The iSTAR Scholars Program is an international summer research experience for students that occurs during the summer between their first and second years as Drexel undergraduate students. Through this program, students will participate in faculty-mentored research or scholarly projects at an international partner institution. Students will be provided with a $3,000 scholarship, round-trip transportation between Drexel University and the host institution, and housing at the host institution in order to facilitate their participation in the program. All students will be expected to create a research poster, write an abstract, and create a video presentation and present their work as part of the on-campus STAR Scholars Summer Showcase at the end of summer term.

To be eligible for the iSTAR Scholars Program, students must:

• Be accepted into the STAR Scholars Program
• Have a valid passport with an expiration date in 2025 or later, and at least 2 blank pages available for a visa
• Meet all visa eligibility requirements for the country to which they will be traveling
• For students who are not US citizens or permanent residents: Confirm with ISSS that your US visa will permit you to return to campus in time for Fall Quarter

Please note: Specific iSTAR locations and projects may have additional eligibility requirements related to major and academic background.

Summer 2024 iSTAR Locations

This year, we will be sending four students to Chennai, India to Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras (2 students) and SSN College of Engineering (2 students). Based on the available projects, only students from the following colleges are eligible to apply:

• College of Arts and Sciences - STEM fields
• College of Computing & Informatics
• College of Engineering
• School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems

What does the application process for the iSTAR Scholars Program entail?

Eligible students can apply for the iSTAR Scholars Program upon acceptance into the STAR Scholars Program. Students’ applications will be reviewed by Drexel faculty and staff, as well as faculty at our partner locations. Students will then be selected for interviews with our faculty partners, who will make final decisions on our iSTAR Scholars each year.

What costs are covered for students accepted into the iSTAR Scholars Program?

Each iSTAR Scholar is provided a scholarship of $3,000 to enable participation in the program, in addition to round-trip transportation between Drexel University and the host institution at the start and end of the program and on-site housing at the host institution. The scholarship provided to iSTAR Scholars will be disbursed by Financial Aid.

How are iSTAR Scholar locations selected?

iSTAR locations are selected in partnership with Drexel Global and Drexel faculty, with the aim of building on existing research collaborations. Each year, we will review and publish updated lists of specific iSTAR Scholar locations.

Can I make my own iSTAR Scholar position?

No. Because iSTAR Scholar locations are established based on existing research collaborations, we do not allow students to create their own iSTAR Scholar positions. Students are only eligible to participate in those research experiences provided by the iSTAR Scholars program each year.