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Expands Research Opportunities to Students with Financial Need, First-Generation College Students, and Others Facing Barriers

Interns will Focus on Everything from Artificial Intelligence and Cybersecurity to Nursing and Physics Astronomy

For Immediate Release: Wednesday, April 12, 2023
Contact: Holly Liapis; Holly.Liapis@suny.edu

Albany, NY – State University of New York Chancellor John B. King, Jr. today announced the Chancellor’s Summer Research Excellence Fund will provide 150 undergraduates with paid internships this summer at five campuses. This will be the first year of a paid internship program expected to grow in the number of campuses and students participating after this pilot.

The internship program will expand research opportunities to students with financial need, first-generation students, and others who may face barriers to securing research experiences. Participating campuses include: Binghamton University, University at Buffalo, SUNY ESF, Stony Brook University, and SUNY Polytechnic Institute.

“Every student should have the opportunity to participate in an internship or other experiential learning on their path to a college degree, and through this internship program students will be offered a robust experience right from their home campus and at no additional cost,” said SUNY Chancellor King. “Expanding paid summer research internships is a concrete, powerful way to expand economic opportunity and increase social mobility especially for so many college students whose economic or familial circumstances might have barred them in the past.”

Senator Toby Ann Stavisky, Chair of the Senate Higher Education Committee, said, “This funding will help students gain valuable experience in critical and growing fields. By covering necessary living expenses, the Chancellor’s Summer Research Excellence Fund will allow students to focus on their education and build a foundation on which to grow their careers. I am proud to help SUNY secure this funding and I look forward to watching the program continue to grow in the years to come.”

Assemblymember Patricia Fahy, Chair of the Assembly Higher Education Committee, said, “We know that on average, 60 percent of employers prefer to hire graduates and workers with internship experience. Internship experience translates into real-world career experience and readiness that helps to leverage better pay, benefits, and economic empowerment post-college. Furthermore, paid internships are more likely to translate into job offers, attract applicants from a wider swath of socioeconomic backgrounds, and connect employers with new generations of skilled workers. That is a win-win for not just our students and universities, but our economy more broadly. I commend SUNY for investing in the success of New York’s students and future workforce.”

These new internships will be in fields including biology, artificial intelligence, machine learning, cybersecurity, physics astronomy, engineering, chemistry, computer science, and clean energy. It also includes nursing, a high needs area not often considered in research funding, as well as a broad range of fields.

The Fund, which is supported by SUNY’s Empire Innovation Program, covers all student costs for the internship including, but not limited to, student stipend/salary, tuition/fees, housing, meal plans, childcare, and transportation.

Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger said, “We’re thrilled to be part of this pilot program, which will give underserved students access to opportunities in today’s leading fields of research. AI, cybersecurity, nursing—these things matter and will only become more important in the future, and we’re proud to help facilitate the growth of tomorrow’s researchers and problem-solvers.”

Venu Govindaraju, UB vice president for research and economic development, said, “The University at Buffalo is incredibly pleased to participate in SUNY’s Summer Research Internships Program. With its focus on first-generation students and students in financial need, the program builds upon UB’s deep commitment to providing students with transformative educational experiences that prepare them to thrive in critical fields such as artificial intelligence, clean energy, chemistry and more.”

SUNY ESF President Joanie Mahoney said, “Research is a key component to developing the next generation of environmental scientists and stewards. Now, thanks to this new program, even more students will benefit from research opportunities through field and lab work led by ESF’s world-class faculty and renowned experts. We are honored to be part of this new pilot and look forward to welcoming students to our campus this summer.”

SUNY Poly Officer-in-Charge Dr. Andrew Russell said, “We are thrilled that the Chancellor’s Summer Research Excellence Fund will open the door for underserved students and those with financial need to engage in the unique and exciting hands-on learning opportunities that SUNY Polytechnic Institute is known for as part of its Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP). We know that by providing greater access to programs that foster relevant skills, our summer internship participants will be even better prepared for New York State’s in-demand careers, from healthcare to the semiconductor industry. We are grateful to SUNY and Chancellor King for making this important experience possible for even more students.”

Stony Brook University President Maurie McInnis said, “Stony Brook University prides itself on delivering a world-class, affordable education to our diverse student population, many who are the first in their families to attend college. As a flagship public research institution, we recognize students have a critical role to play in solving society's biggest challenges. Thanks to the Chancellor’s Summer Research Excellence Fund, they can gain essential hands-on experience working closely with faculty researchers who are innovators and leaders in their fields. We look forward to welcoming these promising student scholars to our campus this summer.”

About The State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the state’s only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.1 billion in fiscal year 2022, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum. To learn more about how SUNY creates opportunities, visit www.suny.edu.

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