V-START and V-SMART Scholar Programs

Vanderbilt is committed to the academic success of all students in the sciences through V-START and V-SMART. Our goal is to promote broad participation in the biomedical research workforce by strengthening research training environments and expanding the pool of well-trained students who complete their baccalaureate degree, and transition into and complete biomedical, research-focused higher degree programs (such as Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D.).

Vanderbilt STEM Transition and ReTention (V-START)

V-START facilitates the entry of first- and second-year students into STEM research at Vanderbilt University through both academic year and summer programming.

Learn more about:

Academic year mentoring groups
Summer research opportunities
Conference opportunities

Vanderbilt STEM Majors’ Achievement in Research Training (V-SMART)

V-SMART promotes continued research success through mentoring within the STEM community. Activities are designed for students interested in pursuing PhD or MD/PhD degrees in the biomedical sciences.

Learn more about:

Conference opportunities

V-START Biomedical Research Mentoring Groups

Are you a first- or second-year student interested in learning more about biomedical research as a career while getting to know other students and faculty?

We invite any interested freshmen or sophomores to join a V-START mentoring group. Mentoring groups meet a few times each semester to learn about research opportunities at Vanderbilt, to discuss career paths in the biomedical sciences, and to foster research participation. Sign up here to participate by Sept 19th, 2025.

V-START Summer Research Fellowships

We also offer competitive V-START Summer Research Scholarships for students. Summer Scholars will receive mentorship and funding to participate in a 9-week intensive summer research experience in a Vanderbilt biomedical research laboratory. Rising sophomores will be considered for the V-START program. Existing affiliation with a lab is not required for application.

Applications for Summer 2026 will open in January 2026.

For questions, please contact V-START@vanderbilt.edu.

Summer 2025

Left: V-START/V-SMART Summer Symposium; Right: Student Scholar Summer Retreat to Shelby Bottoms Nature Center

For Summer 2025, more than 40 Vanderbilt students (many rising sophomores) successfully engaged in 9 weeks of intensive summer research, mentoring, and career development. V-START/V-SMART was excited to welcome two students from the Psychology Summer Research Program. Projects ranged from structural biology, to tissue engineering, to circadian rhythms in bees. Scholars engaged with the Vanderbilt Summer Science Academy and met biweekly for enrichment sessions. Students wrote and edited abstracts of their work with help from graduate students and attended a workshop on best practices for poster and oral presentations. The Summer Symposium was a highlight with 54 oral and poster presentations from the V-START/V-SMART Scholars, Beckman Scholars, and several affiliated students. It was an exciting day to learn from each other and celebrate our accomplishments!

V-START/V-SMART Conference Attendance

V-START/V-SMART Scholars at ABRCMS 2024 in Pittsburgh, PA

In November of 2024, a group of Vanderbilt research students traveled along with their V-START/V-SMART faculty mentor to Pittsburgh, PA to attend ABRCMS, the largest undergraduate research meeting on the United States. There, they presented their research, attended lectures by preeminent scientists, met with representatives of graduate and professional programs from myriad universities, and networked with faculty and students from across the country. The Scholars were accompanied by Dr. Kathy Friedman and graduate mentor Christina Chavez. Nate Kreuzer (class of 2026) won a presentation award for his poster!

For more information or to apply, please contact V-START@vanderbilt.edu