We are proud to announce "FUERZA"
an undergraduate training grant sponsored by the National Institutes of Health
The FUERZA program aims to expand the research pipeline by engaging undergraduate students from historically excluded backgrounds (i.e., racially/ethnically minoritized groups, disabled people, economically disadvantaged groups, women) who are interested in research related to the normal and disordered processes of hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and language.
FUERZA students will have the opportunity to participate in an SLHS research lab for a paid rotation. During your rotation, you will learn about research and identify goals with your mentor. You will take part in mentoring activities outside your home lab (e.g., applying to graduate school; and learning about research as a career) and be part of the FUERZA cohort.
Students who successfully complete a FUERZA rotation will be eligible (and encouraged to) continue with other paid rotations throughout their undergraduate career. Rotations may be in different labs, or students may stay with the same mentor for multiple rotations. All mentors will receive training in mentorship.
Eligibility:
University of Arizona undergraduate student
U.S. citizen (due to NIH criteria)
Available/willing to participate in NIH RCR Certificate Program trainings (scheduled by FUERZA Resource Liaison)
Willingness to respond to FUERZA emails, even after graduation from the the program. (We need to follow up on your successes!)
Before you apply:
Before you start the application, use the table below to identify your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd choice labs to do a rotation in this semester. In the application, you will be asked to write about why you are interested in those 3 labs.
Please be aware of each lab's prerequisites. Click on each lab's link for more information about area of study, student roles, etc.
FUERZA Mentors currently accepting new students:
| Lab | Faculty Director | Prerequisites | Preferred Qualifications | More Information |
| Bilingual Acquisition and Processing Systems (BAPS) Lab | Dr. Phillips | None | Completion of LING201 and/or NSCS200 | More info |
| Bilingualism and the Brain in Education and Language (BABEL Lab) | Dr. Arizmendi | Current lab members only | Spanish-English bilingual language skills (not required) | More info |
| Language and Cognition Lab | Dr. Kapa | Contact for info | None | More info |
| Speech Acoustics and Physiology Lab | Dr. Bunton | Changes due to project availability | Changes due to project availability | More info |
| Vestibular Research Lab | Dr. Kobel | None | MATLab, Python, or other coding experience | More info |
| Voice Research Lab | Dr. Samlan | Minimum grade of B in Anatomy, Physiology, and Acoustics | Interest in voice | More info |
Applications for the Spring of 2026 are due by 12/1/2025.
Returning FUERZA students: You do not need to re-apply! Please contact cecilm@email.arizona.edu for more info!