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MCC Daily Tribune

Chancellor King Celebrates Third Year of the Chancellor's Summer Research Excellence Fund

More than 200 Students Selected from Eight SUNY Campuses for Intensive Research Experiences

Albany, NY – State University of New York Chancellor John B. King Jr. today announced the third year of the Chancellor's Summer Research Excellence Fund, which will provide more than 200 undergraduate students from eight different SUNY campuses with paid internships this summer. Since the creation of this initiative, which began with 150 students in 2023, more than 520 students have secured an internship. This program further advances SUNY’s ambitious goal that every undergraduate student completes a high-quality internship or experiential learning opportunity before earning a SUNY degree.

"Congratulations to our SUNY students embarking on paid research internships and advancing SUNY’s research excellence this summer,” said SUNY Chancellor King. “This program exemplifies our commitment to provide all students with paid hands-on learning opportunities as part of their SUNY experience, and it reinforces our commitment to the research leadership SUNY is known for. I am confident that the skills our students learn this summer will help empower them to achieve their professional endeavors going forward.”

SUNY Board Trustee Courtney Burke said, “The Chancellor’s Summer Research Excellence Fund is an example of SUNY making good on our commitment to empower all students to achieve their full potential. Through this effort, hundreds of students have had access to exciting research-related internships that give them the experience and skills needed to hit the ground running in the workplace after graduation. Congratulations to this year’s student interns and thank you to our outstanding faculty and researchers for ensuring this program grows and thrives.”

The internship program has been focused on expanding research opportunities to students with financial need, first-generation students, and others who may face barriers to securing research experiences. Internships take place in a wide range of fields including biology, artificial intelligence, machine learning, cybersecurity, physics, astronomy, engineering, medicine, life sciences, chemistry, computer science, and clean energy. Participating campuses include SUNY’s leading research and doctoral universities:

  • University at Albany
  • Binghamton University
  • University at Buffalo
  • Downstate Health Sciences University
  • SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry
  • SUNY Polytechnic Institute
  • Stony Brook University
  • Upstate Medical University

The Summer Research Excellence Fund, which is supported by SUNY’s Empire Innovation Program, covers all student costs for the internship including, but not limited to, student stipend/salary, tuition/fees, housing, meal plans, childcare, and transportation.

State Senate Higher Education Chair Toby Ann Stavisky said, "Summer internships at research institutions offer students an opportunity to advance their education, provide opportunities to explore new areas and add to our understanding of artificial intelligence all at SUNY's extensive facilities, while being compensated."

State Assembly Higher Education Chair Alicia Hyndman said, “I’m so proud to see programs like the Chancellor’s Summer Research Excellence Fund giving our students real opportunities to grow, explore, and dream bigger. For many first-generation college students and those from under-resourced communities, paid internships like these aren’t just about building a résumé—they’re about finally having access to spaces and careers they’ve always deserved to be in. Chancellor King’s commitment to equity and excellence means that students who have the talent but not always the means can thrive and lead in fields like medicine, AI, and clean energy. This is how we build a better future—for them, and for all of us.”

University at Albany President Havidán Rodríguez said, “The Chancellor’s Summer Research Excellence Fund will enable the University at Albany to support 41 additional students participating in summer research programs, removing a financial barrier that could have prevented these students from gaining this important experience. High-impact summer research experiences like these fuel student success, arming students with the skills and know-how they will need to meet their future educational and career goals. Thanks to this funding, our students will participate in research in areas like RNA, environmental and sustainable engineering, nanotechnology, and more.”

Binghamton University President Harvey Stenger said, “Binghamton University is proud to be part of the Chancellor’s Summer Research Excellence Fund for a third consecutive year. Research is an essential part of education for so many of our students and I’m excited to know that more students are going to have an opportunity to participate in intensive, hands-on projects this summer. This type of work motivates students to excel in their studies and it prepares them for graduate school, careers and for an enriching life after college, no matter where their path takes them.”

Venu Govindaraju, PhD, vice president for research and economic development at the University at Buffalo said, “Meaningful, hands-on research for undergraduates can transform academic ambitions and professional goals. The Chancellor’s Summer Research Excellence Fund will create opportunities in quantum, microelectronics, climate and sustainability and AI, enabling students to understand the impact of research and the ways their unique expertise and personal experiences can impact critical work across our SUNY campuses.”

SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University President Wayne J. Riley, M.D said, “We are honored to join our SUNY peers in advancing the Chancellor’s vision of research excellence through inclusive opportunity. The Summer Research Excellence Fund reflects our shared commitment to academic equity, opening doors for students who have historically faced barriers to research. By ensuring that talent, not circumstance, guides opportunity, SUNY is helping to shape a more diverse and prepared generation of future leaders in science, medicine, and innovation.”

Marianna Savoca, PhD, Associate Vice President for Career Readiness & Experiential Education at Stony Brook University, said, “We are so very grateful for the support provided by the SUNY Chancellor's Office to fund summer research experiences for students. These immersive experiential programs make all the difference for students, who discover the excitement of scientific research, learn how to work on a team, develop critical thinking and analytical skills, confidence, and career clarity. Year after year, students evaluate the summer research experience as pivotal to their career and professional development.”

SUNY Upstate Medical School President Mantosh Dewan, MD said, “Upstate Medical University is proud to be a partner in the Chancellor's Summer Research Excellence Fund to support aspiring young researchers. By gaining hands-on research experience, students can see up-close how transformative these opportunities can be and spark their interest in a future focused on scientific discovery.”

About The State University of New York
The State University of New York is the largest comprehensive system of higher education in the United States, and more than 95 percent of all New Yorkers live within 30 miles of any one of SUNY’s 64 colleges and universities. Across the system, SUNY has four academic health centers, five hospitals, four medical schools, two dental schools, a law school, the country’s oldest school of maritime, the state’s only college of optometry, and manages one US Department of Energy National Laboratory. In total, SUNY serves about 1.4 million students amongst its entire portfolio of credit- and non-credit-bearing courses and programs, continuing education, and community outreach programs. SUNY oversees nearly a quarter of academic research in New York. Research expenditures system-wide are nearly $1.16 billion in fiscal year 2024, including significant contributions from students and faculty. There are more than three million SUNY alumni worldwide, and one in three New Yorkers with a college degree is a SUNY alum.

Veronica Chiesi Brown
Community Relations
05/30/2025