ESTEEMED LEADERS Program

ESTEEMED LEArning and Discovery through Engineering Research at Syracuse University

Program Overview

The ESTEEMED LEADERS program is designed to recruit, retain, and train students in biomedical engineering at Syracuse University who upon graduation are competitive for doctoral programs, admitted and prepared to thrive in them, and poised to lead independent research careers in academia and industry.

The students will receive training, mentorship, and support in four key areas:

  • Enhance confidence in academic abilities
  • Provide immersive research experiences
  • Provide focused mentoring and skill development
  • Prepare for careers in biomedical engineering research

Program Features

Required Six-week Summer Bridge Program (July 1 to August 9, 2024)

  • Summer stipend up to $4000
  • Campus housing and meals included
  • Lessons designed to support the transition from high school to college

Academic and Summer Scholarship

  • Full tuition merit scholarship, renewable for four years
  • Research stipend up to $10,000 in the first year
  • Research stipend up to $12,000 in the second year
  • Career development activities
  • Summer research award
  • Travel awards

Mentorship and Professional Development Resources

  • Enrollment in the Renee Crown University Honors Program, beginning in the third year
  • Technical writing workshops
  • Professional development workshops
  • Community building and networking activities

Interested in the ESTEEMED LEADERS Program? Click here to get more information.


Eligibility Requirements

  • U.S. Citizen or U.S. Permanent Resident
  • Majoring in Biomedical Engineering
  • From a group that is underrepresented in the biomedical sciences:
    • Individuals with disabilities, who are defined as those with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities
    • Individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds, defined as those who meet two or more of the following criteria:
  1. Were or currently are homeless, as defined by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act
  2. Were or currently are in the foster care system, as defined by the Administration for Children and Families
  3. Were eligible for the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program for two or more years
  4. Have or had no parents or legal guardians who completed a bachelor’s degree
  5. Were or currently are eligible for Federal Pell grants
  6. Received support from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) as a parent or child
  7. Grew up in one of the following areas:
    •  a U.S. rural area, as designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer
    • a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services-designated Low-Income and Health Professional Shortage Areas (qualifying zip codes are included in the file). Only one of the two possibilities in #7 can be used as a criterion for the disadvantaged background definition.

Madeline Jones-Shikha Nangia-Johnson Agyapong

Questions about the program?

esteemed@syr.edu