The aim is to encourage talented individuals into research careers. The program is open to undergraduates from accredited four-year colleges in Kansas and 17 Midwestern states, including Oklahoma, Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, Arkansas, Minnesota and Colorado.
Emphasis is placed on institutions without research facilities.
Students in the program are presented with an already well-defined project. Faculty research directors monitor the progress of each student. For a student planning on further study in graduate school, getting published is at least as important as having good grades. Under the program, students receive 10 weeks of full-time research experience in chemistry. Chemists, in particular, will be needed to solve central problems in disciplines such as biology, environment and materials science.