Empower Research Fellowship Application

About the fellowship

The Empower Research Fellowship provides full-time, immersive paid summer research opportunities to select University of Delaware students with limited laboratory experience. During the 10-week residential program, Research Fellows work on unique research projects and hone their laboratory skills. At the culmination of the fellowship, students present the results of their research at a symposium.

Fellows also practice critical thinking, collaboration, information literacy, scientific communication, networking, and other professional skills through individualized mentorship, coaching, and a weekly career series.

More information, FAQs, and alumni blogs are available on the Fox Chase Cancer Center website.

Program dates and expectations

The in-person fellowship starts Monday, June 7, 2027 and ends Friday, August 13, 2027. Fellows are expected to work full time during the 10 weeks of the fellowship. Depending on the host laboratory and experimental schedule, work may include nights and weekends.

Following completion of the program, fellows will present their findings at a hybrid in-person and virtual conference on Friday, August 13, 2027.

Upon hiring, participants are expected to pass a mandatory health and drug screening and background check; meet relevant immunization and TB requirements; complete assigned homework by due dates; and commit to full-time work for 10 consecutive weeks.

Eligibility

To be eligible to apply, students must:

Be a current University of Delaware undergraduate student in a science- or healthcare-related field and in good academic standing;
Have previously attended the Cancer Research Discovery Day tour at Fox Chase Cancer Center; and
Be at least 18 years old by the beginning of the fellowship.

Residential housing

This is a residential program intended to build a sense of community among fellows. Participants will share an apartment and bedroom with other Empower Fellows at Coventry Apartments, 8048 Oxford Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19111, within walking distance of Fox Chase Cancer Center. Parking is limited.

How to apply

Application materials are due by 5:00 PM on December 5, 2026. Complete this online application and submit a current college transcript.

The application cannot be saved and reopened. It must be submitted in one sitting or the form will be erased.

After submitting your application, you will receive an email with directions to upload your transcript. Please name the file "Last name, First name - transcript". If someone submits the file on your behalf, ask them to use the same naming convention.

Optional letter of recommendation

An optional letter of recommendation may be submitted by your recommender through the Empower 2027 Dropbox request.

If possible, letters should be named "Applicant's Last Name, First Name - LOR, Recommender's name".

Alternatively, the letter writer may email the recommendation directly to Dr. Theresa Austria at Theresa.Austria@fccc.edu with the subject line "Empower 2027 Letter of Recommendation - APPLICANT'S NAME".

Application review timeline and suggestions

Applications will be reviewed by a panel of fellowship staff, faculty, and alumni by January 2027. Qualifying applicants will be interviewed by fellowship staff in mid-January. Final decisions will be made by the end of March 2027.

Take your time and answer the application questions thoughtfully and thoroughly. Drafting longer responses in a word processor before pasting them into the application is strongly recommended.

Be honest in your responses. Applicants suspected of AI-generated responses may be disqualified.

New User Details

User ID

User ID (verify)

Password

Password (verify)

Applicant Information

* Last name

* First name

* Your email addressPlease use an accurate email address that you check regularly. This address will be used for communication regarding your application.

* Please confirm your email addressPlease type your email address again.

Are you eligible to apply for the Empower Fellowship at Fox Chase Cancer Center? To be eligible to apply for the fellowship, students must: 1) have attended the Cancer Research Discovery Day tour at Fox Chase Cancer Center in a current or previous year; 2) be a current University of Delaware undergraduate student in a science or healthcare related field in good academic standing; and 3) be at least eighteen (18) years of age by the beginning of the fellowship. Additional participation requirements apply if you are accepted.

Home address
Please provide a complete mailing address.

* Street address

* City

* State

* ZIP/postal code

* Phone number where you can be reachedPlease use the following format: 123-456-7890

* Your date of birth (MM/DD/YYYY)You must be at least 18 years old by June 7, 2027.

Please indicate your current year in school.

* Expected year of graduation

Which ethnicity best describes you?

This information is collected only for the purpose of grant applications and has no impact on the review of applications or acceptance into the program. This information will not be shared with reviewers.

Please select all that apply.

American Indian or Alaska Native

Asian

Black or African American

Hispanic or Latino

Middle Eastern, North African, or Arab

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander

White

Prefer not to answer

Other

Which of these best describes your current gender identity? This information is collected only for the purpose of grant applications and has no impact on the review of applications or acceptance into the program. This information will not be shared with reviewers.

Are you eligible for Pell funding? A description of Pell Grants is available at StudentAid.gov. This information is collected only for the purposes of grant applications and has no impact on the review of applications or acceptance into the program. This information will not be shared with reviewers.

Indicate the education level of the parent/guardian with the highest level of education. This information is collected only for the purposes of grant applications and has no impact on the review of applications or acceptance into the program. This information will not be shared with reviewers.

* What are your parents'/guardians' occupation?If you have more than one parent/guardian, please indicate an occupation for each.This information is collected for the sole purpose of applying for funding and has no impact on acceptance into the program.

Are you a US citizen? Citizenship information is used to inform us on how to process wages as non-citizens will be processed differently due to payment restrictions and has no impact on acceptance into the program. This information will not be shared with reviewers.

Is English your first language?

If you answered NO to the previous question, please indicate your native language.

Fellowship Application

* What is your current major

* Describe your decision making that led you to select this major.Limit your response to 250 words or less.

* Using the standard 4-point scale, what in your grade point average (GPA)?

* Why do you want to participate in the Empower Fellowship at Fox Chase Cancer Center? How will this experience benefit your career goals/future?Limit your response to 250 words or less.

Have you participated in any hands-on research experiences previously?

* If you answered yes to the previous question, please describe the experiences(s). In your answer, include the name and contact information of your research mentor.Limit your response to 250 words or less.

* Where do you see yourself in 10 years?Limit your response to 250 words or less.

* What is a scientific discovery or concept that interest you? How did learning about it change your thinking?Limit your response to 250 words or less.

* How to you spend your time BEYOND college? Do not include information on school-sponsored activities like sports/theater/clubs. Do you work, volunteer your time, babysit your siblings, etc.Limit your response to 250 words or less.

* Humans often imagine traveling to other galaxies, but such a journey would present enormous scientific, technological, ethical, and societal challenges. In your opinion, what would be the single greatest obstacle to intergalactic travel, and why? Discuss how this challenge might affect humanity and propose one innovative solution that could help overcome it.Limit your response to 250 words or less.

* Being able to navigate and recover from failure is useful in scientific research as most experiments fail. Describe a time when you failed, and the strategies used to move beyond the failure. What was the biggest lesson learned from the experience? How does the experience inform your behavior now?Limit your response to 250 words or less.

Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.Optional. Limit your response to 250 words or less.

How did you hear about the fellowship?Please select all that apply.

If accepted into the program, would you require special housing accommodations (i.e. ADA accessible, service/emotional support animal allowed, mental health accommodations)?