Program dates
June 1 - August 7, 2026
Application dates
The application portal is now closed. Please check back in the fall for Summer 2026 updates.
Define your career path at Roswell Park
Roswell Park is the only National Cancer Institute (NCI)-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in Upstate New York. As a free-standing cancer center, we offer a unique internship experience for college students through our Summer Research Experience in Cancer (SURE-CAN) Program. College interns will:
- Experience an immersive 10-week curriculum comprised of lectures on cancer biology and treatment and a mentored-research experience.
- Receive didactic and hands-on training in quantitative sciences and emerging technologies including cancer imaging, genomics/bioinformatics, computational oncology, and artificial intelligence.
- Understand and apply statistics, research ethics, rigor and reproducibility in research.
- Participate in professional development activities including a career panel and a session on applying to graduate school. Regarding graduate school, you can get your MS or PhD in Cancer Science at Roswell Park, too. Eighty percent of summer interns who apply to our PhD program are accepted!
- Interns develop skills in scientific communication. The college program culminates in a series of closing events that are open to the public during which interns deliver a 3-minute lay talk, 10 minute research presentation, and a scientific poster.
Why choose a research experience at Roswell Park?
We’re an internationally renowned institution with a focus on translational bench-to-bedside cancer research. The benefits of participating are numerous and include gaining career insights, developing scientific skills, enhancing your resume, and building a professional network.
Bench-to-bedside experience
Mentorship and collaboration
The latest technology
- Karen McLean, MD, PhD, FACOG
- Kent Nastiuk, PhD
- Richard O'Connor, PhD
- Chetan Oturkar, PhD
- Veena Prahlad, PhD, MSc
- Dheerendra Prasad, MD, MCh, FACRO
- Mukund Seshadri, DDS, PhD
- Gal Shafirstein, DSc, MSc, BSc
- Anurag K. Singh, MD
- Aimee Stablewski, PhD
- Zachary Stiles, DO, MS
- Pamela Sung, MD, PhD
- Benjamin Switzer, DO, MHSA, MS
- Anna Woloszynska, PhD
- Karen Yeary, PhD
Ready to get started?
Review important information about applying below and submit your application prior to the deadline of January 2, 2026. Applications that do not meet program eligibility requirements will not be considered.
You must meet all the following criteria at the time of application:
- Eligible applicants include U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents who are either:
- Enrolled in their junior year of college at the time of application (graduating class of 2027) OR
- Enrolled in their sophomore year AND participating in a SUNY C-STEP, LSAMP or McNair Program
There are no application fees.
- Funding is available to provide a $6,000 support subsistence allowances for applicants accepted into the summer program. Payment is made on a bi-weekly basis during the program. Funding support is made possible by our NCI grant R25CA181003 and is awarded based on the qualifications of applicants and criteria required by our outside funding sources. This allowance can be used for food, incidentals and dormitory/housing costs.
- You are responsible for your travel expenses to and from Buffalo, New York.
- Out-of-town students are responsible for their own lodging. Information about housing options will be provided upon acceptance into the program.
You must be able to commit full time to our program which runs from June 2, 2026-August 7, 2026. All students are required to attend each day of the program and are required to train for the full day. Schedules are eight hours per day for a total of 40 hours per week. Starting and ending times will be determined by your mentor based on supervisor availability. You will not be allowed to take time off during the work week for vacations.
In an emergency, students who need to take at most one to two days off will be required to make up that time during the program. These arrangements are not guaranteed. Any requests will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
How to apply
Step 1 - Prepare your personal statement that answers the following questions (limit to 300 words):
- What are your education and career goals, and what is your motivation towards the goals you have chosen for yourself?
- How will an internship in a cancer research laboratory help you to achieve your education and career goals?
- What knowledge, skills and insights do you hope to attain from a cancer research training experience?
Step 2 - Review available mentored research experiences above.
It is highly recommended you print or reference this list when ranking your choice of mentor in the online application.
Step 3 - Choose your reference
In the online application, you will be asked to provide contact information for a professor, advisor or other individual who can assess your abilities in science. Be sure to notify this individual that you are using them as a reference and that they should expect an email from someone in the Roswell Park program asking them to complete an online recommendation on your behalf.
Step 4 - Have an unofficial transcript readily available to upload.
Step 5 - Complete your application.
Questions?
For more information about the College Summer Research Experience at Roswell Park, connect with Pamela Hershberger, PhD, at Pamela.Hershberger@RoswellPark.org.
