Closed for applications
The Research Apprenticeship provides funded opportunities for undergraduate and pre-doctoral graduate students from India to conduct research at the University of Notre Dame (ND) in the summer of 2025. Students will gain valuable hands-on research experience while working on current research projects with Notre Dame faculty and graduate students.
Eligibility Requirements
- Undergraduate or pre-doctoral level graduate students enrolled in any accredited institution in India (students already working towards a Ph.D. are NOT eligible to apply).
- Must be age 18 or older at time of application
- Must be in good academic standing (transcript will be required)
- Fluency in English
- Exceptional motivation, emotional maturity, and a high aptitude for adapting to a new environment
- Strong interest in scientific research and some research experience preferred
About the Apprenticeship
The apprenticeship has 2 consecutive components:
- In-person research at Notre Dame for 6 weeks at the onset of the program; and,
- Continued research on the project at the home institution with the support of the home institution faculty advisor.
Dates
June 1, 2025 - July 26, 2025
Funding
Funding includes:
- Accepted Students: round-trip flight and on-campus room and board. Visa fees are not included.
- Home Institution Advisors: Home institution advisors may be invited to campus should that be of interest to both the University of Notre Dame and the student advisor. In that situation, the round-trip flight and accommodation for one visit (up to two weeks) during the student's stay at Notre Dame will be funded. Meals are not included.
Application
Students will apply for the specific research project from the list below, on which they wish to work.
- Each application must be supported by a letter of recommendation from a faculty member who can recommend the student and attest that they are willing to assist in the supervision of the student's continued work on their project upon their return to their home campus.
- Each faculty member can only recommend 1 student. The recommendation must be submitted here by December 2, 2024.
PLEASE NOTE: An application will not be considered complete until both the student application and the letter of recommendation for that student is received.
The University of Notre Dame will not respond to inquiries once applications have been submitted. It will be each applicant’s responsibility to ensure that their application is complete. Communication from the University of Notre Dame will occur once applications are reviewed and decisions are made and finalized . This is expected by February 1, 2025.
Contact
Notre Dame Mumbai
Email: mumbai@nd.edu
Phone: +91-22-35920949
Research Projects
Students must apply for one of the research projects listed below.
1. The Impact of Food Fortification on Childhood Development at the Building Inclusive Growth (BIG) Lab
Faculty Member: Santosh Kumar
Number of Students Accepted: One
Prerequisites for this internship are courses in the following: econometrics, quantitative analysis, economics, health, public policy in addition to a strong command in statistical software STATA
Anemia, predominantly caused by iron deficiency, poses a significant public health challenge in India. In rural regions, around 60% of children aged 6-59 months suffer from anemia, which leads to both physical and cognitive impairments.
This project aims to address the issue by implementing a food fortification initiative across 100 Anganwadi centers in two districts of Bihar, India. Over a two-year period, nutrition-rich food supplements sourced from Jeevika—a rural livelihood program supported by the World Bank—will be distributed free of charge to these centers.
The project will collect baseline data and conduct follow-up assessments after the intervention to evaluate the effects of fortified food on reducing anemia, enhancing physical growth (measured by height, weight, and BMI), and improving cognitive development (including motor skills and intelligence levels).
The findings from this study are expected to guide state-wide policy reforms targeting iron deficiency and malnutrition among preschool children. The results will also inform efforts to scale up the intervention, thereby contributing to improved child health—an essential factor in fostering human capital development.
During the internship, the student will assist in various aspects of the project, including designing survey instruments, conducting literature reviews, developing the intervention framework, and supporting project management. The student will also have the chance to continue their involvement with the project after returning to India, providing long-term impact and experience.
2. Data and Society
Number of Students Accepted: Multiple
The Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society will accept driven, talented interns to join a cross-organization, multidisciplinary team of researchers, engineers and policy advocates in the broadly defined area of “Data and Society.” The Lucy Family Institute provides a dynamic experiential learning environment for students interested in the STEM fields. Students will work with the Institute’s faculty and staff and industry leaders in different sectors such as manufacturing, healthcare, pharmaceutical, life sciences, automotive, financial services and insurance. There are many projects at the Institute at any given time; some of them are described in the 2023 Institute’s annual report and are still ongoing and accepting students as interns for summer 2024.
During their internship, students will participate in cohort learning opportunities, collaborate with other interns and researchers on data science centric problems, present their findings, and contribute to the vibrant life of the international research community.
PLEASE NOTE: Applicants for an internship in Data and Society must have an interest in data science, computer engineering, sociology, business, or a related field.
3. Semiconductor Nanostructures for Light Energy Conversion
Faculty Member: Prashant V. Kamat
Number of Students Accepted: Up to two
The research project focuses on exploring excited state properties of semiconductor nanostructures (e.g., CdSe, AgInS2, and CsPbBr3) and their utilization in generating solar fuels (e.g., H2 from water photoelectrolysis) or solar cells, The project involves synthesis of semiconductor nanocrystals and their characterization using electron microscopy and time resolved absorption and emission.
spectroscopy techniques. Tuning the photoresponse of the semiconductor nanostructures through size and shape control, and composition will enable the students to study light harvesting properties of these newly synthesized materials. Applications of these semiconductor materials in solar cell fabrication will also be undertaken during the course of investigation.
4. Investigating molecular mechanisms to better understand and treat rare neurological and infectious diseases
Faculty Member: Kasturi Halder
Number of Students Accepted: One
Path 1: Neurodegeneration: Intellectual disability, seizures, and chronic pain in mouse models of monogenetic disorders. Combining molecular genetic data with single cell analyses to define mechanisms of glial activation and neuronal death in the brain. They have developed gene therapy as well as brain permeant, epigenetic drugs and to measure how they rescue mechanisms of disease in the brain.
Path 2: Neglected Infectious Diseases: Here the focus is in parasitic and bacterial pathogens and their engagement of the host response to define mechanisms of inflammation and resistance to drugs. Here a major focus is malaria parasites and genetic changes in clinical strains that confer drug resistance to hinder malaria elimination.
A recent NPR report referenced Prof. Kasturi’s lab’s work on malaria elimination in Bangladesh.