Program Overview

The URI ESTEEMED Scholarship Program helps freshmen and sophomore students develop as scholars and scientists. The program enables Scholars to learn foundational academic and scientific skills through academic enrichment and advising, financial support, faculty and peer mentoring, and training in URI biomedical research laboratories.

As outlined on our Activities page, ESTEEMED Scholars participate in a 5-week summer bridge program with URI TD Scholars during the TD Summer Success Program, academic year courses and workshops, summer research, and upon completion of the program, advanced undergraduate research training at URI.

Scholar Benefits

ESTEEMED scholars will receive the following benefits:

  • Funding for on-campus housing and food for the 5-week summer bridge program through TD,
  • A stipend for participation in the summer bridge program,
  • Personalized one-on-one advising with ESTEEMED faculty and staff,
  • Monthly support amounting to $5,000 per semester ($10,000 per year) during their freshman year and $6,000 per semester ($12,000 per year) during their sophomore year,
  • Priority acceptance into paid URI summer research programs (RI-INBRE SURF or URI Science & Engineering Fellows) the summer after their freshman year,
  • Travel funds of $500/year to attend a national student research conference,
  • $4,000 to support participation in a summer research experience and $500 to travel to the site, and
  • Priority consideration for entry into the Junior/Senior-level URI MARC U*STAR undergraduate research training program.

Scholar Expectations

To maintain their enrollment within the program, students are required to:

  1. Remain in good standing as a full-time student at URI (12 credits/semester),
  2. Maintain a 3.0 GPA,
  3. Participate in required ESTEEMED activities, and
  4. Demonstrate continued progress towards their degree.

The financial support provided by ESTEEMED is provided with the goal that ESTEEMED Scholars will not have to work an additional off-campus job during the academic year. As a result, Scholars are expected to prioritize their academic progress and training activities related to the program.

Mission & Goals

The vision of the URI ESTEEMED program is to build on the diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives at URI to create a robust and inclusive undergraduate research environment for students early in their academic careers. The program mission is to significantly increase the preparation of ESTEEMED scholars to conduct bioengineering and biomedical-related research, enabling them to enter and succeed in an advanced honors research program with the ultimate goal of pursuing a Ph.D. in a related field.

To successfully support educational activities and encourage individuals from diverse backgrounds to pursue further studies and careers in research, there are two overarching goals for the program:

  1. Academic Enrichment and Research Skills Development: Develop a cohort of ESTEEMED Scholars from underrepresented backgrounds who embody critical thinking, engineering design, and fundamental research skills that enable them to develop an early scientific inquiry and research mindset.
  2. Scholar Support, Soft Skills Development, and Community Building: Support the development of Scholars’ STEM identity and self-efficacy through self-exploration, near-peer mentoring, academic and professional development advising, faculty mentoring, academic preparation, and positive research experiences.