The SRI was created in 1999 by the Office of the Dean in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences (BSOS). The program is designed to encourage and enhance the diversity of scholars working in social and behavioral science, practice, teaching, and policy fields. We are most interested in students who plan to pursue doctoral degrees in the behavioral and social sciences. A diverse science workforce enables us to improve the science, broaden its application, and facilitate novel and creative innovations and solutions by including scholars with unique backgrounds, life experiences, language skills, understandings of and access to underserved communities, diverse perspectives, etc. Supporting diverse cohorts of students also enriches learning environments and is consistent with our university’s overall mission.
The program provides rising juniors and seniors with an 8-week intensive experience to develop research skills, learn about doctoral training, and increase graduate training readiness. Departments involved in the SRI include African American and Africana Studies, Anthropology, Criminology & Criminal Justice, Economics, Geographical Sciences, Government & Politics, Hearing & Speech Sciences, Program in Neuroscience and Cognitive Science, Psychology, and Sociology.
The general goals of the SRI are to:Increase the general knowledge of, and interest in, doctoral-level training in the social and behavioral sciences among our participants and to;
Provide rising juniors and seniors an opportunity to learn about graduate studies and the range of research and scholarship in the social and behavioral sciences specifically here at the University of Maryland.
We achieve these goals by:
Providing laboratory or research experiences that enhance the basic research knowledge and skills of the participants;
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 in social and behavioral; and,
Providing mentoring and professional networking opportunities for students to advance their training in the social and behavioral sciences.
Please direct any questions or concerns to the SRI Coordinator, Brittney Robinson at (brobins7@umd.edu)
How To Apply:
The 2026 UMD BSOS SRI is a summer program aligned with other similar Big Ten Academic Alliance's (BTAA) Summer Research Opportunity Programs (SROP). Therefore, applicants must first complete the BTAA SROP online application. The BTAA SROP application can be completed in one session or you may return later to complete it.
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 in social and behavioral; and,
Providing mentoring and professional networking opportunities for students to advance their training in the social and behavioral sciences.
Please direct any questions or concerns to the SRI Coordinator, Brittney Robinson at (brobins7@umd.edu)
How To Apply:
The 2026 UMD BSOS SRI is a summer program aligned with other similar Big Ten Academic Alliance's (BTAA) Summer Research Opportunity Programs (SROP). Therefore, applicants must first complete the BTAA SROP online application. The BTAA SROP application can be completed in one session or you may return later to complete it.
