does not discriminate, or grant preferences, on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, disability, and/or other protected categories. More information about Proposition 209 can be found here. More information about the University of California Anti-Discrimination Policy can be found here.