{"id":426,"date":"2023-01-11T00:50:33","date_gmt":"2023-01-11T00:50:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bridge-institute\/?page_id=426"},"modified":"2026-04-09T23:32:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T23:32:12","slug":"bugs-program-faq","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bridge-institute\/bugs-program-faq\/","title":{"rendered":"BUGS Program FAQ"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n\n      \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--accordions \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--accordions\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      <div class=\"header-container\">\n\n      \n                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <h3><strong>General<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>We are training the next generation of students to surmount disciplinary boundaries as they work to better understand the human body, molecule by molecule. We have collected the most commonly asked questions about the BUGS Program and have answered them here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n      \n                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--link\">\n\n    \n    \n  \n<a \n  class=\"link\"\n  href= https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bridge-institute\/bugs-jr-program\/\n    aria-label=\"Read more about For BUGS Jr Info\"  \n>\n    For BUGS Jr Info \n  <svg version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" viewBox=\"0 0 35 35\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 35 35\" width=\"25\" height=\"25\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><polygon fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" fill=\"#000\" points=\"19.3,27.5 29.3,17.5,19.3,7.5 16.3,10.4 21.4,15.4 6.7,15.4 6.7,19.6 21.4,19.6 16.3,24.6 \"\/><\/svg>\n<\/a>\n\n\n<\/div>\n      \n    <\/div>\n  \n      <ul>\n              <li>\n          <button type=\"button\" class=\"accordion-trigger \" id=\"heading-1-1-0Et9nb0fXn\" aria-controls=\"section-1-1-0Et9nb0fXn\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-disabled=\"false\">\n                          <span class=\"item-title\">What is the BUGS Summer Research Program?<\/span>\n            \n                      <\/button>\n\n          <div id=\"section-1-1-0Et9nb0fXn\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"heading-1-1-0Et9nb0fXn\" class=\"accordion-panel\">\n\n                            \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p>A paid\u00a0<em>in-person<\/em>\u00a0summer research program that not only grants undergraduate students hands-on experience in a collaborative research environment, but also facilitates the growth of the next generation of scientists seeking to improve the human condition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n            \n                      <\/div>\n        <\/li>\n\n              <li>\n          <button type=\"button\" class=\"accordion-trigger \" id=\"heading-1-2-0Et9nb0fXn\" aria-controls=\"section-1-2-0Et9nb0fXn\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-disabled=\"false\">\n                          <span class=\"item-title\">What is the difference between the BUGS program and the BUGS Jr. Program?<\/span>\n            \n                      <\/button>\n\n          <div id=\"section-1-2-0Et9nb0fXn\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"heading-1-2-0Et9nb0fXn\" class=\"accordion-panel\">\n\n                            \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p>BUGS is the abbreviation for Bridge UnderGraduate Science [<a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bridge-institute\/bugs\/\">BUGS page<\/a>]. BUGS Jr. refers to the concurrent high school student program that runs alongside the BUGS program each summer [<a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bridge-institute\/bugs-jr\/\">BUGS Jr page<\/a>]. In short, BUGS = Undergraduates and BUGS Jr. = High school students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n            \n                      <\/div>\n        <\/li>\n\n              <li>\n          <button type=\"button\" class=\"accordion-trigger \" id=\"heading-1-3-0Et9nb0fXn\" aria-controls=\"section-1-3-0Et9nb0fXn\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-disabled=\"false\">\n                          <span class=\"item-title\">What is a PI?<\/span>\n            \n                      <\/button>\n\n          <div id=\"section-1-3-0Et9nb0fXn\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"heading-1-3-0Et9nb0fXn\" class=\"accordion-panel\">\n\n                            \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p>A PI stands for Principal Investigator. This term typically refers to the holder of an independent grant and the lead researcher on\u00a0<em>a scientific research<\/em>\u00a0project. We use PI and Faculty Mentor interchangeably when it comes to the BUGS Summer Research Program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n            \n                      <\/div>\n        <\/li>\n\n          <\/ul>\n  \n  \n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n        \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--accordions \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--accordions\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      <div class=\"header-container\">\n\n      \n                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <h3><strong>Applying<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n      \n      \n    <\/div>\n  \n      <ul>\n              <li>\n          <button type=\"button\" class=\"accordion-trigger \" id=\"heading-1-1--Zk8pzS7-K\" aria-controls=\"section-1-1--Zk8pzS7-K\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-disabled=\"false\">\n                          <span class=\"item-title\">What are the requirements for the BUGS Summer Research Program?<\/span>\n            \n                      <\/button>\n\n          <div id=\"section-1-1--Zk8pzS7-K\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"heading-1-1--Zk8pzS7-K\" class=\"accordion-panel\">\n\n                            \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><span data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\">Please only apply if you meet the following criteria:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ol start=\"1\" type=\"1\">\n<li class=\"x_MsoNormal\">You are available for the entirety of the program (May 26 \u2013 August 1, 2026).<\/li>\n<li class=\"x_MsoNormal\">You are available to attend each of the mandatory weekly activities (~90 minutes, 1 afternoon\/week at Michelson Hall).<\/li>\n<li class=\"x_MsoNormal\">Your project must be related to the improvement of our understanding of the human body\/human health.<\/li>\n<li class=\"x_MsoNormal\">You are a continuing student in the upcoming semester.<\/li>\n<li class=\"x_MsoNormal\">You agree to commit at least 10 weeks of full-time (\u00b1 30 hours\/week) research.<\/li>\n<li class=\"x_MsoNormal\">You find a PI\/Faculty Mentor who agrees to have you in their lab over the summer.<\/li>\n<li class=\"x_MsoNormal\">You are able to attend and participate in the Finale Symposium on the first Saturday of August.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n            \n                      <\/div>\n        <\/li>\n\n              <li>\n          <button type=\"button\" class=\"accordion-trigger \" id=\"heading-1-2--Zk8pzS7-K\" aria-controls=\"section-1-2--Zk8pzS7-K\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-disabled=\"false\">\n                          <span class=\"item-title\">How do I apply for the BUGS Summer Research Program?<\/span>\n            \n                      <\/button>\n\n          <div id=\"section-1-2--Zk8pzS7-K\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"heading-1-2--Zk8pzS7-K\" class=\"accordion-panel\">\n\n                            \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p><strong>The first step<\/strong>\u2014before even starting the application process\u2014is to find a lab who will agree to have you work with them over the summer. (see next section)<\/p>\n<p><strong>The second step<\/strong>\u2014please apply for funding to USC Fellowships. These may include the Provost Fellowship, WiSE, and SURF.<\/p>\n<p><strong>The third step<\/strong>\u2014once there is a mutual understanding between you and your PI about your project, your hours, length of stay, etc., you may now apply for BUGS!<\/p>\n<p>Before you proceed with submitting your application, please again be sure you meet all the requirements, you have a PI\/Faculty mentor that has agreed to have you in their lab over the summer, and you have developed a research proposal. There is a Research Proposal template download link on the main BUGS page under \u201c<strong>How to Apply<\/strong>,\u201d but here it is for your convenience as well:<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/docs.google.com\/document\/d\/1VanzLGOMBamVNF16DTgYhsGLFD9jzYKs\/edit?usp=drive_link&amp;ouid=110480244252635662816&amp;rtpof=true&amp;sd=true\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>2026 Summer Research Project Proposal.<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>The fourth (and final) step<\/strong>\u2014once you submit your application, please be patient on receiving a status update regarding your acceptance into the BUGS Summer Research Program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n            \n                      <\/div>\n        <\/li>\n\n              <li>\n          <button type=\"button\" class=\"accordion-trigger \" id=\"heading-1-3--Zk8pzS7-K\" aria-controls=\"section-1-3--Zk8pzS7-K\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-disabled=\"false\">\n                          <span class=\"item-title\">How do I find a PI\/Faculty Mentor?<\/span>\n            \n                      <\/button>\n\n          <div id=\"section-1-3--Zk8pzS7-K\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"heading-1-3--Zk8pzS7-K\" class=\"accordion-panel\">\n\n                            \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p>If this is your first time doing research, this part may be confusing. Joining a lab requires you to reach out to the Faculty member whose lab YOU want to be in. Everyone does this part differently, but to be successful we suggest you begin by doing your own research (prior to the laboratory research) and find a PI (PI = principal investigator, aka faculty member) whose research interests you. Contact them and find out if they have openings in their lab over the summer \u2013 show interest\/ask questions that show you know what they are doing, and let them know why that interests you and how you think you can contribute to their efforts (even if only as a careful and enthusiastic new student who is willing to put time and effort in to learn and help). The Bridge Institute does not assist in finding a lab for you to work with over the summer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n            \n                      <\/div>\n        <\/li>\n\n              <li>\n          <button type=\"button\" class=\"accordion-trigger \" id=\"heading-1-4--Zk8pzS7-K\" aria-controls=\"section-1-4--Zk8pzS7-K\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-disabled=\"false\">\n                          <span class=\"item-title\">What is the timeline for the BUGS Program application process?<\/span>\n            \n                      <\/button>\n\n          <div id=\"section-1-4--Zk8pzS7-K\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"heading-1-4--Zk8pzS7-K\" class=\"accordion-panel\">\n\n                            \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p><b><i>Applications due:<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 April 26, 2026<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><b><i>Decisions:<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 May 3, 2026<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><b><i>Program begins:<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> May 26, 2026<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><b><i>Program ends:<\/i><\/b><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Finale Symposium \u2013 Saturday, August 1, 2026<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once you submit your completed application, here\u2019s what happens:<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">When the application period has closed (<\/span><b>April 26, 2026<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">), we contact the PI\/Faculty mentor you listed in your application and confirm with them that they have accepted you to work in their laboratory for the summer, and send them a mentorship contract for them to complete and return.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Receipt of any USC fellowship awards to support your research are verified.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">All applications are evaluated for recognition\/funding by <\/span><b>the Trudi Berwin Student Support Fund<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Trudi Berwin Scholars Program), <\/span><b>the Dang Family Endowed Undergraduate Research Fund<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Dang Family Scholar Program), and other fellowship sources administered by the Bridge Institute.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Once the PI\/Faculty mentor has returned the signed contract, and stipend funding has been verified, you will be notified of your provisional acceptance into the 2025 BUGS Program. The student contract will be sent to you on to review, sign and return.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><b>Tuesday, May 26th, 2026:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The Annual BUGS Program Summer Research Program commences.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n            \n                      <\/div>\n        <\/li>\n\n          <\/ul>\n  \n  \n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n    \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--accordions \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--accordions\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      <div class=\"header-container\">\n\n                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--section-title\">\n\n    \n  <h2>\n           \n      <\/h2>\n\n\n<\/div>\n      \n                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <h3><strong>Stipend<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n      \n      \n    <\/div>\n  \n      <ul>\n              <li>\n          <button type=\"button\" class=\"accordion-trigger \" id=\"heading-1-1-en7l8dzvDL\" aria-controls=\"section-1-1-en7l8dzvDL\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-disabled=\"false\">\n                          <span class=\"item-title\">Where does my stipend come from?<\/span>\n            \n                      <\/button>\n\n          <div id=\"section-1-1-en7l8dzvDL\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"heading-1-1-en7l8dzvDL\" class=\"accordion-panel\">\n\n                            \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><span data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\">The contract that is sent to your PI\/Faculty Mentor has THREE options for them to select from: (1) they agree to support your full stipend ($3000), or (2) indicate that they can only support 50% ($1500) of your stipend, and acceptance is contingent on your receipt of (at least partial) fellowship funding, or (3) indicate that they cannot support any of your stipend, and acceptance is contingent on your receipt of full fellowship funding.<\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\">There are a few ways to receive your stipend:<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><b>USC FELLOWSHIPS<\/b>\u00a0\u2013 We strongly encourage you to apply to the\u00a0<a title=\"https:\/\/undergrad.usc.edu\/experience\/research\/undergrad_research\/\" href=\"https:\/\/undergrad.usc.edu\/experience\/research\/undergrad_research\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"0\"><b>Provost<\/b><\/a>,\u00a0<a title=\"https:\/\/wise.usc.edu\/programs\/grants-and-awards\/undergraduate-students\/\" href=\"https:\/\/wise.usc.edu\/programs\/grants-and-awards\/undergraduate-students\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"1\"><b>WiSE<\/b><\/a>, or\u00a0<a title=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/surf-shure\/\" href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/surf-shure\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" data-auth=\"NotApplicable\" data-linkindex=\"2\"><b>SURF<\/b><\/a>\u00a0programs as the funding from any of these fellowships may cover part or all of your stipend (and increase your chances of being accepted in the BUGS program). These awards helps us stretch our funding (from the Bridge Institute) to support as many students as possible (especially those who were unable to receive separate USC fellowship funding).<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\">NOTE: Keep in mind that if you are awarded a USC fellowships (Provost, WiSE, or SURF) for $3000 or more, you will not receive additional funding for participating in the BUGS program. However, you will be able to list both the fellowship award and BUGS programs on your CVs for future scholarship\/admissions\/job applications.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><b>PI\/FACULTY MENTOR<\/b>\u00a0\u2013 As indicated above, your PI\/Faculty Mentors may agree to support all or half of your total stipend.<\/p>\n<p class=\"x_MsoNormal\"><b>BRIDGE INSITUTUE ADMINISTERED FELLOWSHIPS<\/b>\u00a0\u2013 All applications to the BUGS Summer Research Program are considered for funding (or recognition) through the Trudi Berwin Student Support Award, Dang Family Endowed Undergraduate Research Award, and\/or other fellowship funds that are managed through the Bridge Institute.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n            \n                      <\/div>\n        <\/li>\n\n              <li>\n          <button type=\"button\" class=\"accordion-trigger \" id=\"heading-1-2-en7l8dzvDL\" aria-controls=\"section-1-2-en7l8dzvDL\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-disabled=\"false\">\n                          <span class=\"item-title\">If I receive a separate USC Fellowship, do I also receive the $3,000 stipend from the BUGS Program?<\/span>\n            \n                      <\/button>\n\n          <div id=\"section-1-2-en7l8dzvDL\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"heading-1-2-en7l8dzvDL\" class=\"accordion-panel\">\n\n                            \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p>As noted above, unfortunately, this answer is \u2018NO\u2019. If your fellowship award is for less than the minimum set by the BUGS program ($3000), the Bridge Institute will supplement your award to that level. However, as we would like to provide research opportunities to as many undergraduate students from various levels of experience as possible, we do not award the BUGS program stipend to undergraduate students who were awarded a concurrent USC Fellowship of $3000 (or more). You will find that many of the USC Fellowships have stipulations that preclude concurrent fellowship awards as we all try to utilize our available funding to impact the broadest pool of candidates possible.<\/p>\n<p><em>For this reason, we highly encourage all of our applicants\u00a0<strong>to apply to USC Fellowships<\/strong>\u2014 and if awarded\u2014 to concurrently participate in the BUGS Summer Research Program.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n            \n                      <\/div>\n        <\/li>\n\n          <\/ul>\n  \n  \n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n      \n  \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--accordions \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--accordions\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      <div class=\"header-container\">\n\n      \n                  \n<div class=\"f--field f--description\">\n\n    \n  <h3><strong>Miscellaneous<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n      \n      \n    <\/div>\n  \n      <ul>\n              <li>\n          <button type=\"button\" class=\"accordion-trigger \" id=\"heading-1-1-kIH6hcyc-y\" aria-controls=\"section-1-1-kIH6hcyc-y\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-disabled=\"false\">\n                          <span class=\"item-title\">I am not a USC student. Can I still apply to the BUGS Summer Research Program?<\/span>\n            \n                      <\/button>\n\n          <div id=\"section-1-1-kIH6hcyc-y\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"heading-1-1-kIH6hcyc-y\" class=\"accordion-panel\">\n\n                            \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p>Yes! So long as (1) you find a USC PI\/Faculty Mentor to host you AND (2) you are available to participate in the research and programmatic activities in-person (virtual\/on-line projects are not supported in the 2024 BUGS Summer Research Program) for the dates\/duration of our summer program. We welcome participation of undergraduates from other colleges or universities, but understand this may have challenges due to differing academic calendars. Because you would not be eligible for a USC undergraduate fellowship award, your host PI\/Faculty Mentor would have to be willing to support half of your stipend for you to be accepted into the program, or you would have to be selected to receive funding from one of the Bridge Institute administered fellowship sources. Also keep in mind, the BUGS program does not provide transportation or housing for non-USC\/non-local students; nor do we provide VISA sponsorship to interested students from outside of the US.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n            \n                      <\/div>\n        <\/li>\n\n              <li>\n          <button type=\"button\" class=\"accordion-trigger \" id=\"heading-1-2-kIH6hcyc-y\" aria-controls=\"section-1-2-kIH6hcyc-y\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-disabled=\"false\">\n                          <span class=\"item-title\">If I graduate from High School in Spring 2025, should I apply for the BUGS or the BUGS Jr. program?<\/span>\n            \n                      <\/button>\n\n          <div id=\"section-1-2-kIH6hcyc-y\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"heading-1-2-kIH6hcyc-y\" class=\"accordion-panel\">\n\n                            \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p>Since high school graduation dates typically occur after the BUGS Program has already commenced and you have yet to begin your undergraduate career, Spring 2025 high school graduates should continue to apply to <strong>the BUGS Jr. Program<\/strong>\u00a0[<a href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bridge-institute\/bugs-jr-program\/\">BUGS Jr website<\/a>].<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n            \n                      <\/div>\n        <\/li>\n\n              <li>\n          <button type=\"button\" class=\"accordion-trigger \" id=\"heading-1-3-kIH6hcyc-y\" aria-controls=\"section-1-3-kIH6hcyc-y\" aria-expanded=\"false\" aria-disabled=\"false\">\n                          <span class=\"item-title\">I just graduated from college, can I still apply to the BUGS Program?<\/span>\n            \n                      <\/button>\n\n          <div id=\"section-1-3-kIH6hcyc-y\" role=\"region\" aria-labelledby=\"heading-1-3-kIH6hcyc-y\" class=\"accordion-panel\">\n\n                            \n    \n\n\n\n\n\n\n<div\n  class=\"cc--component-container cc--rich-text \"\n\n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  \n  >\n  <div class=\"c--component c--rich-text\"\n    \n      >\n\n    \n      \n<div class=\"f--field f--wysiwyg\">\n\n    \n  <p>Unfortunately, no. You will be considered ineligible to apply to the BUGS Program. Only continuing undergraduate students may apply to the BUGS Program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n            \n                      <\/div>\n        <\/li>\n\n          <\/ul>\n  \n      <div class=\"links-container\">\n      \n            \n<div class=\"f--field f--link\">\n\n    \n    \n  \n<a \n  class=\"link\"\n  href= https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bridge-institute\/bugs-program\/\n    aria-label=\"Read more about BUGS Program\"  \n>\n    BUGS Program \n  <svg version=\"1.1\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" xmlns:xlink=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/1999\/xlink\" x=\"0px\" y=\"0px\" viewBox=\"0 0 35 35\" enable-background=\"new 0 0 35 35\" width=\"25\" height=\"25\" xml:space=\"preserve\"><polygon fill-rule=\"evenodd\" clip-rule=\"evenodd\" fill=\"#FC0\" points=\"19.3,27.5 29.3,17.5,19.3,7.5 16.3,10.4 21.4,15.4 6.7,15.4 6.7,19.6 21.4,19.6 16.3,24.6 \"\/><\/svg>\n<\/a>\n\n\n<\/div>\n\n          <\/div>\n  \n\n  <\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":89,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-426","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v27.1.1 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>BUGS Program FAQ - USC Bridge Institute<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bridge-institute\/bugs-program-faq\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"BUGS Program FAQ - USC Bridge Institute\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bridge-institute\/bugs-program-faq\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"USC Bridge Institute\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2026-04-09T23:32:12+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bridge-institute\/bugs-program-faq\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bridge-institute\/bugs-program-faq\/\",\"name\":\"BUGS Program FAQ - USC Bridge Institute\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/live-usc-dornsife.pantheonsite.io\/bridge-institute\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2023-01-11T00:50:33+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2026-04-09T23:32:12+00:00\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bridge-institute\/bugs-program-faq\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bridge-institute\/bugs-program-faq\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bridge-institute\/bugs-program-faq\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bridge-institute\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"BUGS Program FAQ\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/live-usc-dornsife.pantheonsite.io\/bridge-institute\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/live-usc-dornsife.pantheonsite.io\/bridge-institute\/\",\"name\":\"USC Bridge Institute\",\"description\":\"USC Dornsife USC Bridge Institute\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/live-usc-dornsife.pantheonsite.io\/bridge-institute\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":{\"@type\":\"PropertyValueSpecification\",\"valueRequired\":true,\"valueName\":\"search_term_string\"}}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"BUGS Program FAQ - USC Bridge Institute","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bridge-institute\/bugs-program-faq\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"BUGS Program FAQ - USC Bridge Institute","og_url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bridge-institute\/bugs-program-faq\/","og_site_name":"USC Bridge Institute","article_modified_time":"2026-04-09T23:32:12+00:00","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bridge-institute\/bugs-program-faq\/","url":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bridge-institute\/bugs-program-faq\/","name":"BUGS Program FAQ - USC Bridge Institute","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/live-usc-dornsife.pantheonsite.io\/bridge-institute\/#website"},"datePublished":"2023-01-11T00:50:33+00:00","dateModified":"2026-04-09T23:32:12+00:00","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bridge-institute\/bugs-program-faq\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bridge-institute\/bugs-program-faq\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bridge-institute\/bugs-program-faq\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bridge-institute\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"BUGS Program FAQ"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/live-usc-dornsife.pantheonsite.io\/bridge-institute\/#website","url":"https:\/\/live-usc-dornsife.pantheonsite.io\/bridge-institute\/","name":"USC Bridge Institute","description":"USC Dornsife USC Bridge Institute","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/live-usc-dornsife.pantheonsite.io\/bridge-institute\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":{"@type":"PropertyValueSpecification","valueRequired":true,"valueName":"search_term_string"}}],"inLanguage":"en-US"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bridge-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/426","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bridge-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bridge-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bridge-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/89"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bridge-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=426"}],"version-history":[{"count":43,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bridge-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/426\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3223,"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bridge-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/426\/revisions\/3223"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dornsife.usc.edu\/bridge-institute\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=426"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}