Collaborative Undergraduate Biostatistics Experience (CUBE)
The Collaborative Undergraduate Biostatistics Experience (CUBE) is an 8-week training program designed to give motivated, underrepresented undergraduate students in STEM the opportunity to engage in a full-time collaborative data science experience, along with related professional development activities. CUBE is aimed at promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in the STEM fields. The CUBE program is built on the following four pillars: 1) training in introductory biostatistics; 2) training in R programming; 3) professional development (PD); and 4) a collaborative research project addressing research questions in various disciplines.
The goal is to offer students an experience working with a real-world dataset under the mentorship of experienced collaborative data scientists, as well as clinical experts, to help them determine if they want to pursue a career in collaborative applied data science, while they develop skills for the workforce or graduate school.
The program includes weekly research and professional development seminars, periodic social events, and a final symposium during which students will present their research. Students will be hosted at either Virginia Tech or University of Virginia during Summer 2024, and will be compensated $4,800 for their participation in the program.** Housing and social outings will also be provided. Students will be responsible for food/meals and roundtrip travel to and from their assigned site.
Program Eligibility and Expectations
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We encourage applications from undergraduate students of underrepresented groups including (but not limited to) women, visible minorities, Indigenous peoples, people identifying as LGBTQIA+, people with disabilities or from disadvantaged backgrounds that are considering a career in data science, or a similar field.
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Preference will be given to undergraduate students who are rising seniors enrolled in a STEM program who have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher and have completed a course in introductory statistics or biostatistics. Well-prepared undergraduate students who are rising juniors will also be strongly considered.
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CUBE interns must commit at least 40 hours/week to the training program, and therefore interns are not permitted to enroll in summer classes, participate in MCAT prep courses, engage in activities for pay, or engage in other activities that may interfere with program activities.
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CUBE interns commit to participating in the full 8-week program. Students may not take vacation during this training period.
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Students who are not US citizens or permanent residents are ineligible to apply given NIH funding regulations.
Application Instructions
Please complete your application using this link. The application deadline is March 1st, 2024. Please note that you will be asked to upload your resume, an unofficial transcript, and a cover letter. Cover letters might include information related to the following questions:
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Why are you interested in the CUBE program?
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What strengths do you bring to the CUBE program?
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Describe areas of improvement that you think the CUBE program can help with.
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How do you think the CUBE program might contribute to your career plans or continued education?
Visit the CUBE webpage for the latest information!
CUBE 2023 was funded by the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) NIDA/NIAAA institutes under award number 1R25DA058482-01, the integrated Translational Health Research Institute of Virginia (iTHRIV), Merck, as well as by Virginia Tech’s Fralin Life Sciences Institute (FLSI), and the Institute for Society, Culture, and Environment (ISCE).
About CBHDS
Located in Roanoke Virginia, the Center for Biostatistics and Health Data Science seeks to achieve excellence in Virginia Tech’s health- and medically-related research portfolio through fostering collaborations across biostatistics, data science, health analytics, computer science, engineering, bioinformatics, biology, database management and integration, project coordination, clinical practice, health economics, translation and public policy. CBHDS is housed in Virginia Tech’s Department of Statistics, in the College of Science.
About iTHRIV
iTHRIV is a cross-state translational research institute which combines the expertise of clinical translational biomedical researchers and data scientists to create infrastructure and investigator resources for using data to improve health across the Commonwealth of Virginia. Partner sites include University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, Carilion Clinic, and Inova Health System. iTHRIV is funded by the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences, part of the National Institutes of Health, through award number UL1TR003015.
**Note: Payment is taxable income to participating students who are current US Citizens or have a working visa within the US. Please review IRS publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education for additional information.
