UCARE
The Undergraduate Cellular Agriculture Research Exploration
The Undergraduate Cellular Agriculture Research Exploration (UCARE) is a research program designed to provide undergraduate students with grants to perform 6 to 12 months of research in the field of cellular agriculture and related sustainable food tech.
UCARE Learning Objectives
Industry Exposure
Students will be exposed to a diverse set of industry mentors who will help them develop experience in lab techniques and build intuition for cell ag research.
Grant Writing
The program will introduce undergraduate students to the research proposal, grant writing, and funding acquisition process.
Develop Laboratory Skills
UCARE will help students refine their basic laboratory skills an harness them for a successful career in the field of cell ag. It will also teach them the importance of project and budget management.
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Applicant Information
Eligibility
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Applicants should be undergraduate students at US or international institutions, preferably in their 2nd or 3rd years. 4th years are still welcome to apply for intensive summer research, but spots for this will be limited and contingent on their University lab restrictions.
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Applicants must be housed in a lab at their respective Universities or find a lab to house them.
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Applicants are required to have their proposal approved by a lab PI / Ph.D. student
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Applicants need to have Ph.D. student in their lab for mentorship
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Applicants are prioritized if they attend a university without cell ag labs or cell ag dedicated research
Process
Applicants will apply to the program with a research proposal, estimated research budget and allocation of funds, a letter of approval from the lab PI, and a personal statement.
During the 8-week application period, students are given the opportunity to schedule a meeting with a mentor and receive feedback on their proposal. Additionally, an example research proposal and budget will be provided.
The budget must include a description of items necessary for the project, a list of where items will be bought, and an explanation of the purpose, quantity, and cost of the materials.
Application Materials
Proposal length: 5 pages
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Project Title and Abstract (background info & PI background)
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Background & Motivation (justification for project)
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Preliminary Research or Literature Review
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Methods (outline full project-materials, procedures, and budget)
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Theoretical implications
Applicants are also required to submit a personal statement detailing their interest in cell ag and why the grant would be helpful for their educational and professional development.
Selection Process
UCARE is looking for applicants that are passionate about the cell ag industry, in both an academic and professional manner, as well as someone who shares Cultivate Nucleate's values and mission.
Beyond a dedication to the field, students must show that their proposal is rigorously tested to display scientific feasibility as well as a realistic timeline. We are looking for applicants to submit a personal statement that will highlight their project’s qualities and contributions to the alt protein field.
Students with a lack of cellular agriculture research and resources at their universities will be prioritized.
Become a Program
Sponsor
Sponsorship Opportunities
Sponsorship will be split into two opportunities:
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Program Sponsors: general program sponsors who wish to further grantees' choice of research in a more hands-off approach
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Research sponsors: industry research sponsors with specific research focuses in mind that will provide mentorship every 6-8 weeks.
The grantees’ research will be presented to sponsors at the culmination of the program. It is important to note that access to research results will be open and not subject to NDAs or IP rights.
If you are interested in sponsoring a UCARE grantee, please fill out our contact form below!
Mentorship Opportunities
Mentors will be paired with research grant students once projects begin. Requests will be considered prior to selection.
To help students build their grant writing skills, UCARE will allow participants 8 weeks to submit two drafts of their proposals, and a call for questions via zoom meeting.
Mentorship will be split into three categories:
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Virtual mentorship through Slack from experienced cell ag researchers
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Industry specific mentors or general mentors
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PhD Student mentorship from their respective lab
If you are interested in mentoring the first cohort of UCARE students, please reach out via the contact form below.
Be a UCARE
Mentor
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