Tsinghua Amgen Scholars 2026: Fully-Funded 8-Week Life Sciences Research in Beijing

If you’re an undergraduate student at an Asian university passionate about life sciences research, and you want to spend your summer conducting cutting-edge research at one of China’s most prestigious institutions—with every expense covered—the Tsinghua Amgen Scholars Program offers exactly that opportunity.

This is not a passive internship where you observe from the sidelines. You’ll spend eight weeks embedded in a research laboratory at Tsinghua University, working on an actual research project under faculty mentorship, learning advanced techniques, collecting and analyzing data, and presenting your findings at a final symposium. You’ll be doing real science, contributing to ongoing research, and gaining the kind of hands-on experience that strengthens graduate school applications and clarifies whether a research career is right for you.

The program is part of the global Amgen Scholars initiative, which operates at leading research universities worldwide. The Tsinghua program specifically serves undergraduate students enrolled at universities across Asia—from Japan to India, Singapore to Kazakhstan. If you’re studying anywhere in Asia and have a strong academic record in life sciences or related fields, you’re eligible to apply.

What makes this opportunity particularly valuable is the comprehensive financial support. Tsinghua Amgen Scholars receive a monthly stipend for living expenses, round-trip airfare between their home country and Beijing, on-campus housing at Tsinghua University, partial meal allowance, and paid tuition for any associated coursework. You won’t need to worry about how to afford the summer—the program covers your costs so you can focus entirely on research.

Beyond the research itself, you’ll participate in professional development workshops on topics like graduate school applications, research careers, and scientific communication. You’ll explore Beijing through organized cultural activities. And you’ll build connections with fellow scholars from across Asia, Tsinghua faculty, and the broader global Amgen Scholars network—relationships that often last well beyond the summer.

Tsinghua Amgen Scholars 2026 at a Glance

What This Program Actually Offers

The Tsinghua Amgen Scholars Program is designed to give you an authentic research experience, not just exposure to a lab. Here’s what that means in practice:

Hands-On Laboratory Research: You’ll dedicate 30-40 hours per week to laboratory work under the guidance of a Tsinghua faculty mentor. This isn’t make-work—you’ll be contributing to ongoing research projects. Depending on your assigned lab and project, you might be designing and conducting experiments, learning advanced techniques like CRISPR gene editing or single-cell sequencing, analyzing genomic or proteomic data, troubleshooting when experiments don’t work as expected, and documenting your methods and results in a lab notebook.

The research areas span the breadth of modern life sciences including molecular and cell biology, biochemistry and structural biology, genetics and genomics, immunology and infectious disease, neuroscience and brain research, cancer biology and oncology, bioinformatics and computational biology, synthetic biology and bioengineering, developmental biology, and systems biology. You’ll be matched with a lab based on your interests, background, and available placements.

Expert Mentorship: Your faculty mentor is an active researcher publishing papers, securing grants, and advancing their field. They’ll meet with you regularly to discuss your project, teach you techniques, help you interpret results, and guide your development as a researcher. Many scholars also work closely with graduate students and postdocs in the lab, who provide day-to-day guidance and become valuable mentors in their own right.

Research Symposium: At the end of the eight weeks, you’ll present your research findings at a final symposium, just like scientists do at professional conferences. You’ll prepare a poster or oral presentation explaining your project, methods, results, and conclusions. You’ll answer questions from other scholars, faculty, and program staff. This experience is invaluable for building confidence in scientific communication and is excellent preparation for future conference presentations.

Professional Development: The program includes workshops and seminars on topics directly relevant to your future career including how to apply to competitive PhD programs, what graduate school is really like and how to succeed, career paths in academic research versus industry, how to write effective research papers, research ethics and responsible conduct of research, and networking strategies for building professional relationships. These sessions are led by Tsinghua faculty, visiting scientists, and sometimes Amgen Scholars alumni who’ve gone on to successful research careers.

Cultural Immersion: Living in Beijing for eight weeks gives you deep exposure to Chinese culture and modern China. The program organizes cultural activities like visits to the Great Wall, Forbidden City, and other historical sites, exploration of Beijing’s neighborhoods and local culture, traditional Chinese cultural experiences, and opportunities to practice Mandarin if you’re learning the language. For many scholars, the cultural experience is as valuable as the research itself.

Global Network: You’ll join the Amgen Scholars alumni network, which includes thousands of students who’ve participated in programs at Tsinghua, Cambridge, MIT, Stanford, and other leading universities worldwide. This network provides ongoing opportunities for connection, collaboration, and career support long after the summer ends.

Comprehensive Financial Support: The program removes financial barriers by covering stipend for personal expenses during your stay, round-trip airfare between your home country and Beijing (economy class), on-campus housing at Tsinghua University, partial meal allowance to offset food costs, and paid tuition for any associated summer coursework. You’ll need some money for personal expenses and activities beyond what’s covered, but the program ensures that lack of funds won’t prevent you from participating.

Who Should Apply to Tsinghua Amgen Scholars

This program is designed for undergraduate students who are serious about life sciences research and considering graduate education. You’re a strong candidate if:

You Meet the Basic Requirements: You must be currently enrolled as an undergraduate student at a college or university in Asia (this includes East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Central Asia). You must have completed at least one year of undergraduate study by June 2026. You must NOT be graduating before June 2026—you need to return to your university for at least one more semester after the program. You must have a strong academic record, typically GPA 3.3+/4.0 or equivalent. You must have relevant coursework in biology, chemistry, or life sciences.

You Have Research Experience or Strong Research Potential: While previous research experience isn’t absolutely required, most successful applicants have some exposure to research through undergraduate research projects, summer research programs, lab courses with significant research components, independent study projects, or research assistant positions. If you haven’t done formal research, you’ll need to demonstrate strong research potential through your academic performance, relevant coursework, and clear articulation of your research interests.

You’re Genuinely Interested in Life Sciences: This program is for students who find biological questions fascinating and want to understand how living systems work at the molecular and cellular level. You should be excited about the prospect of spending eight weeks in a lab, not just viewing it as a resume builder. The selection committee can tell the difference between genuine passion and going through the motions.

You Can Commit Fully for Eight Weeks: The program runs full-time for eight weeks. You can’t participate part-time, remotely, or while juggling other commitments. You need to be able to relocate to Beijing for the summer and dedicate yourself entirely to the research and program activities.

You’re Comfortable with English: While you don’t need to take TOEFL or IELTS, you must be able to conduct research, participate in discussions, attend seminars, and communicate with mentors and peers in English. Most scientific research worldwide is conducted in English, so this is a practical requirement, not just a program rule.

You’re Considering Graduate School: The program is designed for students who are considering (though not necessarily committed to) pursuing PhD programs in life sciences or related fields. If you’re certain you want to go straight into industry or professional school after your bachelor’s degree, this might not be the best fit. The program aims to prepare future research leaders.

You’re an especially strong candidate if you have publications or conference presentations (even as co-author), have won academic awards or competitive scholarships, can identify specific research questions that fascinate you, have taken advanced courses in your field beyond the basic requirements, have demonstrated leadership in student organizations or research groups, or come from an underrepresented background in science.

Insider Tips for a Competitive Application

The Tsinghua Amgen Scholars Program is highly competitive, receiving applications from top students across Asia for a limited number of spots. Here’s what actually makes a difference:

Start Preparing Early: Don’t wait until March to think about your application. Start in December or January. This gives you time to reflect on your research interests, reach out to potential recommenders, draft and revise your essays, and gather all necessary materials without rushing. Rushed applications are obvious and rarely successful.

Articulate Specific Research Interests: Don’t just say you’re interested in “biology” or “genetics.” Be specific. What particular questions or problems fascinate you? What have you read about recently that excited you? What techniques do you want to learn? “I’m interested in understanding how epigenetic modifications regulate gene expression during development, and I’d love to learn chromatin immunoprecipitation and next-generation sequencing techniques” is much stronger than “I’m interested in genetics.”

Highlight Your Research Experience with Specificity: Don’t just list that you worked in Professor X’s lab. Explain what you actually did. What was the research question? What techniques did you learn? What were your specific responsibilities? What did you contribute? What did you learn? “I worked in Dr. Chen’s immunology lab studying T cell activation. I learned flow cytometry, cell culture, and Western blotting. I designed and conducted experiments testing how different cytokines affect T cell proliferation, analyzed the data, and contributed to a manuscript currently under review” tells a much more compelling story than “Research assistant in immunology lab.”

Connect Your Interests to Tsinghua’s Strengths: Do your homework. Look at Tsinghua’s life sciences faculty and research areas. While you won’t be choosing your specific lab in the application, showing that you understand what kind of research happens at Tsinghua and how it aligns with your interests demonstrates genuine interest. “I’m particularly interested in synthetic biology and bioengineering, and I know Tsinghua has strong programs in these areas” shows you’ve done your research.

Get Strong Letters of Recommendation: Choose recommenders who know your work well and can speak specifically to your research abilities and potential. A detailed letter from a professor who supervised your undergraduate research is worth far more than a generic letter from a famous professor who barely knows you. Give your recommenders at least 3-4 weeks notice, provide them with your CV and draft essays, and remind them of specific work you did in their lab or class that they might mention.

Write Clearly and Authentically: Your essays should sound like you, not like you’re trying to impress someone with fancy vocabulary. Write clearly, be specific, tell stories that illustrate your points, and be genuine about your interests and goals. Admissions committees read hundreds of essays—authentic voices stand out.

Proofread Everything: Typos and grammatical errors suggest carelessness. Have someone else read your application materials before you submit. Small mistakes can undermine an otherwise strong application.

Submit Before the Deadline: Don’t wait until March 15 at 11:59 PM. Submit at least a few days early. Technical issues happen, and you don’t want to lose your chance because the website crashed or your internet went out at the last minute.

Application Timeline and Process

Here’s a realistic timeline for applying to the 2026 program:

November 2025: Research and Reflect: When applications open on November 1, start by thoroughly researching the program. Read the official website, look at Tsinghua’s life sciences programs, and if possible, reach out to past participants to ask about their experiences. Spend time reflecting on your research interests and why this program is a good fit for your goals.

December 2025: Identify Recommenders and Draft Essays: Identify the two faculty members who will write your letters of recommendation. Reach out to them early, explain the program, ask if they’re willing to write a strong letter, and provide them with all necessary information including the deadline (March 15), how to submit the letter, your CV, and draft essays. Start drafting your personal essay and other written responses. Don’t try to write everything in one sitting—draft, step away, revise, get feedback, revise again.

January-February 2026: Finalize Application: Complete your online application form, upload your unofficial transcripts, finalize your CV highlighting your academic achievements and research experience, polish your essays until they’re clear and compelling, and ensure your recommenders have submitted their letters (send polite reminders if needed).

Early March 2026: Final Review and Submit: Do a final review of your entire application. Make sure everything is complete and error-free. Submit by early March, giving yourself a buffer before the March 15 deadline.

March-April 2026: Wait for Results: The selection committee reviews applications and makes decisions. You’ll be notified of the outcome in March or April. If you’re accepted, you’ll receive detailed information about next steps, travel arrangements, and program logistics.

April-May 2026: Prepare for the Program: If accepted, you’ll need to arrange your travel (the program will provide guidance and reimburse costs), complete any required paperwork or visa applications, communicate with program staff about housing and logistics, and prepare for your summer in Beijing.

June-August 2026: Participate in the Program: The eight-week program runs from early June through early August. You’ll conduct research, attend seminars and workshops, participate in cultural activities, and present your findings at the final symposium.

Living in Beijing During the Summer

Housing: You’ll live in on-campus housing at Tsinghua University, likely in dormitory-style accommodation shared with other program participants. This is convenient—you’ll be steps from your lab and from other scholars. The housing is basic but comfortable, and living with other participants creates a built-in community.

Meals: The program provides a partial meal allowance. Tsinghua has multiple dining halls offering Chinese and some international food at very affordable prices. Beijing also has countless restaurants, street food vendors, and international options. Food costs in Beijing are generally lower than in many Western countries, so your meal allowance should cover most of your needs.

Getting Around: Tsinghua is located in northwest Beijing, accessible by subway. Beijing has an excellent, affordable public transportation system including subway, buses, and bike-sharing. You won’t need a car. The program may also organize group transportation for cultural activities.

Weather: Beijing summers are hot and humid, with temperatures typically in the high 80s to mid-90s Fahrenheit (30-35°C). Afternoon thunderstorms are common. Bring light, breathable clothing and be prepared for heat and humidity. Most indoor spaces are air-conditioned.

Language: While you’ll conduct research and participate in program activities in English, daily life in Beijing happens in Mandarin Chinese. Learning some basic Mandarin phrases before you arrive will enhance your experience and help with daily interactions. Many younger Chinese people speak some English, especially around universities, but don’t assume everyone will.

Culture: Beijing is a fascinating mix of ancient history and modern development. You’ll have opportunities to explore historical sites like the Forbidden City, Temple of Heaven, and Summer Palace, experience traditional Chinese culture through food, art, and festivals, see modern China’s rapid development and technological advancement, and interact with Chinese students and researchers. Be open-minded, respectful of cultural differences, and curious.

Cost of Living: Beijing is relatively affordable compared to major Western cities. Your stipend and meal allowance should cover most expenses, but budget some additional money for activities, souvenirs, occasional meals out, and personal items. Having $500-1,000 USD for the eight weeks should be comfortable.

What Happens After the Program

Graduate School Applications: Tsinghua Amgen Scholars experience significantly strengthens PhD program applications. You’ll have substantial research experience, a strong letter of recommendation from your Tsinghua mentor, a research presentation to discuss in interviews, and clarity about whether research is right for you. Many alumni go on to top PhD programs at institutions like MIT, Stanford, Cambridge, Tsinghua, National University of Singapore, and other leading universities worldwide.

Publications: Depending on your project and how far the research progresses, you might contribute to publications. Even if your summer work doesn’t directly lead to a paper, your mentor might continue the project and include you as a co-author when results are published. Having a publication as an undergraduate is a significant achievement.

Network: You’ll join the global Amgen Scholars alumni network, which provides ongoing opportunities for connection and collaboration. Alumni often help each other with graduate school advice, job opportunities, and research collaborations. The relationships you build during the summer—with fellow scholars, your mentor, and other Tsinghua researchers—can last throughout your career.

Career Clarity: Eight weeks of intensive research gives you a much clearer sense of whether you want to pursue a research career. Some scholars leave more committed to PhD programs and academic research. Others realize they prefer applied work, industry positions, or different career paths. Either outcome is valuable—it’s better to learn this during a summer program than after starting a PhD.

Future Opportunities: The Tsinghua Amgen Scholars experience can open doors to other opportunities including return visits to Tsinghua for graduate study or postdoctoral research, collaborations with your mentor on future projects, connections to other research opportunities through the Amgen Scholars network, and credibility when applying for other competitive fellowships and programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can students from outside Asia apply? No, the Tsinghua program specifically serves students enrolled at universities in Asia. However, the Amgen Scholars Program operates at other universities worldwide, including programs in the US and Europe that serve students from those regions.

Do I need to speak Mandarin Chinese? No, the program is conducted in English and you can participate without speaking Mandarin. However, learning some basic Mandarin will enhance your daily life in Beijing and show respect for the local culture.

Can I choose my research project? You’ll indicate your research interests in your application, and the program will match you with a lab based on those interests, your background, and available placements. You won’t choose a specific project in advance, but the program tries to create good matches.

What if I’m graduating in May 2026? You’re not eligible. The program requires that you return to your undergraduate institution for at least one more semester after the program ends. This ensures you can apply what you learned and that you’re genuinely an undergraduate student, not someone who’s already completed their degree.

Can I extend the program beyond eight weeks? No, the program has a fixed eight-week duration. However, if you and your mentor want to continue the research collaboration, you might be able to arrange a return visit during a future summer or after graduation.

How competitive is selection? The program is quite competitive, receiving strong applications from across Asia for a limited number of spots. Exact acceptance rates aren’t published, but expect that strong academic performance, research experience, and clear research interests are necessary for competitive applications.

Will I get paid? Yes, you receive a monthly stipend for living expenses, plus all major costs (flights, housing, meals) are covered. The exact stipend amount isn’t published and may vary, but it’s designed to cover reasonable personal expenses during your stay.

Can I apply to other Amgen Scholars programs? You can only participate in one Amgen Scholars program. If you’re eligible for multiple programs (for example, if you’re a US citizen studying at an Asian university), you should choose which program to apply to based on your interests and circumstances.

How to Apply

If the Tsinghua Amgen Scholars Program sounds like the right opportunity for you, here’s what to do next:

Step 1: Visit the Official Website: Go to tsinghuaamgenscholars.com to review complete program details, eligibility requirements, and application instructions. Also check the main Amgen Scholars website at amgenscholars.com for additional resources.

Step 2: Verify Your Eligibility: Confirm that you meet all eligibility requirements including enrollment at an Asian university, appropriate academic standing, and relevant coursework.

Step 3: Prepare Your Materials: Starting in December-January, begin drafting your essays, updating your CV, and identifying recommenders. Give yourself plenty of time for multiple revisions.

Step 4: Submit Your Application: When applications open on November 1, 2025, complete the online application form and submit all required materials by the March 15, 2026 deadline at 11:59 PM your local time.

Step 5: Follow Up: Ensure your recommenders have submitted their letters, monitor your application status, and respond promptly to any requests for additional information.

The Tsinghua Amgen Scholars Program represents an exceptional opportunity for Asian undergraduate students to gain intensive research experience at one of China’s most prestigious universities with comprehensive financial support. With careful preparation and a strong application, you can position yourself as a competitive candidate for this transformative summer research experience.

For complete information and to apply, visit tsinghuaamgenscholars.com.