The Institute for Accessible Science (IAS) will be led by Brad Duerstock, an associate professor of engineering practice in the Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering and School of Industrial Engineering. The Institute is planning to grant summer fellowships to six undergraduate students with disabilities to perform independent biomedical research at Purdue. The program, lasting eight weeks and set to begin in June, will provide students with a stipend, in addition to covering travel and housing expenses. IAS also will award two graduate fellowships, which include a stipend and costs for tuition and fees. These fellowships, which begin this fall, will provide first- or second-year funding for two students with disabilities to pursue a postgraduate degree in biomedical science.

Since the IAS has a national focus, student applicants for both the summer undergraduate research and graduate research fellowships from all over the United States are welcome, said Duerstock. Priority consideration will be given to student applications completed by March 1 for both IAS fellowships. For more information about both fellowship opportunities, go to https://stemedhub.org/groups/iashub

"The fellowships will enhance the inclusiveness of students who have a physical disability and, more specifically, those with a mobility or visual impairment in the professional science community by demonstrating that research careers in science are very possible," Duerstock said.