Computational Biology Summer Program (CBSP)

Overview

The Tri-Institutional PhD Program in Computational Biology & Medicine (CBM) and the Office of Science Education & Training at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center are currently accepting applications for the Computational Biology Summer Program (CBSP).

This 10-week summer program brings together 15  undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing a career that combines computer science and biomedicine. The program is open to rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors who are studying computer science or applied mathematics.

Participants will gain hands-on research experience at the Memorial Sloan Kettering, Weill Cornell, and Rockefeller University campuses.

Timeline

Nov 3, 2025: Application portal opens
February 2, 2026: Application closes at 8am EST

Offers will be made no later than March 15, 2026 

June 1, 2026: Program begins
August 7, 2026: Program concludes

What to Expect

Students who are accepted into the CBSP will:

• Adapt their computer science skills to answer biomedically-focused research questions in cutting-edge laboratories
• Interact with faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and graduate students
• Attend weekly seminar series of presentations by faculty
• Attend professional development workshops
• Present a poster on their work at the end of the program

Students will receive a stipend of $6,500 for the summer. Housing is available.

CBSP is sponsored by an NCI grant to Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center (1 R25 CA233208).

Areas of research

Students will partner with faculty from Memorial Sloan Kettering, Weill Cornell, or Rockefeller University who have expressed a strong interest in working with students with computational skill sets. The faculty listed below are conducting research in diverse areas of biomedical sciences, and will welcome the added expertise provided by computationally-trained undergraduates. Information about their scientific projects can be found by visiting their respective web pages:

Effie Apostolou	Zhirong Bao
Michael Berger	Jian Carrot-Zhang
Joseph Chan	John Chodera
Kushal Dey	Olivier Elemento
David Eliezer	Benjamin Greenbaum
Iman Hajirasouliha	Samie Jaffrey
Steve Josefowicz	Ekta Khurana
Benjamin Kleaveland	Caleb Lareau
Dan Landau	Ashley Laughney
Christina Leslie	Quaid Morris
Anna Nam	Thomas Norman
Elli Papaemmanuil	Dana Pe’er
Ed Reznik	Viviana Risca
Nikolaus Schultz	Sohrab Shah
Ruslan Soldatov	Wesley Tansey
Joao Xavier

How to Apply

Current domestic undergraduate freshmen, sophomores, and juniors who are majoring in computer science, applied math, or related fields are invited to apply to CBSP. Applications will open in early November. Please apply directly at https://admissions.mskcc.org/portal/apply-at-mskcc.

We strongly encourage students from groups historically underrepresented in science (disadvantaged, disabled, Black, Hispanic/LatinX, Native American) to apply.

Eligibility & Requirements

To be considered for the program, applicants should meet the following criteria:

• Have a minimum GPA of 3.0.
• Have completed college-level computer science courses in languages such as C/C++, Perl, Python, or R.
• While not required, having coursework in general biology or genetics is preferred.
• Demonstrate a strong interest in applying computational techniques to biological problems.

The following documents must be submitted with your online application:

• Application Form: Complete the online application form and a personal essay.
• Transcripts: Upload an unofficial transcript from your college or university directly to the application system. (Note: Only accepted students will be required to submit an official transcript.)
• Letters of Recommendation: Two letters of recommendation from faculty members who are familiar with your academic progress and credentials must be submitted through the online system.

For any questions about the program, please contact sciencesummer@mskcc.org.

Contact Us

Questions? Please view the FAQ page here or contact the Program Administrator at sciencesummer@mskcc.org.