About Project SEED

Project SEED is an organization which allows high school students to be involved in research at a college level. Founded in 1968, Project SEED has continued to provide opportunites to high school students.

Photo Project SEED students receiving the Chem Luminary Award

Photo Michael Ashmore (SEED '09) with AIT Laboratories CEO Michael Evans & Preceptor Tim Dahn

Photo Project SEED 2010

Photo Kyle Torain (SEED '08) with Dr. Joseph Bidwell and Dr. Jim McAteer

Welcome!

The Indianapolis Project SEED Committee welcomes you.  The website is created to be an information center for the high school summer research interns and applicants, in addition to the interested public and supporters.  This website undergoes periodic changes, so please stay posted!  For further information and updates, please write us at indyprojectseed@yahoo.com or call the program coordinator, Elmer Sanders, at (317) 514-3212

2012 Summer Program: Application Opens February 1

The 2012 summer internship program application will become available on February 1 of 2012.  There will be a required meeting in mid March (to be posted here on Feb 1) and the application deadline will be on April 1.  We anticipate interviewing students between April 1 and April 21 and announcing acceptances on May 1.

Please visit this website again on February 1 for 2012 program details.  Interested students should also email indyprojectseed@yahoo.com to be added to the 2012 broadcast list for news and updates.

About Project SEED

Since 1973 Project SEED has served over 500 interns.  The 2011 Program was a phenomenal success and program students are now reporting outstanding scholarship offers and college acceptances to great schools here in the State of Indiana,  the Ivy League, Stanford and others.  Click Photos  to view all past interns and 2011 Roster to view the 2011 student roster with their project abstracts.

The 2011 student interns had a productive fall semester.  On October 8, the students put on hands-on science projects for grade school children at Celebrate Science Indiana event at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.  Hannah Kassab, a junior at Pike High School was a finalist for the essay contest.  Congratulations Hannah!

On October 13, many SEED students presented their research with college students and industry professionals at Eli  Lilly and Company for the 13th Annual Poster Session of the American Chemical Society.  The event drew together one  of the largest assortments of industry leaders.  Brian Stemme from BioCrossroads Indiana made the keynote address that night on Indiana’s Life Sciences Sector, Chartering the Course for Continued Success.

On November 5, SEED students participated in the Indianapolis NOBCChE conference again at Eli Lilly.  Hannah Kassab, Susanna Adjei and Roshni Bag won awards for their research presentations and Namratha Kolur was also honored for her active role in recruitment and promotion for the conference.

On November 7 at the Indiana Junior Academy of Sciences at Indiana University in Bloomington, 2011 intern Roshni Bag was named Most Outstanding Junior Scientist for the State of Indiana.  Roshni is a junior at University High School. Congratulations Roshi!  

 On October 14, 2010 the students from the Indianapolis Project SEED were presented the ChemLuminary Award that the program was honored with at the annual meeting of the American Chemical Society in Boston on August 24.  The award was formally presented to the Indianapolis students by Dr. Jeannie Phillips, Chair of the Indiana Section of the ACS, at the 12th Annual Poster Session and Dinner Program at Butler University.  The president of the national ACS, Purdue Professor Dr. Joe Francisco was the keynote speaker that night and the 2010 Summer Research Interns also presented their research. 

Program Basics:  Students are accepted into the program based on their high school grade transcripts (one year of chemistry is mandatory), written essays, and teacher recommendations.  Those who meet the income guidelines of the A.C.S. National SEED Committee are provided a stipend during the summer; $2,500 for Summer I or $3,000 for returning Summer II participants.  In Indianapolis, other qualified students who do not meet the economic requirements are accepted into our local program (the Indiana A. C. S. Summer Research Program) and can receive a small honorarium in appreciation of their research contributions.  Through an interview process, students are matched with research preceptors who host and mentor them in their labs.  As a training ground for future careers, it is a full time experience for the students, Monday-Friday, 8 hours a day.

 History.  Project SEED was established in 1968 by the American Chemical Society as a means to provide students the opportunity to explore a career in science.  SEED is an acronym for: Summer Experience for the Economically Disadvantaged.  The Indianapolis Program started in 1972 with Professor Edwin Harper (retired) of the Indiana University School of Medicine as an educational outreach of the Indiana Section of the ACS.  In addition to ACS membership professionals, many local companies have supported the Indianapolis SEED program over the years, especially Eli Lilly & Co., Dow Agro, Mays Chemical and AIT Laboratories.

Welcome Indiana CTSI.  The Indianapolis Project SEED program is very thankful to the Indiana CTSI (Clinical Translational Sciences Institute) for its support for the future scientists who intern with the program since 2009.  The research consortium under the leadership of Dr. Anantha Shekhar (M.D.) is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and supports many scientific research efforts across the state of Indiana.  The institute's Director of Finance, Lisa Dinsmore has also joined the advisory Project SEED Committee .  Their support for Project SEED is in collaboration with other K-12 education outreach efforts with Dr. Kim Nguyen, Director of UCASE Operations at the IUPUI School of Education who also serves on the Committee.

 The Indiana CTSI is funded in part by an award from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and operates as a partnership of the IU School of Medicine, IU-Bloomington, IUPUI, Purdue University and the University of Notre Dame. The overarching goal of the Indiana CTSI is to improve the health of people throughout the state of Indiana by supporting research, education and community outreach.

We welcome your support!

Project SEED  cannot operate without the generosity from individuals and companies that support these young scientists-in-training.  Are you able to financially support the program?   You can find more information by clicking the Donate tab at the top of this page.   There are also many ways in which you can volunteer your time to help this program.  Each year, Committee volunteers and local scientists and their lab colleagues who do not receive any monetary support from Project SEED volunteer countless hours to provide this amazing educational experience to these  young scientists-in-training.  

Thank you sponsors!

Project SEED is embodies the spirit of volunteerism and community support.  The 2010 program volunteers registered over 10,000 hours of public service. Each one of our contributors – whether individual or corporate – is indispensable to the success of the program.

Supporting our efforts again is the American Institute of Toxicology, AIT - www.aitlabs.com whose entire staff have been supportive of our program.  AIT founder and CEO, Dr. Michael Evans also joined our board of advisors, the Project SEED Committee.   Their work with Project SEED was featured at the 2010 Indiana Science Summit co-sponsored by Dr. John Lechleiter, CEO of Eli Lilly & Co.  and Dr. Tony Bennett,  Indiana Superintendent of Public Instruction.  The program featured Michael Ashmore,  Seed intern for the summer 2008 and 2009 programs,  and his mentors at AIT, Joanna Askwith and Tim Dahn, in addition to Dr. Evans.  Click here to read Michael Ashmore's story.

We are thankful to Dean Simon Rhodes and the entire faculty of the IUPUI School of Science who partner with the Indiana Section of the American Chemical Society in providing a geographical and an administrative support center for Project SEED.  In addition to their financial support and the volunteer mentorship of so many of their research professors, they also help with the administration of a scholarship for students who have participated in this outstanding research program.   Dr. Jeffrey Watt, Associate Dean for Student Affairs and Outreach, along with Dr. Kathy Marrs, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs provide grant support for the program.  AnneMarie Chastain, Executive Director of Development and External Affairs, coordinates with the IU Foundation to facilitate donations to the Indianapolis Project SEED Fund (click here) .  Tamekia Anderson from the Office of the Dean every year provides administrative support to not only to the students in the summer research program but also to those who continue their studies at IUPUI.   

Lastly, our program is forever grateful to the leadership of Dr. Jim McAteer and Dr. Rosanne 'Rosie' Bonjouklian who have each served the program 30 years and counting. Dr. McAteer, Professor of Anatomy at the School of Medicine recruits, trains, and coordinates the contribution of our talented research professionals who volunteer their time in mentoring the students we serve. Dr. Bonjouklian, hosted students in her research lab before she retired as a Medicinal Chemist from Eli Lilly & Co.  She has had a lifelong distinguished career of public service - from her early days in Africa with the Peace Corps, to serving Project SEED in many capacities over the years.  Most significantly she established the Project SEED Scholarship with the IUPUI School of Science, enabling our program to serve students beyond their summer research experience into their college education and professional training.

And to the many research scientists from the School of Medicine and other IUPUI Schools, to the many others not mentioned by name - but whose contributions nonetheless are indispensable to the success of our program - we say, Thank YOU!