University of California, Berkeley
PROGRAM DATES:
June 8 - August 14, 2026
APPLICATION DEADLINE:
February 1, 2026
Applications to be an Amgen Scholar are provided by and processed at each participating host institution. Follow the link above to find this institution’s application.
Lissette Andres, PhD, Associate Program Director
Audrey Knowlton, Program Director
(510) 642-0280
amgenscholars@berkeley.edu
Amgen Scholars at the University of California, Berkeley, participate in ten weeks of intensive scientific investigation. Each Scholar works directly with an in-lab mentor, a postdoctoral scholar or graduate student while actively engaged in a research endeavor within the laboratory of a Berkeley faculty member. In addition to working full-time in the laboratory, Scholars also participate in lab activities, such as weekly lab meetings, subgroup meetings, and journal clubs. In general, the program at Berkeley provides undergraduates with the opportunity to engage in pioneering research and gain knowledge from eminent scientists in the fields of biological sciences, bioengineering, biophysics, chemical and biomolecular engineering, chemistry, chemical biology, computational biology/data science, and other STEM disciplines.
Mandatory weekly faculty seminars cover a vast multitude of scientific disciplines. Scientific career opportunities, scientific writing and presentation preparation, and graduate admissions workshops are among the professional development topics presented. The benefits provided to Amgen Scholars encompass a stipend, round-trip air travel (if necessary) or mileage reimbursement to and from Berkeley, coverage of summer session fees, access to various student benefits, accommodations in campus apartments, a meal allowance, and the opportunity to participate in the Amgen Scholars North America Symposium in July.
The Graduate Student Program Assistants/Mentors (GAs) work outside of the and provide support to Scholars in all facets of the program, prioritizing both academic and social elements. Each GA engages in regular weekly meetings with their scholars, either in a group or individual setting, in order to assess their progress and offer a diverse range of support. At the end of the summer program, GAs assist Scholars in preparing their posters and oral presentations to their peers, in-lab and faculty mentors, lab members, and program staff.
Alumni of the UC Berkeley Amgen Scholars Program have demonstrated a high level of success in gaining admission to UC Berkeley as well as other prestigious graduate programs throughout the United States, and subsequently earning their advanced degrees.
