Coming up in the Honors College

• 05/15 EXTENDED Deadline:  Honors College scholarship application for the 2026-27 academic year 
• 05/15 Deadline: Harris County Historical Society Award for Excellence
• 05/25 Priority Deadline: Civic Houston Internship Program

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ANNOUNCEMENTS & OPPORTUNITIES    

Grand Challenges Forum
The Grand Challenges Forum encourages students to think critically, discuss openly and learn unequivocally. The New Grand Challenges Forum offers students, faculty, staff, alumni and members of the local community a time to hear a wide range of lectures dedicated to a compelling theme. Fridays from 1-2 p.m. in the Honors College Commons.

Look for the fall 2026 schedule here.

Lyceum Lecture Series
The Lyceum Initiative hosts a Lecture Series each academic year, focused on a theme of special interest to its mission. The theme for 2026 is "The Declaration at 250!" Each talk in the 2026 Lecture Series will focus upon one of the fundamental principles articulated in the Declaration of Independence, signed by delegates to the Continental Congress in July of 1776.

Look for the fall 2026 schedule here.

 "Literature You Love" Undergraduate Video Contest The Department of English is sponsoring a "Literature You Love" undergraduate video contest with three $1,000 prizes. Students create and submit short videos. Open to all majors, so share with literature lovers everywhere as you feel is appropriate. Click here for more details.

Honors College Scholarship Application EXTENDED
The Honors College Scholarship Application deadline for the 2026-27 academic year has been extended to Friday, May 15 at 5 p.m. These scholarships for current Honors students are awarded for the 2026-27 academic year, on the basis of the applicant's financial needs, academic record, and participation in the Honors College. To apply, please complete the online application and submit a resume here.

Harris County Historical Society Award for Excellence
The Harris County Historical Society presents this annual award for excellence to a full-time undergraduate or graduate student for a public history project focused on Houston or Harris County history. The $1,500 scholarship will be awarded for the fall 2026 semester. The award recipient will be expected to present their project or a summary thereof at the 2026 Harris County Historical Society Dinner. Submitted projects should be completed between June 1, 2025 and May 15, 2026. LEARN MORE AND APPLY HERE by May 15.

Civic Houston Internship Program – FALL 2026
The Hobby School of Public Affairs’ Civic Houston Internship Program (CHIP) is offering public service internships to UH students during the fall and spring semesters. Since its inception over 25 years ago, the program has placed about 1,800 interns in local offices. Through this program, numerous students have gained invaluable experience and have developed the skills needed to become strong public service leaders as well as influential policy makers. Students are assigned to government offices at the municipal, county, state or federal levels throughout the greater Houston area. There are also opportunities for students to intern with non-profit organizations, campaigns, and the private sector.
Priority Acceptance Deadline: Monday, May 25.
Program and Eligibility Information:
This internship course counts as 3 hours of upper-level public policy credit and is open to:
Juniors and Seniors (by credit hour)
Students with a GPA of 3.0 or higher
Recent post-baccalaureates
All majors|
Students selected will be required to:
Work an average of eight hours per week over the 15-week semester in their assigned offices
Meet as a class four times during the semester (once a month)
Complete a daily journal, term paper, and an assessment will be completed by the office supervisor

If you are interested in applying, you can access the application form HERE or on the Civic Houston Internship Program webpage. For questions, please email Jessica Ruland O’Connor at jlruland@cougarnet.uh.edu.

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TRAVEL & SCHOLARSHIP OPPORTUNITIES

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RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES

Volunteer Research Assistant Positions
The UH Cognitive Development Lab is recruiting undergraduates and post-bacs for volunteer research assistant positions, beginning in the Summer 2026 semester. We study the factors that contribute to varying aspects of cognitive development, including learning, attention, and language skills, through the use of head-mounted eye-tracking, electroencephalography (EEG), and heart-rate monitors during parent-infant interactions. Applications are open now through May 30.

Requirements include, but are not limited to:
- Minimum of 10 hours a week;
- Minimum of three semesters;
- Two meetings a week (Mondays: 1:30-3 p.m. and 3-4 p.m.).

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
- Scheduling and running study appointments;
- Annotating and scoring behavioral data (e.g., transcribing speech);
- Administering standardized assessments (e.g., motor and language tests);
- Organizing and running recruitment events in the community;
- General lab and data management (e.g., sanitation and data entry).

Opportunities include, but are not limited to:
- Professional development workshops;
- Letters of recommendation;
- Conference presentations;
- Senior honors thesis projects and course credit;
- Research scholarships (e.g., PURS/SURF).

The application can be accessed here. Questions can be forwarded to cogdev@cougarnet.uh.edu.

Pharmacy Undergraduate Research Opportunity - Dr. Joydip Das
Dr. Joydip Das, from the Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, is currently recruiting undergraduate students to study the binding of small molecule drugs on presynaptic and signaling proteins using molecular docking, molecular dynamics and binding assays. The objective is to understand the molecular mechanism of drug’s action with a long-term goal of developing more potent drugs with little or no side effects. For more information, contact Joydip Das (713-743-1708, jdas@uh.edu).

Congenital Heart Defects Undergraduate Research Opportunity - Dr. Mingfu Wu, UH
Dr. Mingfu Wu, from the Department of Pharmacological and Pharmaceutical Sciences, is currently recruiting undergraduate students or research scientists to work on exciting new projects related to the etiology, pathology and genetic basis of congenital heart defects and cardiomyopathy. These projects investigate the etiologies at cellular, molecular, and genetic levels and establish novel treatments and gene-therapy for these heart diseases. Motivated students with a strong background in biology, physiology, biochemistry, molecular biology, genetics, bioinformatics, or pharmacology are encouraged to apply. The projects in the lab are supported by NIH and AHA grants. Qualified students are accepted all year round with two per year with students expected to stay in the lab for at least one year. For more information, email Mingfu Wu (mwu25@central.uh.edu) and answer the following questions: do you want to be a PhD, a MD or other plan for the next step? Do you want to be a physician, an independent faculty or other career in the future?