CIRM Bridges to Stem Cell Research Scholars Internship Program

The CIRM Bridges program includes a student engagement component focused on patient interaction and community involvement. Interns will participate in activities with patient advocacy groups, assist in local healthcare events, and organize educational seminars for community members. They may volunteer at local hospitals, join advocacy groups, or coordinate on-campus health-related events.

This internship program is fully integrated into the students' academic paths, enhancing both undergraduate (BS) and graduate (MS) programs with practical experience in stem cell research.

Each year, six undergraduate and four graduate students are selected by the Advisory Board to participate in the 12-month stem cell research internships. The program will run for five years under this grant.

Prospective interns must complete three upper-division courses to gain foundational knowledge in molecular and cellular biology, molecular manipulation, and cell culture techniques. A minimum grade of 'B' is required in each course, with an overall GPA of 3.0 or higher:

1. BIOL 3100 - Cell Biology
2. BIOL 3120 - Molecular Biology
3. BIOL 5130 - Animal Tissue Culture Techniques

After Acceptance

All interns will also complete a 1-week Stem Cell Techniques Training course at the UCR CIRM Shared Research Laboratory before starting the internship.

During the internship, they will take BIOL 5170 (Introduction to Regulatory Affairs in Life Sciences).

Each intern is assigned both a research mentor from the institution where they conduct their stem cell research and a CSU faculty mentor for additional support throughout their internship.

Upon completing their internships, interns present their work at the Biology Colloquium each quarter, participate in the annual Inland Empire Stem Cell Consortium Conference, and showcase a poster at the CIRM Bridges Conference each July.

The Bridges to the Stem Cell Research Program is funded by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM). The Program will place ten undergraduate students and two graduate students per year in six-month and twelve-month respectively internships with host laboratories throughout the region:

• UC Riverside
• UC Irvine
• Loma Linda University
• Cedars-Sinai Research Institute
• City of Hope Beckman Research Institute
• Children’s Hospital Los Angeles
• Keck Graduate Institute

Students will be working in internships full-time during their commitment as a Bridges Stem Cell Scholar. 

Students will also be enrolled full-time (through a combination of internship credit and coursework) at their home institution during their entire time. 

Internship and tuition fees are financially supported by the Program. 

Download and fill out the application form below. There is no difference in the application form if you are a graduate and undergraduate applicant. 

Application Deadline: May 1st 

CIRM Scholars Internship Program Application 

The applications will be reviewed by the selection committee at the middle of June. The selection committee will be informing students of their status by the end of June. 

Before beginning the stem cell internship, the students will participate in a workshops that will take place at UCR Stem Cell Core Center and last for one week. This takes place in early September. 

Each of the selected students will interview with interested labs. A student can indicate up to three different labs in which to interview.

Students will be expected to work full-time as interns in their laboratories. They will also be enrolled at their home campus as full-time students. Students will receive $3000 per month as a stipend plus up to $8000 to cover tuition fees at their home campus. 

Submit the printed application to Dr. Nicole Bournias in-person.

For the recommendation letters, ask your references to:

1. Email the recommendation directly with a scanned version of the signed letter.
2. Please ask reviewers to put the applicant's name in the subject line. 

CIRM Bridges Application           Email