Who is eligible to apply?

All registered Hopkins undergraduates in the Krieger School of Arts & Sciences, the Peabody Institute, and the Whiting School of Engineering (freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors that are NOT graduating prior to May of the academic year of the award) in good academic standing (i.e. not on academic probation, suspension, or leave for any reason) are eligible.

HOUR especially encourages applications from students from underserved backgrounds (e.g. first-generation students, low-income backgrounds), students who are underrepresented in their field of study, and/or those who may not have previously had an opportunity for a research experience.

How many professors can I pick?

Students can select no more than 3 professors (in no particular ranking order) of interest. They do not need to be related to your major/ minor. If you are only interested in working with a specific professor, only select that one!  See link to proposed summer projects in Program Details, above (projects are still being added, so be sure to check back before submitting your application).

What is required to apply?

1. Basic information for the online application (name, JHU email, cell number, anticipated year of graduation, mailing address, major/s)
2. Your one-page resume  (see HOUR Tips: Research Resume Best Practices)

3. Personal Statement/s aimed to each unique BDP faculty/ project you are applying to (see HOUR Tips: Personal Statements Best Practices)
   Format: single page, 1 inch margins, single or double spaced, sans serif font (like Arial or Calibri).
4. Required naming convention: Last name, First name, JHED AND BDP faculty last name OR resume and program/year (ex. Last_First_JHED_BDP LastName_BDP26.pdf and Last_First_JHED_Resume_BDP26.pdf)

Can I apply to and or receive HOUR opportunities more than once?

Yes, you are encouraged to continue to apply to our programs throughout your undergraduate career at Hopkins. Projects evolve, interests change, and HOUR wants to encourage your exploration. In the case of “tied” review scores in an individual program cycle, preference will be given to students that have not previously received funding through HOUR programs.

What is the time commitment?

BDP awardees are expected to work full-time (35-40 hours per week, as determined by the standard operations of the host BDP and project team) for a 10-week period over summer (generally June 1 – Aug 15, but flexible to accommodate needs of mentor and awardee).

Is there a formal product due at the end of the project?

Yes, all HOUR program recipients are expected to present their project at one of the next two REAL events, held every fall and spring or other HOUR approved presentation event. Projects can be presented in many formats. See the REAL Showcase page for examples. This presentation should occur within one academic year after the award period is complete. Exceptions will be made on a case-by-case basis after the recipient contacts the HOUR office about a conflict.

If I am awarded funding or accepted through a different program I applied to (whether internal or external to JHU) taking place during the same time frame as this program, can I accept both awards/ programs or defer this award to a future period (academic year or summer)?

No, you are not permitted to receive additional JHU funding, or to participate in any other full time program or commitment that overlaps with this program period.  If you accept funding or a program offer in conflict with this agreement, you are expected to notify HOUR right away to withdraw from consideration for this program.

No, we do not allow anyone selected for a specific cohort to defer to a future period. Similarly, we do not allow students to accept multiple university awards for the same project concurrently (for the same period). With limited funding available, this would not be fair to the applicants in those future cycles.

Would you like HOUR staff to review your application documents and provide feedback prior to submitting? Interested students may schedule 1 (and ONLY ONE) document review session per individual award program (per year) with HOUR staff. You may meet with either Tracy or Deborah; you may not meet with both for review of the same documents.

You MUST follow these steps before you schedule a meeting for document draft review:

1. Clearly name your document using our required naming convention: Last name, First name, JHED AND BDP faculty last name OR resume and program/year (ex. Last_First_JHED_BDP LastName_BDP26.pdf and Last_First_JHED_Resume_BDP26.pdf)
2. Review the HOUR Tips – Personal Statement Best Practices and HOUR Tips: Research Resume Best Practices.
3. Run your document through spell check and grammar check, making corrections as recommended.
4. BEFORE scheduling a meeting with HOUR – have the Writing Center, and/ or someone else you respect review your documents and offer feedback.
5. Once the above steps are complete and you have a FINAL DRAFT:
   1. Email a copy of your document to [email protected] identifying who you plan to meet with (Tracy or Deborah). Your document MUST BE sent to us a minimum of 1 full business day (weekends do not count!) prior to your appointment time to allow us time to provide a thoughtful review!!
   2. Schedule your 1:1 appointment for feedback:

30-minute meeting with Tracy

30-minute meeting with Deborah

6. Research resume and personal statement review meetings may be scheduled up to the submission date as staff availability allows.
7. You are welcome to request feedback in the form of a marked-up file emailed back to you, instead of scheduling a meeting. Note that we will honor these requests as time allows (we cannot guarantee we will have time, and these requests usually begin to backlog by a few weeks before the application deadline).

How is funding distributed?

BDP Summer Program awardees receive a single lump-sum fellowship payment at the start of their award period.  Federal regulations require that the Financial Aid Office track all income and awards received by students.  To assist this workflow, HOUR notifies Financial Aid of all JHU sponsored awards and payments, which are then disbursed through Student Accounts using the eRefund system. If you have not yet set up your eRefund account, instructions can be found here.

What can the funding be used for?

HOUR summer fellowship awards are discretionary, meaning recipients may use the award funding as they deem appropriate with no required reporting of usage back to HOUR.

• Examples of usage are (but not limited to) living expenses (rent, utilities, food), personal travel, clothing, conference expenses, publication fees, computer/ software, project supplies, savings, anything.

What are the tax implications of this award?

Fellowship payments are subject to all applicable payroll taxes. Questions and concerns should be directed to the University Tax Office at [email protected].

Does this program or HOUR offer housing, related expenses and/or travel expenses associated with this summer award?

No, arranging and covering the expenses related to staying in Baltimore or anywhere else and/ or travel expenses related to your project are your responsibility.

The University offers limited dorm rooms and a database/ spreadsheet of rental sublets. Contact the university housing office for details. Upon request, HOUR is happy to provide a letter to the housing office attesting to your work at the university over the summer. It is up to the student to obtain and pay for their own housing and related living expenses during the summer.

Are BDP professors required to participate in this program?

No, all Bloomberg Distinguished Professors are invited to participate annually. We strongly encourage participation as it is valuable and rewarding for the both the students and the faculty. Participating faculty decide how many undergraduates they want to sponsor each summer. The list of BDP faculty, projects, and number of student they will accept varies from year to year based on faculty participation and projects.

What is required of the participating faculty?

The faculty and their research group or lab are expected to provide an engaging project for the undergraduate to participate in over the summer. The project should both further the research of the faculty and provide beneficial skills, experience, and mentorship for the undergraduate participants.

How are students selected?

Participating faculty and their designees are provided with access to all students that selected them via the SMApply portal. They are unable to see other applicants in the system. Faculty and designees review the applications and documents. They may also reach out to applicants directly to conduct interviews prior to making selections.