The Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care’s Kimberly Querrey Summer Research Program offers a six- to eight-week paid, competitive research experience at Northwestern University for rising high school seniors and undergraduate college/university students interested in the biological sciences.
Our program combines intensive research training with support for students’ academic and professional development. Many of our program’s alumni pursue a BS or PhD degree in the biological sciences, while others go to medical school.
Each selected intern is thoughtfully matched with a Northwestern faculty member and given a hypothesis-driven or hypothesis-generating basic or clinical research project. Each intern’s project will make a meaningful contribution to their laboratory’s research and help advance our understanding of the mechanisms that drive lung disease.
The research training is coupled with activities that prepare interns for the college/graduate school application process, success in college/graduate school, and development of their professional careers in science and/or medicine. The research experience culminates with a presentation at the annual Kimberly Querrey Summer Research Symposium.
The Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care is located in the Louis A. Simpson and Kimberly K. Querrey Biomedical Research Center at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine in downtown Chicago.
Read more about our program here: Kimberly Querrey Summer Research Program Supports the Next Generation of Scientists.
Hosted by the Northwestern Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care since 1999, our program was established by Jacob I. Sznajder, MD, to provide research opportunities for high school and undergraduate students in demographic groups that are underrepresented in science. We actively seek out participants who are the first in their family to attend college, come from a background of low socioeconomic status, are a member of an underrepresented minority racial/ethnic group, and/or are women.
In 2018 the Pulmonary and Critical Care Summer Research Program was endowed by Northwestern University trustees Louis A. Simpson and Kimberly K. Querrey. In 2019 interns were welcomed to Pulmonary and Critical Care’s new, state-of-the-art laboratories in the Simpson Querrey Biomedical Research Center. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, we successfully pivoted to a fully remote model. In 2022 our program was officially named the Kimberly Querrey Summer Research Program in grateful recognition of Querrey for her years of generous support.
Interns will be expected to make a full-time commitment (40 hours per week, typically 9:00 AM–5:00 PM, Monday through Friday), work energetically on their projects, and develop a professional attitude toward their research, faculty mentors, administrators, and fellow interns.
Each intern selected for the Kimberly Querrey Summer Research Program will be paid a competitive stipend.
There is no cost to participate in the program. However, interns will be responsible for their own housing and transportation to/from the Northwestern campus in downtown Chicago.
All students must be age 16 years or older as of May 31 in the year the program takes place.
High school students must currently be a junior at the time of application.
Undergraduate students must be enrolled at an accredited college/university. Planned and completed coursework must demonstrate a serious interest in the biological sciences or a future career in medicine.
We welcome applications from students all over the country. However, please note that selected interns will be responsible for their own housing and transportation to/from the Northwestern campus in downtown Chicago. For this reason, many of our interns live or stay with family who live in the Chicago area.
See the high schools and colleges where selected interns have been students here.
Here are important dates you should be aware of:
January 1, 2025 - Applications will go live.
January 26, 2025 - Applications will no longer be accepted after midnight.
February 9, 2025 - Deadline for teachers and schools to submit supporting materials (reference letters and transcripts).
March 10, 2025 - Applicants will be notified of their application status. Accepted interns will be sent onboarding forms to complete.
March 16, 2025 - Deadline to accept and confirm your participation in the program.
March 17, 2025 - Waitlisted applicants will be offered any available positions. Accepted interns will be sent onboarding forms to complete.
March 23, 2025 - Deadline for waitlisted applicants to accept and confirm your participation in the program.
March 30, 2025 - Deadline for participants to submit all onboarding paperwork and other items.
June 9, 2025 - University level interns begin.
June 19, 2025 - University Holiday - Campus closed.
June 23, 2025 - High school level interns begin.
July 4, 2025 - University Holiday - Campus closed.
August 1, 2025 - Poster day and last day of the program.
Prior to completing the application, applicants should check with their school to obtain the name and email address of the appropriate school official who can submit transcripts or find out if a transcript distribution service (such as Parchment) is used.
The following are required to apply:
*We do not accept recommendation letters or transcripts from students. Your referees and transcript providers will be emailed automatically with instructions when you submit your application.
It is recommended that you submit your application early to give your schools and teachers additional time to submit their materials. The deadline for schools and teachers to submit letters and transcripts is 2 weeks after the application deadline.
There is no cost to apply.
Non-Discrimination StatementNorthwestern University does not discriminate or permit discrimination by any member of its community against any individual on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, parental status, marital status, age, disability, citizenship status, veteran status, genetic information or any other classification protected by law in matters of admissions, employment, housing or services or in the educational programs or activities it operates. Harassment, whether verbal, physical or visual, that is based on any of these characteristics is a form of discrimination.
Northwestern University complies with federal and state laws that prohibit discrimination based on the protected categories listed above, including Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, which prohibits discrimination based on sex (including sexual misconduct) in the University’s educational programs and activities. In addition, Northwestern provides reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants, students and employees with disabilities and to individuals who are pregnant.
“The [Kimberly Querrey] Summer Research Program gave me valuable exposure to biomedical research, giving me an edge among my peers. It was a privilege to work in a collaborative lab environment alongside successful researchers. I also had amazing mentors who guided me through my research every step of the way. Participating in the program made me realize how much of a passion I had for biological experimentation and provided me with the skills to be successful in pursuing a career in science.”
— Olufemi Ololade, 2022 and 2023 KQSRP intern (high school)
“I met compassionate and personable mentors who inspired my passion for science. They taught me skills such as data analysis, scientific presentation, wet bench techniques, and much more. However, the best part of the program were the connections I made. I met students from diverse backgrounds and made close friends. I became closer with the people in the lab I worked in and the labs around me. Through the friends, skills, and experiences I gained, this research program has made itself one of my fondest memories as I continue my journey through academia.”
— Sahil Soni, 2022 and 2023 KQSRP intern (high school and college)
“Despite not having previous experience that reflected my passion for medicine, I was confidently enriched and provided with skills, mentorship, and autonomy that allowed me to grow in and out of the lab. The Kimberly Querrey Summer Research Program prioritized easing me into research while showing me the multifaceted pathways in medicine. I am thankful to the program for connecting me with mentors who are genuinely passionate about fueling the ambitions of future scientists”
— Samely Valdovinos, 2022 and 2023 KQSRP intern (high school)
“I absolutely loved my time at KQSRP! It gave me a window into the life of a scientist, teaching me about the process of scientific inquiry and how to do biological research. This program is one of the primary reasons I’ve continued doing research as an undergrad!”
— Ritvik Viniak, 2022 and 2023 KQSRP intern (high school)
For questions about the program, please contact:
Colleen Reczek, PhD
KQSRP Program Director
Research Assistant Professor of Medicine
Northwestern University
Feinberg School of Medicine
Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care
303 E Superior Street
Simpson Querrey 5th Floor
Chicago, IL 60611
PULMSRP@northwestern.edu
