Start here: applications are open for the 2027 program
Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory says the 2027 Undergraduate Research Program will run from June 7 through August 7, 2027. Applications are currently open.
| Item | Current published detail |
|---|---|
| Program dates | June 7–August 7, 2027 |
| Application status | Open |
| Completed-application deadline | January 15 at 11:59 p.m. PST |
| Recommendations | Two faculty letters; due by the same application deadline |
| Personal statement | One page; approximately 600 words; maximum 3,250 characters including spaces |
| Award | $7,000 stipend plus room and board |
| Main academic stage | Current sophomores and juniors returning to undergraduate study |
The completed application is due January 15 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific Standard Time. Recommendation letters are part of that deadline. You may submit your own application before the letters arrive, but late recommendation letters are not accepted.
The published award is a $7,000 stipend plus room and board.
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Read the eligibility exceptions carefully
The main audience is current sophomores and juniors who will return to undergraduate study after the summer. First-year students are considered only in exceptional cases, and CSHL says prior independent research experience is required for that exception.
Students should have a strong academic background in science. CSHL also encourages applicants from engineering, chemistry, computer science, math and physics. Previous laboratory research experience can help but is not a blanket requirement.
International participation has a narrower rule: foreign students are eligible when they are enrolled full-time at a U.S. college or university on a student visa, or in limited cases when their foreign university has a pre-existing agreement with CSHL.
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Treat 3,250 characters as a real limit, not a loose “600-word” suggestion
CSHL describes the personal statement as one page and approximately 600 words, but it also gives a 3,250-character limit including spaces. Those are not equivalent for arbitrary prose. Write to the explicit character limit and page limit, then verify what the application field accepts before you submit.
The statement should explain why you want the program, your career interests, how URP fits those goals, relevant research or employment, extracurricular activities and other useful context. CSHL also allows applicants to name two or three research mentors they would like to work with.
A practical structure is a concise research interest, one concrete experience that shaped it and the next question or method you want to explore. Do not spend the limited space on generic praise.
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Treat recommendation letters as a separate submission dependency
CSHL requires exactly two recommendation letters from professors, preferably in math or science. If you have research experience, letters from professors you worked with in a lab are especially encouraged.
Ask early, send the exact program link and deadline, and track “request accepted” separately from “letter received.” Your own submitted form does not prove the application is complete.
CSHL says most referees need at least a month. Leave time to fix an incorrect email address or upload problem before January 15.
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Compare the research route, not just the institution name
URP students work on ongoing research in a CSHL lab and finish the summer with scientific communication work, including research presentations and a report. Use the program when that supervised research depth matches what you want to test next.
If you are comparing funded summer research options, check the separate cost-and-support guide rather than comparing stipend numbers without housing context. Keep applying to other programs while recommendations are pending.
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