Who is eligible for BUMP?

BUMP Biology serves Black-identifying undergraduate students interested in biology and premedical tracks at Columbia University. Columbia , Barnard, and GS freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors are encouraged to apply.

When are applications released?

The BUMP program runs by the calendar year so applications are released in January/February.

Can BUMP undergraduates enroll in other programs?

BUMP Biology is primarily a mentorship program. BUMP Biology funding is supplemental. This means undergraduate students who participate in BUMP can also be simultaneously enrolled in other programs at or beyond Columbia.

Can BUMP undergraduates receive funding from BUMP & another program at the same time?

It depends. 

BUMP Biology offers two types of funding: 1) a research stipend and 2) a housing stipend. 

BUMP participants are eligible to receive the research stipend if they are doing unpaid research in a Columbia-affiliated lab. The student must be in a research position in order to receive this funding. If the student is already being paid for their research activities through another mechanism (e.g. work-study, casual hire, program stipend, etc.), they are not eligible to receive the BUMP research stipend for those research activities.

BUMP Biology also offers a summer housing stipend, which specifically provides financial support for housing to students who participate in in-person summer research at Columbia. In many cases, the stipend is paid directly to the Columbia housing office. This stipend does not prevent any BUMP student from being paid for their lab-related research activities, whether through the BUMP research stipend or through other means. 

What are the expectations of a BUMP mentor/mentee?

BUMP Research Mentors assist their mentees with entering the field of research at Columbia and beyond (e.g., applying for research opportunities), while BUMP Career Mentors give career-related and personal mentorship.

The BUMP mentees and mentors are provided with a code of conduct and a mentee/mentor training guide.

The BUMP Mentors participate annually in a virtual mentorship training session with an emphasis on addressing cultural bias led by Dr. Dana Crawford, founder of CBRT (Crawford Bias Reduction Theory & Training).

Many Research Mentors become at-the-bench mentors for their mentees when research interests align, and those mentees acquire positions in their labs after an introduction with the PI.

What are some measures of success, and how do you know BUMP is making an impact?

The BUMP Biology program provides funding up to $2,500 per student per semester to directly support mentees engaged in research at Columbia University. The BUMP program provided $3,000 per student to offset rising summer housing costs this year. Many students, mentors, and PIs reported that without this funding, some BUMP mentees would not have been able to secure funded research positions.

BUMP biology sends out entrance and exit surveys to its mentees and mentors to inquire about their experience in the program. Many mentors and mentees have reported increased research positions, lab placements, and career-related opportunities following participation in our mentorship and funding programs.

What was the hardest challenge to overcome in founding BUMP?

According to BUMP Biology leaders, the biggest challenge was in defining and clearly communicating a purpose for the organization. Many undergraduate research programs initially believed BUMP was an exclusionary program for Black undergraduates. Since then, BUMP has clarified its purpose: BUMP exists to increase the participation of Black undergraduates in research, not sequester it.

What was something that worked well for BUMP in the beginning?

Collaboration across Columbia—from trainees to faculty to administrators, most folks surveyed seemed excited about the founding of BUMP and many offered initial resources, such as mentor training guides, advisory meetings, funding applications, etc.

What advice would you give to others looking to start up an organization like BUMP at their own institution?

Find a team that is passionate and committed to increasing the participation of Black undergraduates in research and set on making a difference in students’ lives!

Make connections with faculty, departments, and student organizations that do this work and can lend support throughout the founding and leading of a new organization. 

Most importantly, stay true to your vision & intentions, especially when they involve serving underrepresented causes. The systemic nature of institutionalized racism will try time and time again to pull you away from this vision, but stay focused and stick together.

A big challenge for mentorship organizations is funding. How is BUMP funded?

BUMP Biology has been lucky to find financial support within its home institution, Columbia University, by applying for various internal grants centered around supporting initiatives in diversity and equity.

Other means of funding have resulted from spur-of-the-moment collaborations. For example, one coordinator, Raffi Cohn, is a Simons Fellow and has successfully orchestrated a significant donation from the Simons Foundation to support the housing costs of mentees doing research this summer. BUMP Biology has also received support from the Zuckerman Institute.

What advice would you give to other organizations for securing funding?

Use and make every connection available. Two BUMP Biology faculty advisors frequently collaborate with the Provost’s Office, which has resulted in a lot of early and continued institutional support for BUMP Biology at Columbia University.

Learn from and collaborate with other existing programs. Many freely offer online resources that initially helped BUMP Biology guide its mentors while they assisted their mentees in applying for grants, grad school, jobs, etc. One favorite is Cientifico Latino.

What types of challenges do you see in the current landscape for Black and minority scientists?

There is a lack of uniquely tailored mentorship and resources for Black and minority students.