What is NY Bioforce? New York Bioforce is a comprehensive biotechnology internship program that seeks to provide hands-on research experiences to high school students. Participants will receive over 100 hours of research training, ranging from hands-on biomedical research skills like PCR, gel electrophoresis, and microscopy, to science communication and networking skills. After the training is completed, students will be matched with research mentors from prestigious labs and companies from around New York, including labs at Columbia University and Weill Cornell Medicine. Participants will spend 160 hours in labs under the guidance of their mentors to complete research projects.

We anticipate this program will attract extremely motivated students who want to gain authentic research experience and work alongside world-renowned scientists. 24 students will participate in NY Bioforce, which will hold the training sessions in April through June, followed by internships in July and August.

Program Schedule

All applicants should carefully review the following dates and information to ensure that they are willing and able to attend ALL sessions (which will take place at Columbia University’s Morningside Campus).

THE TRAINING WILL TAKE PLACE ON THE FOLLOWING DATES:

April 25; May 2, 9, 16, 30; June 4, 6, 13, 20, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26

The internship will occur in the summer.

Eligibility and Application Process

Applicants will be selected based on academic performance and past leadership experiences, their demonstrated interest in Hk Maker Lab and engineering design, and their ability to collaboratively solve problems in a team setting. There is very limited amount of space for this program, so please take your time to put together a well thought-out application.

Applicant Requirements

Hk Maker Lab is committed to serving NYC high school students from low-income communities. The applicant must:

1. Attend a NYC high school during this academic school year Note: Due to the rigor and demands of the program, preference will be given to current juniors and seniors.

2. Demonstrate economic or educational disadvantage based on the below criteria:

a. Applicant attends a NYC high school with a Free and Reduced Price Lunch (FRPL) rate of 50% or higher

or

b. Applicant family income qualifies for FRPL, Medicaid, SNAP, TANF, or other similar government aid but attends a NYC high school with a FRPL rate below 50%. Documentation of Government aid qualification must be provided with application materials.

Application Process

Upon receiving your application materials, your application will be carefully reviewed. Applicants will then be assigned to one of three categories: acceptance, rejection, or waitlisted. Students who are waitlisted may be asked to interview with the Recruitment Team in early April. All students will be notified of their final application status by the last week in April.

Students who are interested in the program or who have any questions regarding the application, should contact jg@harlembiospace.com.

Application Checklist

• Academic History (Current High School Transcript & Attendance Record for the 2018-19 School Year)
• Essays (1-4)
• Two letters of recommendation
• Proof of FRPL qualification (only if your high school has a FRPL rate below 50%)

Submitting Your Application

The NY Bioforce Recruitment Team will review all applications. Selections will be based on the applicant’s answers to the above questions, commitment to attend all sessions, academic history, recommendations and other supporting materials. Completed applications can be submitted via our online portal. Upload your completed application materials to your application between December 15, 2019 and March 15th, 2020. Students can upload recommendation letters with their application OR if their recommenders are uncomfortable with giving the letters to the students, the recommenders can email the letters directly to jg@harlembiospace.com, with the subject “NY Bioforce 2020 Recommendation Letter.”

At least one of your recommenders must be a math, science or engineering teacher. Your recommender should be a teacher, mentor, counselor, advisor, or employer who knows you in a professional, academic, or volunteer context. Select a recommender that can relate specific and relevant details about your performance, skills, and unique abilities. Relatives may not provide a recommendation.

If you have any questions about how to submit your application, please email the NY Bioforce Recruitment Team at jg@harlembiospace.com.