The Summer Undergraduate Research Experience in Toxicology (SURE Tox) program at the University of Illinois will provide high-quality research experiences for under-represented minority undergraduate students during the 2024 summer academic break. The program involves active participation by faculty members from several departments and colleges at the University of Illinois, all of whom have expertise in toxicology and experience training undergraduate students.

The training program will accept 7-8 underrepresented minority, undergraduate students per year who will spend 10 weeks over the summer in the program. The specific goals of the program are to: 1) match participants with faculty and peer mentors who will direct the student to complete a hypothesis-driven project in the field of toxicology, 2) help each student learn laboratory techniques and research skills, 3) provide didactic training on animal use in research, the responsible conduct of research (e.g., research misconduct, mentor-trainee relationships, and data management), and use of the electronic library, 4) train students to prepare scientific posters and talks and to present their work at scientific meetings, 5) provide networking opportunities for students to meet other students and faculty members in research, and 6) provide students with information on careers in toxicology. At the conclusion of the program, each student will present her/his work at the Illinois Summer Research Symposium held on campus. This training program provides a unique opportunity for undergraduate students, particularly under-represented minority students, to obtain training and research experience in the field of toxicology at a research-intensive university with outstanding toxicology programs.