Ted R. Lilley CURE Program

# Ted R. Lilley CURE Program The Ted R. Lilley Continuing Umbrella of Research Education (CURE) internship gives Portland-area high school students eight weeks of hands-on cancer research inside Oregon Health & Science University's Knight Cancer Institute. Interns work in a research laboratory under a faculty mentor, follow a structured research curriculum, and attend weekly seminars introducing scientific methods and biomedical careers. ## What You'll Do - Work up to 40 hours a week (seminars included) in a Knight Cancer Institute research lab - the 2026 session ran June 22 through August 14 - Learn laboratory technique and the scientific method through a structured curriculum - Attend weekly seminars on biomedical research and careers - Earn a $4,000 stipend, with a Tri-Met transit pass provided for the program's duration ## Who Should Apply Sophomores, juniors, and seniors at Oregon high schools who excel academically and come from socially or economically disadvantaged backgrounds as defined by the NIH. Applicants must be 16 or older when the program begins in June, hold a 3.0+ GPA, and have taken at least one lab science class (preferably biology). Preference goes to students with two years of high school remaining and to Portland Metro public school students. Applications for 2027 open in late fall, with decisions by the end of February. ## Outcomes CURE interns leave with a paid research credential from an NCI-designated cancer center, a faculty mentor, and grounding in lab skills that feeds directly into Oregon's biomedical pipeline programs and research-focused college applications.