Ernest E. Just Biomedical Research Scholars@Columbia

Columbia University Irving Medical Center’s Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC) and the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) have created the Ernest E. Just Biomedical Research Scholars @ Columbia, a groundbreaking program that will provide college and graduate students at historically Black colleges, universities, and medical schools (HBCUs) with research opportunities and access to mentors at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC) and the HICCC. In turn, faculty at CUIMC will have access to a diverse and talented cohort of students to mentor, and faculty will collaborate on research projects ranging from epidemiological studies to new ideas for cancer therapy.

The program aims to increase the number of Black researchers in tenure-track positions at Columbia and other top-tier biomedical research institutions by providing a critical link between young scientists in the pipeline at HBCUs and established researchers at Columbia University.

“The Ernest E. Just Biomedical Research Scholars Program is an opportunity to build mutually beneficial relationships between researchers at Columbia and HBCUs,” says Anil Rustgi, MD, the Herbert and Florence Irving professor of medicine at CUIMC and director of the HICCC. “The most innovative research comes when scientists from all backgrounds are represented and have a voice.”

Program Director

Program Benefits

The Ernest E. Just Research Scholars @ Columbia is an 11-week paid internship that offers:

  • Full-time research experience with mentorship from faculty and peers
  • Workshops and symposiums
  • Professional development and scientific networking activities
  • Housing and Stipend (including meals)

Application

Ernest E. Just Scholars Internship applications are accepted, reviewed, and selected by the UNCF via their application site at https://uncf.submittable.com/submit.

Note: Application submissions for the 2024 summer internship are currently closed.

Support the EE Just @ Columbia Program

You can support the EE Just @ Columbia Program by contributing to our crowdfunding campaign:

  1. Visit our crowdfunding page: Ernest E. Just Biomedical Research Scholars @ Columbia
  2. Choose your level of support: Every contribution helps advance the program's goals.
  3. Share the campaign: Spread the word through social networks to gather more support.

Your support is crucial to the success of this project, and we are incredibly grateful for your help.

The Ernest E. Just Biomedical Research Scholars program is crucial for promoting diversity in scientific research and offers invaluable opportunities for both students and faculty.

Program Snapshot

2021

The Program was established in 2021 as an 8-week virtual summer internship.

Columbia University faculty members provided One-on-One mentoring to twelve (12) 1st and 2nd-year medical school students and graduate students enrolled at Morehouse School of Medicine.​

2022

The Program for 2022 was an 8-week in-person summer internship.​

Twenty-eight (28) Columbia University faculty members provided One-on-One mentoring to thirty-three (33) 1st, 2nd, and 3rd-year medical school students and graduate students enrolled at Columbia University, Fisk University, Meharry Medical College, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Prairie View A&M University, Spelman College, University of California.​

2023

The Program for 2023 was an 11-week in-person summer internship.​

Twenty-three (23) Columbia University faculty members provided One-on-One mentoring to thirty-two (32) medical school students and graduate students enrolled at Columbia University and HBCU's including Fisk University, Howard University, Meharry Medical College, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Prairie View A&M University, Spelman College, Xavier University of Louisiana.

2024

The Program for 2024 was an 8-week in-person summer internship.​

Thirteen (13) faculty members from Columbia University provided one-on-one mentoring to Fourteen (14) medical school students and graduate students enrolled at Columbia University and HBCU's including Barnard College of Columbia University, Case Western, Georgia Institute of Technology, Howard University, Johnson C. Smith University, Meharry Medical College, Morehouse College, Morehouse School of Medicine, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University, Johnson C. Smith University, Spelman College

Program Contact

Please contact UNCF at eejustfellowship@uncf.org, or Taisha Lembert at tl2811@cumc.columbia.edu , with any questions.

Additional Information

For more information about the Ernest E. Just Research Scholars @ Columbia, visit: