Student Science Training Program
A seven-week summer residential research participation program
The Student Science Training Program at the University of Florida
(UF SSTP) is a seven-week residential research participation program for
gifted and highly talented high school rising seniors and juniors who are
considering pursuing science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM)
majors in college. The UF SSTP creates an environment that promotes the
academic and personal growth of students, helping each develop important
interpersonal, organizational, professional communication, and leadership
skills in an academically enriching setting.
The program focuses on research participation with UF faculty mentors and
their lab team, including undergraduate and graduate students, post-docs, and
research staff. Each UF SSTP participant is matched to a lab according to
his/her interest, experience, and career goals. Students spend a minimum of 30
hours each week doing research. By the end of the program, students will have
produced a quality research paper, a research poster, and presented two science
talks. Students also attend daily lectures or seminars given by UF research
faculty on current topics, such as Molecular Anthropology: From Colonization
Theories to Complex Diseases and Ethical Controversies in Science .
Students participate in a UF Interdisciplinary Honors Seminar Course. These
small group classes are taught by post-docs, PhD candidates, and medical school
students and emphasize cutting edge research. Students indicate a preference for
seminar topics which change yearly and have ranged from Cancer Biology and
Therapeutics to Plasma, Our Life to Space to Science in the News.
The UF SSTP provides a well-rounded experience. Students participate in social,
service, and recreational activities, attend weekend field trips, and have
unstructured time to network and build long-lasting friendships with their peers.
UF SSTP Facts
UF SSTP Alumni Comments
“I am still a science major because
of SSTP. I had an opportunity to
experience what it is like to be a
veterinarian.”
The 2015 summer will be the
57th consecutive year of the UF
SSTP, established in 1959.
More than 4,200 academically
talented students from every
county in Florida, 15 states,
and around the world have
participated in the UF SSTP.
“SSTP was the first time I was a
part of a team in a professional lab
environment.”
Annually, more than 120 UF
faculty members from over 30
departments contributed to UF
SSTP as lab mentors and
lecturers.
“SSTP heightened my interest in
science as a career. I continue to look
upon my SSTP summer as one of my
most valuable experiences.”
Applications for the 2015 summer will be available from our website in December 2014.
Please visit us at www.cpet.ufl.edu for more information about our programs.
334 Yon Hall
Box 112010
Gainesville, FL 32611
(352) 392-2310
cpet@cpet.ufl.edu
UF-CPET: Forging university / K-12 partnerships for over 50 years