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, campus and permanent addresses, major(s), and demographic information]
2. Your current resume. Note: Check out HOUR Tips: Resume Best Practices. HOUR staff is happy to review your resume and provide feedback and guidance.
3. A Personal Statement/s
   • Format: single page, ½“ margins, single or double spaced, sans serif font (like Arial or Calibri).
   • As you may select up to 3 BDPs of interest, you can submit up to 3 targeted letters toward each faculty or a single generic letter for all faculty to review.
   • Your personal statement should be you ‘selling you’ to the faculty: Why are you excited about this project and/or faculty member? What do you hope to get out of the opportunity? Is there anything special you are bringing to the project?
   • Note: Check out HOUR Tips: Personal Statements. HOUR staff is happy to review your statement/s and provide feedback and guidance.

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.

Note: If you apply to Summer PURA, BDP Summer Program and CIRCUIT for the current summer, you may only participate in one. All require your full time commitment and cannot be done concurrently.

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 DREAMS (occurring in the Fall and Spring semesters) or another HOUR approved presentation event. Projects can be in many formats. See the DREAMS 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.

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 your name or jhed and the type of document (example: john_lee_resume or jlee987_pura). Do not label as “resume” or “pura_proposal”
2. Run your document through spell check and grammar check, making corrections as recommended.
3. BEFORE scheduling a meeting with HOUR – have your mentor, the Writing Center, and/ or someone else you respect review your document and offer feedback.
4. Once above steps are complete and you have a FINAL DRAFT:
   1. Email a copy of your document to HOUR@jhu.edu 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!!
   2. Schedule your 1:1 appointment for feedback:

30-minute meeting with Tracy

30-minute meeting with Deborah

5. The LAST appointment for a document review for any HOUR program submission is 5 business days PRIOR to the program deadline (example: Summer PURA closes on 2/1 so the LAST appointment for review is approximately 1/26 or the last weekday before that).
6. If you have ever had an in person or virtual meeting to receive draft feedback in the past (for a different application), you may request your feedback in the form of a marked-up file emailed back to you, instead of scheduling a meeting.

How is funding distributed?

The entire award will be transferred to the awarded student for discretionary use at the beginning of the summer with the understanding the student will complete participation in the program.

What can the funding be used for?

The BDP Summer Program Award is a discretionary fellowship award. Recipients may use the funding in any manner they like with no required reporting of use back to HOUR.

Note: The University offers limited dorm rooms and a database/ spreadsheet of rental sublets. Contact your 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.

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 tax@jhu.edu.

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 is 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.