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Outreach Scholars
The Mississippi INBRE Outreach Scholars program is a 10-week summer community-based
research program for Mississippi and Louisiana college students.
Dates for the 2022 program
are May 23, 2022 – July 29, 2022.
The deadline to submit applications for the Outreach Scholars Summer Research Program is March 15, 2022.
** Applicants must be a Mississippi or Louisiana resident and a valid US citizen to be eligible to apply. **
*Please note that all program training and internship dates are subject to change due to the current COVID-19 pandemic.
** Please also note, the Mississippi INBRE Outreach Scholars Program is prepared to offer a virtual summer research program in place of the in-person internship should COVID restrictions resume for Summer 2022.
The Mississippi INBRE Outreach Scholars Summer Research Program is a summer community-based research program for Mississippi and Louisiana college students. The research activities include:
• Learning Nutrition Physical Activity and Health Needs works with communities to conduct a needs assessment of Mississippi and Louisiana to capture factors related to nutrition and physical activity behaviors.
• Move & Eat 2 Live Program is an intervention that will utilize interventionists trained as health coaches to deliver a nutrition and physical activity program for young to middle aged adult African Americans in South Mississippi.
• COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy Project helps to learn about factors that influence Mississippian’s decision to receive or not receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
• Okla Achukma Project addresses diet and physical activity behaviors among Southeastern Native Americans to treat and prevent obesity and chronic diseases, such as diabetes and hypertension.
• Obesity Science & Prevention Research Initiative (OSPRI) addresses the obesity burden in Mississippi that focuses on body composition measurement technology and mobile/remote healthcare techniques to better assist underserved populations.
The summer research program begins late-May and ends the last week of July. Mississippi INBRE Outreach Scholars will complete a 10-week program to gain experience in community-based research. Mississippi INBRE Outreach Scholars are expected to be present on campus approximately 40hrs/week. At the end of the program, outreach scholars will prepare an abstract and a research poster to present at the Mississippi Health Disparities Conference and the Mississippi Academy of Sciences Annual Meeting. In addition to a monetary award, housing may be provided on an as needed basis.
Applications due by March 15, 2022.
If you have any questions, please email us at msinbre@usm.edu.
Mississippi INBRE Telenutrition Center
The Mississippi INBRE Outreach Scholars Program is hosted by the Mississippi INBRE Telenutrition Center at The University of Southern Mississippi. For more information, visit their homepage at https://www.telenutritioncenter.com/. For questions about this internship, please contact Mrs. Sermin Aras at sermin.aras@usm.edu or at 601.266.4384.
Requirements
All Mississippi INBRE Outreach Scholars are required to be college students, Mississippi or Louisiana residents, and U.S. citizens. Applications from students who do not fit these requirements will not be considered for funding.
For the duration of the program, student interns are expected to work hard, learn new research methods, develop interpersonal skills, and build professional relationships. They are required to present their research at both the Mississippi Health Disparities Conference, as well as Mississippi Academy of Sciences, held annually in February.
Mississippi INBRE requires all participants to adhere to all instructions and requirements given by the Mississippi INBRE Telenutrition Center staff.
Please view the student expectations and deliverables for a complete list of requirements.
Award
Mississippi INBRE Outreach Scholars receive an award of $5,000. This award should be used to cover living expenses throughout the 10-week summer internship AND to help pay for travel expenses to Mississippi Academy of Sciences and Mississippi Health Disparities Conference.
Deadline
The deadline to submit applications for the Mississippi INBRE Outreach Scholars Program is March 15, 2022.
Application
To apply for the Mississippi INBRE Outreach Scholars program, fill out the form below and attach a resume, and a personal statement. Please be sure to enter the required information correctly, as this will be crucial in notifying students of their award status.
Please note that Mississippi INBRE uses email as the primary form of communication, for following up on application details that may be missing as well as notification of acceptance of declination of student awards. All Mississippi INBRE program staff are affiliated with The University of Southern Mississippi, and therefore will communicate via email from a usm.edu email address. Please make sure that our email communication is not being flagged to your junk mail folders.
The personal statement should address the following:
• Why are you interested in community-based research?
• List any past research related activities you have been involved. Note: Previous research experience is not a requirement for acceptance to our program.
• Discuss the research role you would like to serve and the types of activities that are of interest to you.
• Briefly describe how involvement in research activities will enhance your academic/career goals.
After you submit your application, you will be contacted to schedule an interview date and time. Interviews will begin in February of 2022 and continue until all positions are filled. Selected outreach scholars will be notified April 2022.
If you have any questions about our student awards, please email us at msinbre@usm.edu.
