Below you'll find short answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about the Rocky Mountain Summer Research Education Experience. If you've got additional questions that aren't answered here or elsewhere on the RMSREE website, please feel free to contact us!
RMSREE Fellows are expected to:
- Work collaboratively in a research laboratory to contribute to bioengineering, biomedical imaging, or health informatics research already on-going with CU Denver faculty
- Develop and implement a living document called a Professional Development Plan with specific goals and action items to enhance the STEM education experience of their classroom
- Present talks (one mid-summer, one end of summer) describing the research you have accomplished and your plans for how you will change your teaching based on what you have learned to other cohort members, program personnel, and prior RMSREE participants
- Support other RMSREE Fellows through participation in weekly events during the summer (e.g. Seminars and Forums) and by returning to campus the following January and the following summer to share successes and challenges of STEM content implementation
- Commit to increasing their STEM classroom content for at least five years following their summer experience
ON CAMPUS dates: Monday, June 9 through Friday, August 1
Orientation: Monday, June 9
Laboratory research experience: Monday, June 9 through Friday, August 1
Seminars and forums, full group lab mini-experiences, cohort collab time: Tuesday or Wednesday each week
Independent reflection period: completion of professional development plan and final program presentation: August 2 through August 15
Final presentations and program "graduation": Saturday, August 16
We realize that school district calendars are widely varied. Please do not let a need to shift research dates slightly to accommodate your school district keep you from applying! If you're an engaged teacher, excited about scientific research, and are ready to meet other Rocky Mountain Region teachers, we want to hear from you.
Depending on the composition of the cohort, slight adjustments made to the start and end dates may be made. Please reach out to us with any questions.
Program dates will be finalized once the 2025 Team is confirmed.
The 2025 cohort may be the final cohort to have the RMSREE experience due to the funding end dates.
We want the 2025 cohort to have the same experience that other RMSREE cohorts have had, including the January follow-up meeting and "Second Summer" cohort get-togethers. Typically, participants were issued 3 stipend installments.
To avoid funding constraints, the 2025 cohort will receive $7500 upon completion of the first summer research experience in August. The second installment of $500 will be issued after the January 2026 cohort meeting.
The most successful research experiences happen when the researcher is interested in both their day-to-day activities and the bigger picture. Likewise, transfer of passion for research to a classroom experience relies on excitement. Extreme care will be taken to pair participants with research mentors based on research interests and curricular goals. Information provided in the application (e.g. personal statements) and during the candidate interview will guide the placement of each participant into a mentor's lab.
NEW in 2024! We will be able to offer some support for on-campus housing to our RMSREE cohort!
Not excited by a long commute to Denver? Spend more time on your research and classroom content development by taking advantage of on-campus housing.
https://www.ucdenver.edu/housing-and-dining/summer/summer-intern-housing
YES! Increasing diversity in industrial and academic STEM professions begins with today's high school students identifying with and being engaged by the individuals they see every day in their classrooms. RMSREE is committed to supporting participants from all backgrounds. The Downtown Campus of the University of Colorado Denver has a long tradition of teaching excellence and a demonstrated commitment to serving undergraduate students from underrepresented minority and other underrepresented populations.
Participation in RMSREE doesn't require any commitment from your school district beyond being supportive of your participation and the ability for you to introduce new course content into your classroom as a result of your summer research experience.
The only teacher data we expect to collect will be in the form of survey questions about the RMSREE experience, to ensure that the program is delivering on our goals, as well as some aggregate data about the populations of students teachers serve, for NIH reporting purposes.
RMSREE has no expectation of collecting student data. We anticipate only observing changes to instruction, not direct student impact.
Unfortunately, the RMSREE funding mechanism is only able to support US citizens or permanent residents. Thank you for your dedication to HS STEM education.
Are you creative? Are you curious? Does the idea of spending your summer talking with students and faculty about research sound exciting?
Then RMSREE may be right for you!
The RMSREE selection committee seeks Rocky Mountain Region high school and community college teachers with at least 2 years of STEM teaching experience who are creative, independent, driven, and have a strong dedication to mentoring students. Being situated at an urban research university, the RMSREE strives to echo the diversity of our environment by attracting a diverse group of Fellows who educate and inspire diverse student populations.
The RMSREE application can be completed online.
Be prepared to answer some informational questions about yourself and your teaching training and experience, provide the names of 2 professional references who will be submitting a letter on your behalf, and answer two brief personal statements. Please save your personal statements as a single pdf and your transcripts as a single pdf. Please email both files to rmsree@ucdenver.edu with the subject "[Applicant's Name] -- Personal Statements &Transcripts".