MEL Undergraduate Research Internship Program

The Undergraduate Research Internship Program (URI) encourages undergraduate students to pursue science and technology careers by providing research experiences at the State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science (MEL), Xiamen University.

Eligibility

The URI Program requires all applicants:

·         Be currently enrolled as a full-time undergraduate student at a university/college from China or abroad, and have completed at least 1 year as a matriculating undergraduate student at the time of application; or have completed an undergraduate degree and intent on pursuing further study.

·         Is majoring in or have a bachelor degree in oceanography, environmental science, biology, chemistry, physics, or related subjects, and must be interested in pursuing marine environmental science and technology careers.

·         Must have an undergraduate cumulative grade/score in the top 40%  for all completed courses. If you do not fall in this range, please provide other documents/evidence of outstanding performance within the field (e.g. awards, science projects, honorable mentions, etc.).

How to apply

1.         Regular applications.

MEL will solicit undergraduate research projects from MEL faculties, and will post the project list ever year by mid April on the website. Applicants must then contact the supervisor based on the posted information, and submit the completed application to the program assistant by May 5.

            Applications must include:

·           Application form (I);

·           Two recommendation letters (should be sent to the program assistant by the reference via email);

·           Scanned copy of your transcript with grade point average (GPA)/ranking, with the official seal/signature of the Dean's office from the home institution;

·           Scanned copy of other supporting documents, such as awards and honors, published papers, and proficiency in  English (if applicable);

·           Proof of accident insurance. If you do not have coverage, MEL will purchase such insurance for you but the cost will be deducted from your subsidy.

The URI committee will review the applications and applicants will be notified of the selection results by mid May. The maximum number of students accepted is 15 every year.

2.         Individual applications.

If you can't find your research interest on the posted project list, applicants can contact other MEL faculty and inquire about possible internship opportunities with them. With the consent of the faculty, applicants can then submit applications beyond the above deadlines. The URI committee will review and notify applicants of the result. The maximum annual number of interns accepted this way is 5.

            Applications must include:

·           Application form (II);

·           Two recommendation letters (should be sent to the program assistant by the reference via email; one of the references must be the potential supervisor at MEL);

·           Scanned copy of your transcript and grade point average (GPA)/ranking, with the official seal/signature of the Dean's office from the home institution;

·           Scanned copy of other supporting documents, such as awards and honors, published papers, and proficiency in English (if applicable);

·           Proof of accident insurance. If you do not have coverage, MEL will purchase such insurance for you but the cost will be deducted from your subsidy.

Benefits

·           MEL will support round-trip travel expenses for non Xiamen University students. According to the financial regulations of XMU, economy class flight tickets (no more than 2000USD) for international students, and train or bus tickets for Chinese students will be provided.

·           Free accommodation and subsidy (RMB 1700 Yuan / month).

·           To better support the internship, a research grant of RMB 5000 Yuan will be provided to the supervisor for each project.

Program Implementation

·           Successful applicants need to complete their research internship at MEL for 1-3 months. 

·           Once notified of their acceptance, students must contact the supervisor within one week, to discuss and prepare for the internship.

·           Students are required to attend regular security trainings organized by the Centre of Major Equipment and Technology (COMET) and equipment trainings of the research group.

·           Beside the research supervised by the faculty, students are welcome to take full advantage of the facilities, courses and seminars offered by MEL.

Program Finale

·           Students must do an oral presentation for their research group, and submit a written final report by the end of the internship.

·           If the project is not finished when the internship expires (maximum 3 months), or the student and supervisor both agree to continue a follow-up internship, applicants must submit a project progress report or a final report, then apply for the extension or a new project.  Only one extension is allowed.

·           Any related project outcomes must acknowledge the support provided by the State Key Laboratory of Marine Environmental Science Undergraduate Research Internship Program (MEL URI Program).

Contact Us

Program Assistant: Miss Vera Shi 

Phone: 86-592-2186039                      Fax: 86-592-2184101

Email: vera_shiwei@xmu.edu.cn       http://mel.xmu.edu.cn