SRI is designed to encourage and enhance the diversity of scholars working in the social and behavioral science fields. In that spirit, we are interested in receiving applications to the program from a broad spectrum of students, especially African Americans, Hispanic/Latino/a/LatinX students, American Indian/Alaskan Natives, Native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islanders, as well as all students with research interests related to diverse communities. We are most interested in students who plan to pursue doctoral degrees in the behavioral and social sciences.

The program provides rising juniors and seniors with an 8-week intensive experience to develop research skills, learn about doctoral training, and increase graduate training readiness. Departments involved in the SRI  include African American Studies, Anthropology, Criminology & Criminal Justice, Economics, Geographical Sciences, Government & Politics, Hearing & Speech Sciences, Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, Psychology, and Sociology. 

The goals of the SRI are to:

• Increase the knowledge of, and interest in, doctoral-level training in the social, behavioral, and economic sciences;
• Provide rising juniors and seniors an opportunity to learn about graduate studies and the range of research and scholarship in the social, behavioral and economic sciences at the University of Maryland;
• Provide a laboratory experience that enhances basic research knowledge and skills;
• Provide lectures, workshops, didactic exchanges, and other programming to enhance students' knowledge of the graduate application process, negotiating the academic rigors and professional and personal challenges encountered in graduate school, and developing career paths in social, behavioral and economic sciences; and,
• Provide mentoring and networking opportunities for students to advance their training in the social, behavioral and economic sciences