SOARE at UMD : Summer Opportunities in Agricultural Research and the Environment (SOARE) and SOARE: Strategic Work in Applied Geosciences (SWAG)

SOARE and SOARE: SWAG run for ten weeks, from May 19, 2025 - July 25, 2025.  Virtual orientation and training are May 19 - 23, with all participants reporting to campus on Saturday, May 24, 2025. All participants must be available for the entire ten weeks of the summer program.  No program leave will be permitted.  Participants must be available and present for all ten weeks of the program.

The SOARE/SWAG program stipends will be $4,500.  All travel, room, board, excursions to Baltimore and Washington DC, and fees are paid by AGNR. We try to accommodate travel from the most convenient airport, train/bus depot, etc., to Washington Regan National or Baltimore's Thurgood Marshall Airports or Union Station as best we can.  Flights and other travel will be covered fully (up to $500 USD).  For those participants who plan to drive their vehicle (not for drop-offs), mileage is reimbursed at approximately $0.67/mile (up to $500).  The SOARE/SWAG travel coordinator will determine all final travel decisions.

• Provide rising juniors and rising seniors an opportunity to learn about graduate studies and the range of research and scholarship at the University of Maryland
• Providing laboratory experiences that enhance basic research knowledge and skills
• Providing lectures, workshops, didactic exchanges and other programming to enhance students' knowledge of the graduate application process, negotiating the academic rigors and professional and personal challenges encountered in graduate school, and developing career paths
• Provide mentoring and networking opportunities for students to advance their training
• Increase the knowledge of, and interest in, doctoral-level training in the agricultural, natural resources, and environmental sciences
• Increase the number of students pursuing graduate study, research careers and the professoriate

Group housing will be provided on campus.  All participants must live in provided housing for the duration of the program. No pets or ESAs are allowed in housing.  All requests for service animals must be authorized through Accessibility & Disability Service (ADS) at UMD. You must notify SOARE/SWAG directors of your need for an ADS accommodation so you may be referred to the appropriate office to complete your request.

• Agricultural and Resource Economics

• Animal & Avian Sciences, Genetic and Cell Biology

• Animal & Avian Sciences, Reproduction & Development

• Animal & Avian Sciences, Nutrient Utilization and Metabolism

• Animal & Avian Sciences, Pathobiology and Infectious Diseases

• Comparative Biomedical Sciences (VMSC)

• Environmental Science and Technology, Soil and Watershed Sciences

• Environmental Science and Technology, Ecological Technology Design

• Environmental Science and Technology, Wetland Science

• Environmental Science and Technology, Ecosystem Health & Natural Resource Management

• Entomology

• Food Science

• Landscape Architecture

• Nutritional Science

• Plant Biology, Agronomy

• Plant Biology, Cell Biology

• Plant Biology, Molecular Physiology

• Plant Biology, Molecular Physiology

• Plant Biology, Pathology

• Plant Biology, Ecosystems Management

• Infectious and Zoonotic Diseases

• Cell Biology

• Poultry Health Management

• Immunology

• Geosciences 

• Veterinary Medicine 

Applicants must meet ALL of the following requirements

• Be enrolled full-time at an accredited two-year or four-year institution of higher education
• Have sophomore or junior status at the time of application
• Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident
• Have an undergraduate cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better on a 4.0 scale
• Major in agricultural, environmental, natural resources, food science, nutritional science, geology, geography, or related STEM field
• Have a career goal that includes graduate-level education (not professional school, e.g., veterinary, dental or medical school)
• Demonstrate an interest in pursuing graduate study (not professional schools) in agricultural, environmental, natural resources, food science, nutritional science, geoscience,  or related STEM field
• Have a STEM background and have completed one of each: chemistry, biology, and calculus course
• Upon completing the SOARE, enroll in at least one semester of undergraduate study.
• Be available for the entire period of the program. 
• Applicants needing any academic, housing or other accommodations must notify program directors within 24 hours of accepting their offer of admission. To receive any requested and documented accommodation, students must petition Accessibility and Disability Services at https://counseling.umd.edu/ads. 

The College of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Maryland, College Park, provides a nationally recognized education that meshes applied learning, community engagement, professional mentorship, real-world opportunities, and supportive and diverse learning culture to ready students for sustainable and socially-minded practice. Summer Opportunities in Agricultural Research and the Environment (SOARE) is a gateway to graduate education. It provides undergraduate students with on-campus research experience to establish meaningful relationships with faculty in their respective fields of study and to conduct graduate-level research.

We are holding several summer research internship information sessions this fall and next spring. We offer two summer internship programs in agriculture education, extension education, plant biology, animal and avian science, veterinary medicine, entomology, agricultural business, agricultural economics, nutritional science, food science, environmental science, earth science, geography, soil science, natural resources management, landscape architecture, and Marine Estuarine Environmental Sciences. We seek ten to twenty students to fill 2025 summer positions paying $4,500. SOARE will help you

• Increase the knowledge of and interest in doctoral-level training in the agricultural, environmental, food, and nutritional sciences.

• Build professional and personal networks to support students interested in joining the academic community.

• Increase the number of traditionally students in AGNR graduate programs and, ultimately, the professoriate to create a diverse academic environment.

SOARE Benefits:

• Research training

• Career panels & shuttles

• Team research

• Scientific research poster

• Post-program mentoring

• Travel award to a national conference

• Paid 2nd-year internship (for eligible participants)

• UMD Graduate School application fee waivers

• and more...

Students at two-year and four-year institutions are eligible.

Sign up for a Research Internship Session below; select the best date for you! (Click on the date below to register.)

2025 SOARE Information Sessions

Please make sure to register for the information session via the Links Below. 

November 5th 4:00 pm-5:00pm, Zoom Link
November 20th 4:00 pm-5:00pm, Zoom Link
December 11th 4:00 pm-5:00pm, Zoom Link
January 15th 4:00 pm-5:00pm, Zoom Link
February 5th 4:00 pm-5:00pm, Zoom Link

SOARE/SWAG Application

All applicants must submit a personal statement and a supplemental essay.  Applicants are encouraged to identify one or more AGNR faculty members with whom they are interested in working and explain why they would like to work with them. Learn more about AGNR graduate programs and faculty.

• Personal statement. You must address the following statements: 600-700 word length; double-spaced, 12 font.
  • Tell us about your academic and graduate education experience to date.
  • Describe your academic and career aspirations.
  • What are your research interests? Include the specific field of interest you will pursue in graduate school and your career goals as a scientist, and explain why you desire to participate in SOARE.
  • Describe how might SOARE help you reach your educational and career goals
  • Applicants are encouraged to identify two or more AGNR faculty members whose research experiences align with their interests and explain why they would like to work with them (see available faculty members in the list of participating departments).
• Supplemental essay. You must address the following statements: 600-700 word length, double-spaced; 12 font.
  • Discuss how you will contribute to the diversity of the community of SOARE scholars, given this program is designed for students who are underrepresented in academia and their disciplines in graduate studies, including but not limited to those who come from educational, cultural, or geographic backgrounds that is underrepresented in graduate study in the United States of at UM.
  • Specifically, address how you meet one or more of the following:
    • Come from an educational, cultural, or geographic background that is underrepresented in graduate study in your discipline
    • Have demonstrated a commitment in the academic, professional, or civic realm through your work experience, volunteerism, and leadership or community organizations.
    • How do you plan to contribute to agricultural sciences and in your career through your research, teaching, service, or other activities?
• Current résumé or curriculum vitae (CV) 
• PDF version of your unofficial transcript reflecting all earned undergraduate credits and grades through December 2024.  If you have attended multiple colleges or universities, submit copies of transcripts from each institution. All applicants must submit their most recent transcript before admission to SOARE.
• Two Letters of recommendation from faculty members
• Photograph (for the opening program). Must send upon request.
• Completed application & supplemental materials on February 10, 2025. 

Link to Application

https://forms.gle/vc1amaFhVDAMGjbZ9