Bar-Ilan University-Yeshiva University Summer Science Research Internships

The annual summer program enables YU students to intern in state-of-the-art labs at BIU

BIU-YU Summer Program, Class of 2025

Applications for 2025 are now closed.

Deadline for applications: Friday, February 14, 2025 (16 Shevat, 5785)

Dates of 2025 program:

Wednesday, June 25 (29 Sivan) until Monday, August 11 (17 Av)

The BIU-YU Summer Science Research Internship program places select undergraduates from Yeshiva College and Stern College in one of the state-of-the-art research laboratories of Bar-Ilan's Life Sciences, Brain Research, Exact Sciences, or Engineering Faculties. It enables talented undergraduate science majors to take part in the research of one of Bar-Ilan's more than 180 distinguished science and engineering faculty members.

In summer 2024 Bar-Ilan University hosted 29 budding scientists in another successful cohort of the Summer Research Internships for North American students. The abstracts of their research are now available (scroll down). The program was initiated in 2011 by Prof. Chaim Sukenik who headed it for 3 years. From 2014-2017, the program was directed by Prof. Ari Zivotofsky and the current director is Prof. Arlene Gordon.

Interested students should refer to the web pages of Bar-Ilan senior faculty and identify 5 research groups with which they might be interested in working. These choices (in preferential order) should be written in a word or pdf document that will be uploaded in the online application form. The application form also enables applicants to express an interest in different areas of research by simply entering the relevant key words. Try to be specific. The more specific you are, the easier it is to place you and the more likely the placement will be mutually beneficial. We will then do the match-making for you. Prospective applicants should understand that well-thought-out choices of key words and specific research groups will greatly enhance the extent to which the research experience can match their skills and interests.

Financial Overview: Students provide their own transportation to/from Israel. The program is generously funded by the late Dr. Mordecai Katz z"l and Dr. Monique Katz, the Irving I. Stone Foundation and the Zoltan Erenyi Fund. During the program, participants are provided with housing at Yeshiva University's Gruss Institute in Jerusalem. Daily transportation will be provided between Gruss and Bar-Ilan campus (Ramat Gan), as will breakfasts and dinners (Sundays through Thursdays). Each student's contribution to the cost of running the program is $120 payable in cash (dollars or shekels) at the beginning of the program.

If additional information is required, please contact Prof. Arlene Gordon.

Abstracts from Previous Years

Take a look at our successful programs from past years!

2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 ,2024

FAQ

Who is eligible to apply?

YU undergraduates majoring in any of the sciences and having completed (by June 2025) at least 2 years of college level science course work can apply. Preference will be given to students with some previous research experience and who are further along in their college career. In addition, every year a select number of appropriate, non-YU students are accepted to the program and such students are encouraged to apply.

How will the assignment to research groups be made?

If a student's credentials are strong enough to be accepted into the program, the student will be matched to a lab appropriate for their skills and interests. The exact nature of the research project and the degree to which the student will be independent in the lab will be the subject of discussion between each student and their faculty supervisor.

What is a typical day's/week's schedule?

Breakfast will be provided at Gruss (Yeshiva University’s Israel campus). Bus transportation will leave Gruss each morning (Sunday through Thursday) at ~8:15 and leave BIU at ~5:00 PM to return to Gruss. Students are responsible for their own lunches and snacks. Evenings, as well as Fridays and Shabbat are, in general, free. Program staff will be happy to help students arrange for home hospitality for Shabbatot. The first and last shabbatot of the program will be Shabbatonim at Gruss in which all participants are expected to join. Approximately once a week there will be half day “Tiyulim” with an Israeli scientific bent and approximately once a week there will be a group lunch at Bar-Ilan campus, featuring a distinguished speaker from amongst the Bar-Ilan faculty.

Please provide some additional details of the logistics and finances of the program.

The program will reflect the religious nature of both YU and BIU. Dormitory arrangements for men and women are separate with no visitations of men in the women's dorm or vice versa. Shabbat and Kashrut will be observed. Minyanim for Tefilla Betzibur will be available and the Gruss Beit Midrash is open to students in the evenings. Our staff will help students who are interested in setting up Chavrutot during time not designated for research activities. The program emphasizes Torah study as an integral part of the summer and evening lectures and Shiurim will be planned once the program begins, so as to reflect the interests and preferences of the participants.

Students will make their own arrangements for travel to/from Israel. You are expected to arrive at the dorms on Wednesday, 29 Sivan (June 25) in the afternoon/evening and vacate your room on the morning of Monday, August 11 (17 Av). We will only accept students who intend to stay for the full extent of the program. The dorms include coin-operated laundry facilities and students are expected to deal with their own laundry. Students will be expected to provide their own sheets and linens. Limited general housekeeping services will be provided by the dorm. Students are expected to arrange their own travel insurance and medical insurance.

Each student's contribution to the cost of running the program is $120 payable in cash (dollars or shekels) at the beginning of the program.

Which forms should be filled in by your recommenders?

You should ask two people to write letters of recommendation on your behalf. One recommendation should be professional/academic (science professor or research supervisor) and the other one should be personal (rabbi, religious studies teacher, year-in-Israel studies teacher).
Download the forms Personal Recommendation Form and Professional Academic Recommendation Form and send them to your letter writers who should fill in the table and write their comments underneath. They should then send the filled-out forms to [email protected] and [email protected].

Can the summer research count towards course credit?

YC and SCW students must register at YC/SCW for one credit of independent study. Other schools leave it up to the students, and in cases where the student wants credit, we will provide documentation of program participation and a program description. The final presentation from the research symposium is usually sufficient. Internal charges for registering for independent research credit vary from school to school and it is the responsibility of each participant to deal with such issues on his/her own.