The Lewis Scholars' Imhotep Project is an 11-week summer internship program designed to increase the knowledge and skills of underrepresented minority students in biostatistics, epidemiology, and occupational safety and health.

The program begins with two weeks of intense educational training in public health courses such as Public Health & Health Disparities, Epidemiology, Biostatistics and Scientific Writing. The purpose of this training is to equip interns with the academic information necessary to complete the program. During the following nine weeks, interns are paired in a one-on-one mentored relationship with experts at CDC, academic institutions, local and state agencies, or community based organizations to complete a public health research project. In addition, interns participate in a variety of seminars, workshops, educational initiatives and are required to complete 16 hours of community service.

Interns will culminate their experience by giving an oral poster presentation to their peers, mentors and public health professionals and develop a research manuscript suitable for publication in a scientific journal. Interns will receive a stipend, lodging on the campus of Morehouse College, course credit and travel expenses to and from their city of origin.

Apply Now

Resources

If you're interested in becoming a mentor, submit this form. For public health employment and internship opportunities, visit publichealthjobs.org.

Intern Requirements

• Intern Application

If you are interested and meet the following qualifications, we invite you to apply by January 31, 2024. Intern Application Portal Opens: October 1, 2023.

• Current junior, senior, or recent graduate (within one year) of an undergraduate institution.
• Cumulative GPA of 2.7 or higher.
• U.S. citizen or permanent resident currently residing in the United States.
• Must not have participated in any other Lewis Scholars Program and/or Ferguson Fellowship Program (formerly known as the CDC Undergraduate Public Health Scholars Programs - CUPS) in the past.

You must submit the following by the application deadline of January 31, 2024.

• Completed online application.
• All official transcripts can be mailed directly to: (postmarked by January 31, 2024) Morehouse College Public Health Science Institute ATTN: Project Imhotep 830 Westview Drive S.W., Box 140088, Atlanta, Georgia 30314.
• Resume or Curriculum Vitae.
• Two completed online recommendation forms (upon submission of your application your recommenders will be notified via email).

If you have questions, email phsi@morehouse.edu.

Selection Process

• Only complete applications are reviewed. Complete refers to submission of all required documents by the deadline, as well as completion of all fields of the online application.
• Once the application deadline has passed, all complete applications are reviewed.
• The top 150 candidates are selected for a phone interview. No in-person interviews will be conducted.
• Program mentors are sent top 5 candidates that have a focus on the mentor's expertise/field of work.
• Based on the mentor's selections, and the candidate's application and phone interview, Imhotep staff will select the final candidates.
• We will select 40 students to participate in the 2024 program.
•  

Program Requirements

Didactic Training

All interns participate in intense didactic training for the first two weeks. Intensive Course Training from 7am – 7pm* Tentative Schedule Courses include:

• Introduction to Public Health and Health Disparities
• Introduction to Biostatistics and Computer Applications (with training in SPSS)
• Introduction to Epidemiology
• Scientific Writing

Hands-on Experience/Mentoring

Interns are paired with public health professional mentors from a variety of public health agencies on the federal, state and local level; academic institutions; and community-based organizations in Atlanta, GA and Washington, DC. Interns will work under the guidance and supervision of their mentors on a public health research project, five days a week for eight weeks, gaining direct exposure to the practice of public health.

Community Service

Interns are required to complete 16 hours of community service during their time in Project Imhotep. Past community service opportunities have included: food sorting at the Atlanta Community Food Bank; farming at the Truly Living Well Community Garden in West End; feeding the homeless in downtown Atlanta with Service Spree; and more.

Stipend

A stipend for participation is provided to all interns.

Travel

Each intern is provided financial support for round-trip travel.

Housing

Housing is provided to all interns on the campus of Morehouse College.

Final Project

Each intern is required to complete a final paper and deliver a final oral poster presentation to Project Imhotep staff, faculty, mentors and invited guests based on their summer research.

Mentoring 

If you're interested in becoming a mentor, submit this form.
Mentor Proposal Form

Frequently Asked Questions

Eligibility

Are eligibility requirements flexible?

No. Eligibility requirements are non-negotiable

What is considered a “recent graduate”?

A recent graduate is someone who has graduated within one year prior to the program start date. For example, 2024 summer applicants must have graduated in May 2023 or December 2023.

My school will still be in session during the start of the program. Can I still apply?

Yes. In the past Project Imhotep has worked with students and their home institutions to proctor exams to facilitate their involvement in the program. However, accommodations will be made on a case-by-case basis after students have been accepted into the program.

I am an international student. Can I apply?

No. Only U.S. Citizens and Permanent Residents are eligible.

I am not in a health-related major. Can I still apply?

Yes. We encourage students from all disciplines to apply; Public Health is an interdisciplinary field.

Do I have to have health insurance to apply?

No. You do not have to have health insurance to apply; however, you will need health insurance to participate in the program.

Application

How does the recommendation section of the online application work?

Once a student fills in and submits their recommender information, an email is automatically sent to the recommender's email address. Be sure to let your recommender know when you have submitted your application and have them check their spam folder.

Will I receive course credit for the coursework taken at Morehouse College?

Yes. You will receive three credit hours for Introduction to Public Health (grades averaged from all four courses) and three credit hours for Public Health Sciences Seminar and Practicum (grade from your mentor). Students will receive a total of six credit hours.

I have attended more than one college/university. Should I submit all transcripts?

Yes.

Program

Is there a cost to participate in the program?

No. Accepted students will receive a stipend to cover most living expenses. Additionally, the program will cover all travel and housing costs.

Are meals covered during the program?

During the first two weeks of the program, students will be able to eat in the cafeteria at Morehouse College for breakfast, lunch, and dinner at no cost. However, students will be responsible for their own meals for the remaining nine weeks.

I have a summer job and/or plan on taking on summer classes. Will I be able to work/take class and participate in the program?

The program requires all interns to devote 40 hours/week for the entire 11-weeks. Typically, this makes it difficult to juggle a summer job or summer school.

The program requires 16 hours of community service. Do I get to choose where I complete my hours?

The program will arrange several community service opportunities to complete during the first two weekends. The remaining hours will be completed by the intern on their own time. However, the program will provide a list of approved community service locations.

Where will I be living during the 11-week program?

All students will be housed on the campus of Morehouse College for the duration of the 11-week program.

John R. Lewis Scholars 

The CDC John R. Lewis Undergraduate Public Health Scholars (CUPS) Program is funded through the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and supports the following institutions in their efforts to increase the number of underrepresented minority students who are engaged in public health education and training: 

• Morehouse College
• Columbia University
• Kennedy Krieger Institute
• University of Michigan
• University of California - Los Angeles

For more than 40 years, the primary goal of Project Imhotep has been to prepare underrepresented minority students for entry intro graduate programs and careers in Public Health. To continue its mission, the Morehouse College Public Health Sciences Institute is now funded under CDC John R. Lewis Undergraduate Public Health Scholars Program: Exposure of Undergraduate, Graduate Students, and Postgraduates to Minority Health, Public Health, and Health Professions – as the Lewis Scholars Imhotep (LSI) Project.

The LSI Project will address the Healthy People 2030 overarching goal to achieve health equity, eliminate health disparities, and improve the health of all groups by increasing the quality and quantity of well-trained professionals from underrepresented and underserved populations into the public health workforce. More than 2000 students have participated in one or more of the internship programs and activities provided by PHSI and 77% of these students have earned or are pursuing an advanced degree in public health and/or in biomedical health (Duffus, W., Trawick, C., Moonesinghe R., Tola J., Truman B. & Dean, H. (2014)). The majority of the participants (55%) are currently working in a public health position including: federal (23%), state (6%), local (5%), academia (23%), non-governmental organizations (21%), and other (35%). Thus, PHSI has a substantial impact on the development of minority students represented in the areas of biostatistics, epidemiology, and occupational safety and health.