Broad Summer Research Program (BSRP): 2027 Fully Funded Undergraduate Research

Broad Summer Research Program (BSRP): 2027 Fully Funded Undergraduate Research

The Broad Summer Research Program (BSRP) is a nine-week, full-time summer research experience for undergraduate students interested in biomedical research. The Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard has published the 2027 program dates, eligibility, application checklist, financial support, and deadlines. Applications are scheduled to open at the end of October. The application deadline is January 10, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time; recommendation letters are due January 11, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.

The 2027 cohort will meet in person in Boston and Cambridge from June 7 through August 6, 2027. Participants must arrive by June 6 and be available for the full program, including scheduled weekend activities. Broad has announced the 2027 cycle and says the application opens at the end of October; the application form is not yet described as open. January 10, 2027 is the upcoming application deadline, not an archived date. Before applying, read both the program page and its FAQ because the FAQ gives additional detail on participation, required materials, and benefits.

Program at a glance

The program is designed around mentored research rather than a classroom-only summer course. Students work on original computational or experimental projects with research mentors in the Broad’s scientific areas. The institute brings together researchers in biology, chemistry, medicine, computer science, and engineering to study disease and connect biological insights with patient impact. BSRP applicants should therefore be prepared to explain what questions in biomedical research interest them and how they hope to grow as researchers.

What participants do

Research is the central commitment. Students join a Broad research group and carry out original work under a mentor’s guidance. The institute’s work spans areas such as cancer, infectious disease, and computational biology. The FAQ says that projects are assigned according to a student’s scientific interests, skills, and experience level. Applicants can describe research interests and goals in their application, but Broad does not publish a list of participating labs before the application deadline. An application should make a thoughtful case for the fields and questions that motivate the student without assuming a particular lab placement.

The summer also includes structured activities beyond the lab. Participants take part in weekly leadership and career-development sessions, a weekly science communication course, and opportunities to meet faculty and program alumni. Those elements are part of the program rather than optional extras. At the conclusion, students deliver oral and poster presentations about their research. A prospective participant should be interested both in doing sustained research and in discussing that work with a scientific audience.

The program is full time. Participants cannot take other courses or programs, including undergraduate classes and graduate-admission preparation courses, and cannot hold outside employment during BSRP. Students are expected to take part throughout the program, including scheduled weekend events. The FAQ says academic or family obligations may be excused with advance notice, and conflicting exams can be proctored by program staff. It also says early departures are not allowed. If a quarter-based academic calendar or a family obligation might overlap, disclose the issue through the application and discuss it with the program rather than assuming a late arrival or early departure can be accommodated.

Eligibility for the 2027 cycle

Applicants must have a strong interest in graduate study leading to a PhD or MD-PhD and demonstrate a strong interest in biomedical research or a related field. Broad gives relevant STEM coursework, including general chemistry or general biology by the start of the program, as examples of preparation. The FAQ emphasizes that previous research experience is not required. Students with limited opportunities to engage in STEM research are especially encouraged to apply, so a first research placement is within the program’s intended audience.

For the academic-year requirement, applicants must be enrolled in a four-year college in the United States for Fall 2026 and have a graduation date of December 2027 or later. The stated major fields are physical sciences, biological sciences, computer sciences, engineering, and mathematics. The minimum GPA is 3.2 on a 4.0 scale. Students whose graduation plans do not match that cutoff should not assume that an expected summer completion is acceptable; the published FAQ explicitly describes BSRP as restricted to non-graduating students and says the graduation date must be December 2027 or later.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States when they apply. The Broad says it will not provide sponsorship for this role. Students should check their own authorization status against that requirement before investing time in essays or asking recommenders to prepare letters. Enrollment at a US college alone does not establish eligibility if the applicant does not have the required work authorization.

The program requires attendance for its full nine-week duration. Candidates should consider the calendar, campus commitments, employment, summer classes, exams, and travel plans together before applying. BSRP is structured as an immersive full-time placement, not an internship that can be combined with another job or a course schedule. If an academic conflict may be manageable through staff proctoring, identify it early and include it in the application where Broad requests potential conflicts.

Funding and costs

The 2027 BSRP offers a $5,400 stipend. Broad also lists paid housing at partner university housing facilities and domestic air or ground travel to and from Boston. The institute sponsors participants to travel to and present summer research at a national scientific conference. Meals are covered when they coincide with program events scheduled around breakfast or dinner. Together, these supports address several substantial costs associated with spending a summer away from a student’s home institution.

The published benefit description is specific about domestic travel to and from Boston; applicants should review the official page for the current details and any instructions about arranging or reimbursing travel. The housing benefit is described as paid housing at partner university housing facilities. It is not a general cash housing allowance, so students should follow program instructions about the assigned accommodation and avoid making separate housing plans on the assumption that they can receive the value in cash.

The stipend amount and listed supports are 2027 program terms. Applicants should rely on the current Broad page if detailed travel, housing, or meal arrangements are important to their budget. The FAQ identifies meals tied to program events and does not describe unrestricted meal coverage. Similarly, conference support is sponsorship to present summer research at a national scientific conference; it should not be interpreted as a cash award usable for unrelated travel.

Application materials

Broad lists five components for a complete application: an online application form, five short essay responses, unofficial transcripts, a CV or resume, and two recommendation letters. Transcripts from current and previously attended undergraduate institutions should be gathered early. The FAQ instructs applicants to combine these unofficial transcripts into one PDF document. Check that the combined file is legible and includes the institutions needed to document the applicant’s academic history.

The CV or resume should cover relevant experience up to the application date. Broad specifically names education, research experience, presentations, leadership experience, and extracurricular activities. Applicants with limited lab experience can still prepare a useful account of coursework, quantitative or computational projects, science-related activities, presentations, and leadership. The point is to provide an accurate picture of preparation and interests rather than to make a short record look like an extensive research career.

The five essays are an opportunity to explain the student’s interest in biomedical research, goals for graduate study, and scientific questions or areas that appeal to them. Since Broad assigns projects based on interests, skills, and experience, specific interests can help the program understand possible research matches. Students should be clear about what they have actually done and what they hope to learn. A thoughtful connection between relevant coursework, a research question, and a long-term interest is more informative than claiming to be equally interested in every laboratory field.

Two recommendation letters are required. Broad recommends asking mentors, faculty, or teachers who can speak to research skills, commitment to a research career, enthusiasm for learning, and relevant intellectual and personal qualities. A research supervisor is a good choice when available, but the FAQ does not require a specific job title or institution. Friends and family members are not appropriate recommenders. Since letters are due one day after the application, ask potential recommenders well ahead of time, confirm that they can meet the separate submission deadline, and provide them with current information about the program and the applicant’s goals.

How to apply

The official BSRP page says the application opens at the end of October. Broad provides a form for people who want to be notified when the application opens. Interested students can use that notification route, then return to the official program page to access and complete the online application once it is available. Do not treat the notification form as a substitute for the full application: the application itself requires essays, academic records, a CV or resume, and two recommendation letters.

Submit the full application by January 10, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Recommenders must submit their letters by January 11, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Because the letter deadline is separate, make sure each recommender knows the exact instructions and has time to submit through the process Broad specifies. Keep confirmation of the application submission and verify that both letters have been received before their deadline.

Broad says applicants will receive email notifications as decisions are made and that all decisions will be made by mid-March. The official page does not promise a particular decision date for each person. Applicants should monitor the email address associated with their application and follow any instructions Broad sends. Avoid sending duplicate applications or assuming that silence before the stated decision window means a specific outcome.

Preparing a strong, accurate application

Start with eligibility. Check the four-year college enrollment requirement, Fall 2026 enrollment term, graduation cutoff, major field, GPA, US work authorization, and ability to attend for the entire program. These are separate conditions. Meeting the GPA requirement does not replace work authorization, for example, and a compelling research interest does not override the graduation-date rule.

Next, assemble the document set. Request unofficial transcripts from every relevant undergraduate institution and combine them into one readable PDF. Update the CV with education, research or technical experience, presentations, leadership, and extracurricular activities. Choose two recommenders who can speak to the applicant’s preparation and potential, and approach them before the deadline period. Provide concise context about BSRP and the requested qualities so their letters can address the program’s criteria directly.

For the essays, identify a small number of biomedical questions that the student can discuss with genuine understanding. Connect those interests to prior coursework, projects, or experiences, including non-laboratory experiences when appropriate. Explain what training or research exposure would help the student decide whether doctoral research is a good fit. Because prior research is not required, applicants do not need to apologize for being new to research. They should instead show curiosity, reflection, and readiness to learn while describing their existing experience honestly.

Finally, plan the summer as a full-time commitment in the Boston and Cambridge area. Review the arrival date and program span, assess whether classes, work, family responsibilities, exams, or travel would conflict, and raise any potential academic or family obligation in advance. The FAQ describes a demanding schedule with lab work and program events. A realistic plan for attending throughout the program is part of deciding whether to apply.

Common questions

Is BSRP accepting applications today? Broad says the 2027 application opens at the end of October. It publishes a form for people who want notification when applications open. The full application deadline is January 10, 2027.

When are recommendation letters due? January 11, 2027 at 11:59 p.m. ET, one day after the application deadline.

What is the stipend? The 2027 program lists a $5,400 stipend, paid housing, domestic travel to and from Boston, conference presentation sponsorship, and meals at certain program events.

Do I need previous laboratory research? No. Broad says previous research experience is not required, while applicants do need to show interest in biomedical research and graduate study.

Can I graduate before or during the program? The stated cutoff is a graduation date of December 2027 or later. Applicants graduating earlier do not meet the published academic-year requirement.

Can international students apply? An applicant must already be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application. Broad says it will not sponsor work authorization.

Can I take a class or work another job at the same time? No. BSRP is full time, and participants cannot enroll in other courses or programs or work outside BSRP during the program.

Can I select a lab in advance? Broad assigns projects based on scientific interests, skills, and experience, and does not provide a list of participating labs before the application deadline. Applicants can describe their interests in the form but should not expect a guaranteed lab placement.

How can I get notified when the form opens? Use the application notification form linked from the official BSRP page, then complete the application through the official program route after it becomes available.

Official information

Dates, eligibility, benefits, and application instructions can change, so use the Broad Summer Research Program page and its BSRP FAQ as the final authority. The current announcement identifies the 2027 cohort, including its January application deadlines, June and August program dates, and updated eligibility term. Applicants should follow those pages if the online form provides more detailed submission directions or Broad publishes a revision.

BSRP combines mentored research with communication training, career development, and cohort activities. For eligible students considering graduate research, it offers a structured way to spend a summer in a biomedical research environment while receiving a stipend and practical support. The most useful next steps are to confirm each eligibility condition, prepare the transcript and CV materials, approach recommenders, and check Broad’s application page when the form opens at the end of October.