Microbes might be invisible, but their teeming masses influence everything from agriculture to the environment to the food we eat. That’s why experience working with microbes has become a must for countless industries. Now, community college students from across the country can gain that experience through a National Science Foundation-funded summer program led by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Parkland College. 

In the “MICRO-CCS: Microbial Interactions Create Research Opportunities for Community College Students” program, students obtain hands-on research training and experience, something most community colleges don’t offer. Program participants can choose to work with more than a dozen U. of I. professors who study microbial interactions related to agriculture, the environment, and food science. 

Applications will be accepted from December 1, 2024 through March 3, 2025 for a May 21, 2025, program start date.

“Engaging in research early is really helpful for community college students. The experience gives them an edge in transferring to four-year institutions, improves graduation rates, and helps students stay in STEM fields past graduation,” said MICRO-CCS co-leader Sarah Hind, assistant professor in the Department of Crop Sciences, part of the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES) at U. of I. 

Program participants spend a week at Parkland College learning laboratory basics, then, for nine weeks, contribute to new or ongoing research projects in labs on the U. of I. campus. Students can apply from anywhere in the U.S.; travel, lodging, and some meals are covered and students earn a $7,000 stipend for the summer.  

The program’s focus on microbiology was new in 2024, as were its leaders and faculty participants. However, a very similar program known as PRECS: Phenotypic Plasticity Research Experience for Community College Students ran through U. of I. and Parkland between 2017 and 2023. 

Alumni of PRECS credited the program with sparking passions for research, making transitions to four-year schools easier, and inspiring new educational and career trajectories. Program leaders said the experience was especially life-changing for students from underrepresented backgrounds, including first-generation college students, students from minoritized groups, students with disabilities, and returning students.

“These truly are transformative experiences. Participating in scientific research can be inaccessible to community college students for many reasons, which is why providing opportunities with financial support, mentorship, and community is so important,” said Chelsea Lloyd, MICRO-CCS co-leader and associate professor of microbiology at Parkland. “Students that return to their community colleges from these experiences tend to have more confidence in their science classes, a greater sense of belonging in science, and they can see clear futures for themselves in STEM careers.”

Learn more about the MICRO-CCS program today.  

This program is made possible by National Science Foundation award no. 2349220/2349221.