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About the CUBE Program

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"Without the CUBE program, I may have never fully realized my passion for biostatistics, because it’s not a field that is easily understood with online research." 

-Kayla Williams, CUBE 2022 intern & current MS Candidate in Biostatistics at Drexel University

To learn more about Kayla's experience and her advice to undergraduates looking to pursue a career in biostatistics, visit our CUBE News page to read the full article

The Collaborative Undergraduate Biostatistics Experience (CUBE) is an 8-week training program designed to give motivated undergraduate students in STEM the opportunity to engage in a full-time collaborative data science experience, along with related professional development activities. The CUBE program is built on the following four pillars: 1) training in introductory biostatistics and R programming; 2) professional development (PD); 3) instruction in the principles of transparent, reproducible science; and 4) a collaborative research project addressing real-world research questions.

The goal is to offer students an experience working with a real-world dataset under the mentorship of experienced collaborative data scientists, as well as clinical experts, to help them determine if they want to pursue a career in collaborative applied data science, while they develop skills for the workforce or graduate school.

The program includes weekly research and professional development seminars, periodic social events, and a final symposium during which students will present their research. Students will be hosted at Virginia Tech during Summer 2026, and will be compensated $4,800 for their participation in the program.* Housing and social outings will also be provided. Students will be responsible for food/meals and roundtrip travel to and from Virginia Tech. 

Media coverage of the CUBE program delivered in summers 2022, 2023, and 2024 is provided on our CUBE News Page

*Payment is taxable income to participating students who are current US Citizens or have a working visa within the US. Please review IRS publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education for additional information.