Dear Colleague,
Thank you for your interest in joining the Society for Developmental Biology (SDB) Choose Development! program as a mentor.
Applications will be reviewed by the Choose Development! Committee (Graciela Unguez, PI; Ida Chow, Co-PI; and Richard Behringer, Program Coordinator). Choose Development! Academic Mentors will be chosen from SDB members who are distinguished researchers with a commitment to training undergraduate research Fellows in developmental biology. The goal of our program is to determine if a greater commitment to a student’s career path by motivated members of a professional society can result in broadening participation for the next generation of PhD recipients, sending them on to becoming leaders in developmental biology research.
The information on this application will be used to determine whether Academic Mentor applicants are a good fit with the program and student applicants. The criteria for becoming SDB Choose Development! Academic Mentors include: an interest in and commitment to this program, reserach funding, and experience training students in research.
About the Choose Development! Program
Mission: The Society for Developmental Biology (SDB) Choose Development! program aims to increase the number of undergraduate students from a wide range of backgrounds and institutions that enter graduate programs in the field of developmental biology, on their way to becoming independent researchers.
SDB Academic Mentors: Mentor applicants should be current SDB members who hold research grants and are committed to the mission of this program. The Mentor must be interested in establishing a working relationship with an undergraduate who is considering developmental biology as a career choice. The Mentor is expected to train and advise the undergraduate SDB Choose Development! Fellow for two consecutive summers and to provide a Laboratory Mentor (a postdoctoral fellow, an advanced graduate student, or a laboratory manager) who can assist in providing hands-on training to the Fellow. Applicants must be able to provide the laboratory supplies and equipment necessary for a productive experience for the student. Mentors (Academic and/or Lab) will be required to attend a virtual mentor workshop in early spring 2026.
In addition to supporting the SDB Choose Development! Fellow, SDB will support the attendance of either the Academic Mentor or the Laboratory Mentor to the 2027 SDB annual meeting at which the Fellow will present their 2026 summer research work. The SDB Choose Development! Committee is also willing to assist mentors wishing to apply for supplemental support for the laboratory through their current extramural funding sources in order to help defray additional expenses the SDB Fellow may incur in coming to the Mentor’s laboratory.
Host institutions should have an undergraduate summer research support system, such as SURP, REU or an officer who will integrate the SDB Fellow with other peers on campus. The Mentor should provide contact information for these coordinators.
Applications cannot be saved and returned to later. It is therefore recommended that you preview the questions and prepare your answers offline before beginning the online application. Deadline: February 1, 2026 at 11:59 pm ET.