2026 ASPIRE Undergraduate Program – Summer Cardiovascular Research & STEMM, Medical/Grad School Career Prep Funded by NIH

The Advancing Student Potential for Inclusion with Research Experiences (ASPIRE) Program in the Cardiovascular Research Center at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) in Milwaukee, Wisconsin has up to 13 paid summer research fellowships available during the summer (late May to early August) for undergraduates.  We are seeking undergraduate students who are interested in cardiovascular STEMM or biomedical careers for 10 weeks of hands-on experience in cardiovascular research within our laboratories, professional skill building, and seminars focused on STEMM careers, how to apply to medical school and other allied health programs, and how to navigate graduate and medical school.

Participants must be:

• At least 18 years old by time of program
• Actively-enrolled in classes now and in Fall of 2026 and must have completed at least one undergraduate year at an accredited U.S. (or U.S. territories) college or university (rising sophomore, junior, or senior; must not have graduated)
• United States citizen or permanent resident
• Available for full-time commitment from May 27th to July 31, 2026
• GPA is considered as a part of a holistic review of each application
• Strong interest in cardiovascular science or cardiovascular medicine or cardiology

For questions about accommodations related to a disability, please contact Jason Anderson at jaanderson@mcw.edu.

This program is funded by the National Institutes of Health’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Benefits include:

• $6,000 split into payments (approximately $16.60/hr)
• Housing provided for those outside of the metro Milwaukee area (unless there is a special need)
• One-time roundtrip airfare to/from Milwaukee airport to allow students who are located more than four hours from Milwaukee (and originating from a location in the U.S. or its territories) to relocate for the summer to attend the program
• $1,400 stipend to attend optional scientific conference, usually AHA's Scientific Sessions or APS's Physiology Summit 

Undergraduate participants selected for ASPIRE are paired with one of our faculty researchers to contribute to a preexisting project being researched by that faculty member. Prior research experience is not required. Some students will have more "wet lab" experience, working with animals and human blood/tissue, while others will be more focused on data gathering/analyzing. ASPIRE also provides seminars for general professional skill building, “career chats” focusing on specific graduate school, medical school, and other allied health careers, seminars on how to apply for graduate and medical school, and networking opportunities through social events throughout the summer. The summer experience culminates with each ASPIRE participant presenting an oral presentation about their cardiovascular research project during an MCW-wide Research Symposium on MCW’s campus. After this, ASPIRE participants have until April of the next year to use their $1,400 stipend to attend an optional scientific conference.

Visit Summer Programs 2026 Application (mcw.edu) between November 1, 2025 to February 1, 2026 to complete our online application. In addition to the application, you will also need to have two (2) recommenders to complete an online questionnaire (links to questionnaire are supplied in the application portal). At least one (1) of the recommenders must be someone that you have previous academic experience with (that is, a professor, mentor, tutor, advisor). If the recommender chooses to also submit a formal letter as part of the online questionnaire, the letter should be written on company/institutional/organizational letterhead.

Application and the recommendation forms must be received prior to the February 1, 2026 deadline in order to receive full consideration for the program.

Applicants must submit a transcript from the college or university they are currently attending (or most recently attended). We accept unofficial transcripts—such as those you upload directly—as part of the application process. Transcripts must be submitted as PDF's. Please note that screenshots or photos of transcripts will not be accepted. You must submit your entire transcript; semester grade reports will not be accepted. Official transcripts may be required if you are offered and choose to accept a position. Please note that any discrepancies between unofficial and official documents may result in an offer being rescinded.

Transcripts may be submitted electronically during the application process, emailed to summerprograms@mcw.edu, or mailed directly to:

Medical College of Wisconsin
School of Graduate Studies
8701 W Watertown Plank Road
Milwaukee, WI 53226

Note: The stipend amount equates to roughly $16.60/hour, as participants work 45 8-hour days as part of the program.