PROGRAM COMPONENTS
Students apply for admission into the McNair Scholars Program during their sophomore year. The program is made up of four components:
- Summer Research Institute
- Junior Year Activities
- Junior Summer Research Internship
- Senior Year Graduate School Preparation
McNair Scholars participate in research training, scholarly experiences, and related activities throughout their enrollment in the program. Scholarly opportunities include attendance and presentations at professional meetings and conferences, introduction to faculty mentors, and publication in the Penn McNair Research Journal.
Summer Research Institute (SRI):
The McNair experience begins with a six-week residential research institute held on Penn's campus. The SRI is designed to help students conceptualize and begin to implement independent research projects that they will continue throughout the upcoming academic year. Scholars meet on a weekly basis with faculty mentors who supervise the Scholars' research. Together they select an appropriate research topic, design the subsequent study, and establish a reasonable timeline for work over the course of the SRI and the following academic year. Students also participate in class meetings which bring all the new scholars together to focus on the steps and skills involved in the development of research questions, initial literature reviews, and methodological considerations. Scholars participate in seminars and workshops on using library resources, oral presentation skills, academic career paths, research ethics and IRB submissions. The SRI culminates with the formal presentation of the students' research proposals to the university community.
Junior Year Activities:
Junior year activities build on the SRI's orientation to research and academic life. During this part of the program, McNair scholars work with their faculty mentors on independent research projects. Students focus on building strong relationships with faculty members and sign up for independent studies to work with their mentors on the research projects they designed and began during the SRI. By the end of the year, each student is expected to produce an edited final paper based on this McNair research project, which, if approved by their faculty mentor, is submitted for publication in the Penn McNair Research Journal.
In addition, participants attend seminars and workshops, present their work publically, and participate in graduate school visits. Students are also aided in identifying and applying for funded off-campus summer research internships. Finally, working with the Fontaine Society and the Graduate Student Center, the program is able to provide McNair Scholars avenues for individual contact with graduate student mentors as well as group panels and social events with Penn graduate students.
Junior Summer Research Internship:
During the summer after junior year, McNair Scholars hone their research skills through paid summer research internships. Each scholar seeks off-campus opportunities in the area of his or her scholarly interest and secures a summer research placement appropriate to his or her individual needs. While most students participate in programs such as the Leadership Alliance Summer Research-Early Identification Program and other comparable programs throughout the United States and abroad, some McNair Scholars design their own individual project research projects and apply for funding through CURF and other programs on campus.
Senior Year Graduate School Preparation:
Senior year activities prepare students for the graduate school experience. Students attend seminars and workshops on navigating the graduate school application process, writing statements of purpose, and choosing appropriate graduate programs. Faculty mentors and program staff provide individualized advising to each McNair Scholar as he or she goes through the graduate admissions process and decides on the best fit from among multiple offers. McNair Scholars continue to gain research experience through working on senior theses or additional senior research projects with faculty mentors, and develop presentation skills by presenting their research at on-campus symposia as well as at national undergraduate and professional conferences.

