What is it?
A prestigious research-intensive training program, funded by the National Institutes of Health and reserved for students with a strong motivation to become researchers in biomedical, social, behavioral or health sciences or biomedical engineering. Areas of emphasis include: addiction, cancer, environmental health, health disparities, infectious diseases, neurodegenerative and chronic diseases and translational biomedicine.
In addition to their course work and research/mentoring activities at UTEP, undergraduate students will conduct summer research at one of 10 partner institutions, many of which will reserve positions for BUILDing SCHOLARS graduates to pursue their Ph.D. degrees upon completion of the program.
What is the award?
The BUILDing SCHOLARS Scholarship is an annual award that covers 60% tuition for 30 credit hours per academic year and a living stipend of approximately $1,000/month for freshmen/sophomores/juniors/seniors. The BUILDing SCHOLARS Scholarship is renewable for up to three years.
- -60% tuition for 30 credit hours per academic year
- Monthly stipend of approximately $1,000/month for 12 months
- Rigorous mentored research training during the academic year
- -Strong preparation for graduate school
- -Summer research at prestigious partner institutions
- -Present at conferences
- -Professional development workshops
All students meeting eligibility criteria and requirements may apply for the scholarship. Financially disadvantaged students and those from groups underrepresented in the sciences are strongly encouraged to apply. For more information, please refer to NIH’s Diversity Statement: Notice of NIH’s Interest of Diversity (NOT-OD-20-031).
- U.S. Citizen/Permanent Resident
- No more than 60 undergraduate credit hours
- Student must be in an approved BUILD major
All applications are reviewed by the BUILDing SCHOLARS Scholarship Selection Committee using a holistic approach based on four criteria: academic excellence, motivation to persist, programmatic fit and letter of recommendation. Selection committee members use a point system to evaluate and rank each application based on the aforementioned criteria. The committee then meets to select appropriate numbers of candidates at each level and those applicants are contacted for personal interviews. The highest ranked students are selected as scholarship recipients.
- Anthropology
- Biochemistry
- Biological Sciences
- Cellular and Molecular Biochemistry
- Chemistry
- Clinical Laboratory Sciences
- Computer Science*
- Cooperative Pharmacy Program (UTEP/UT-Austin)
- Electrical and Computer Engineering*
- Forensic Sciences
- Geological Sciences
- Health Promotion
- Kinesiology
- Mathematical Sciences (including Applied Mathematics)
- Mechanical Engineering*
- Metallurgical and Materials Engineering*
- Neuroscience
- Physics
- Psychology
- Public Health Sciences
- Rehabilitation Sciences
- Social Work
- Sociology
*must minor in Biomedical Engineering
Virtual and In-Person Q&A Sessions
Have questions about our program or application process? Register for one of our monthly Q&A sessions where you will be able to submit questions during the registration process or during the session. One of our faculty or staff members will answer any questions you may have. We encourage all applicants to view the video presentation below prior to attending a Q&A session.
Video presentation
Schedule a Virtual Appointment
If you have any questions about our program and wish to speak with a staff member, please schedule an appointment below. Please keep in mind that your appointment will be virtual and not in-person. An email with a zoom link will be sent to you upon registration.