Biomedical Research Abroad: Vistas Open!

BRAVO! began in 1992 and grew out of the Undergraduate Biology Research Program. Since then more than 220 undergraduates have worked in laboratories in other countries under the auspices of BRAVO! Participants have worked in many different institutions in 34 countries. Both industrialized and developing countries are represented.

Goals:

1. Promote international understanding by enabling students in the sciences to participate in research abroad related to the research they do at the University of Arizona, and,
2. Advance collaborative projects involving UA biomedical and behavioral scientists and scientists in other countries

Eligibility:

The program is designed to be part of the student's larger research experience. Students eligible to apply for support from BRAVO! are those who have had at least six months research experience on a project directly related to the project they will do in the foreign lab.

Generally the participant travels to work in the laboratory of one of his/her faculty sponsor's foreign collaborators. Students selected to participate must demonstrate maturity and reliability, and be well versed in the research project to be done abroad.

Application/Selection Process and Deadlines:

Participants must spend a minimum of 10 weeks in the foreign host research group and longer stays are possible.  There are three deadlines each year:  December 1 for students wishing to travel during the summer; March 1 for students wishing to travel during the fall;  and October 1 for students wishing to travel during the spring.

Applicants prepare a proposal for the work to be done abroad, and submit this along with official transcripts from all institutions of higher education attended, a personal statement, letters of support from the UA mentor and the foreign mentor, and the BRAVO! Cover pages.  As a part of the application process candidates present their proposed project to a panel of faculty mentors.  Those selected participate in a mandatory two evening cultural, health and safety orientation prior to travel.

BRAVO! Application for Undergraduate Students
BRAVO! Application for Graduate Students

BRAVO! Obligations

BRAVO! students are required to:

1.  Keep a reflective journal during the time they are out of the country

2. Complete an evaluation upon their return

3.  Provide a newsletter article within two weeks of their return

4. Give a datablitz on their research and the culture in the host country within a semester of their return

5. Speak to an off-campus group about their experience

6. Return with receipts and keep in contact with the program as they progress in their careers

 

Acknowledgments:

Support for this program comes for grants from the National Center on Minority Health and Health Disparities at the National Institutes of Health and from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.