The Oklahoma Science Training & Research Students Summer Research Program
OKStars Program Information
The Oklahoma Science Training and Research program provides high school juniors and seniors the opportunity to participate in cutting-edge research. The summer program includes in-depth work with a research team, access to modern instrumentation and potential opportunities to participate in research presentations.
Program Benefits for Participating Students
- As an OKStars student intern, you are immersed in a research atmosphere typically reserved for college students. You will work with a faculty mentor and be part of a research team working on an ongoing project.
- Student interns may work with a range of laboratory equipment in areas including chemical and biological analysis.
- Student interns may have the opportunity to present research at OSU in Tulsa's Research Day as well as the Joint Research Meeting alongside medical students and biomedical graduate students.
- Student interns have the opportunity to attend weekly lunch-and-learn sessions where you'll be given a presentation by a faculty member or staff member about important topics for students applying for college including writing a resume or CV, presenting scientific research, applying for scholarship opportunities, preparing to apply for college, and applying to medical school.
- Student interns make valuable connections with program faculty, staff, and graduate students who may act as mentors in the future.
Program Details
The OKStars summer research program offers young students a unique opportunity - the ability to experience biomedical research through hands-on learning while still in high school. While this experience is educational and rewarding, it is a true commitment to assist in furthering ongoing projects in the biomedical research labs at OSU-CHS. Each student will be paired with another OKStars student while participating in the program and aside from their lab partner, each student's research experience will be different from students working in other labs campus.
Research projects such as those that OKStars students participate in take time, certain experiments may take place over multiple days or weeks while others may conduct most of their benchtop research one or two days per week. It is difficult to ask our participating labs to work their research projects around a set schedule which is why, until a student is offered a spot in the progra at which point a schedule designed by the assigned mentor will be provided, we advertise that students should be open to work on campus up to 20 hours per week, similar to a part time job.
We understand that the students applying to this program are still in high school and that their summer vacation is valuable time to relax and recharge, this is why we have condensed the program to 6 weeks - to provide a month of free time for students during their summer break. As of 2025, if students are offered a spot in the program, they will receive a schedule agreed upon by their assigned mentor and they will be asked to commit to the schedule provided. If a student does not disclose a scheduling conflict before accepting a spot in the program it is grounds for dismissal.
OKStars is only possible through participation from our faculty, staff, and students which is why a limited number of spots are avialable each summer.
We ask that students and parents be open to the experience provided during the program, though students may experience a different type of research depending on their placement, all the experiences provided during the program are beneficial and valuable.
Program Dates
Monday, June 2nd, 2025 - Friday July 11th, 2025
Student Commitment & Responsibilities
The OKStars summer research experience is extensive, and each scholar is expected to:
- Commit to a schedule provided to offered students prior to program acceptance.
- Find and utilize a reliable mode of transportation to OSU Center for Health Sciences.
- Complete lab safety training provided by the program coordinator during orientation.
- Participate (with parent or guardian) in the pre-program virtual meeting.
- Attend weekly lunch and learn discussions, the details of which will be provided during orientation.
- Check email consistently during the program to encourage open-communication and to keep informed of any nescessary updates.
Application Process
We are now utilizing Infoready for our OKStars applications. You can find the application here:
Application Opens: January 6th, 2025
Application Deadline: April 30th, 2025
All applicants will be reviewed by an OSU Center for Health Sciences' OKStars Application Committee, and decisions will be based on merit, taking into account all information provided by applicants.
Decisions are expected to be made the first week of May 2025.
Research Focus Areas
Research areas available may vary depending on faculty participation.
- Forensic Sciences: DNA/Biolody, Toxicology, Psychology
- Biomedical Sciences: Anatomy, Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Microbiology, Vertebrate Paleontology
- Data Mining: Statistics, Data Analytics and Innovation, Rural Health Treads
- Athletic Training
Cost, Housing & Transportation
All program fees will be covered by OSU Center for Health Sciences at no cost to the student. Consistent transportation is a program requirement - housing and transportation are not provided.
Important Dates
- January 6th, 2025: OKStars 2025 application opens
- April 30th, 2025: OKStars 2025 application closes
- May 5th-9th, 2025 (First week of May 2025): Offers go out to accepted students
- May 26th - 30th, 2025 (Last week of May 2025): Pre-program meeting will be scheduled for accepted students & guardians
- June 2nd, 2025: OKStars program begins - Orientation
- July 11th, 2025: OKStars program ends - Final Presentations for family, faculty, and staff at OSU-CHS.