The University of Alabama's McNair Scholars Program prepares eligible students for successful entry into and completion of doctoral degree programs. Scholars participate in a year-long research experience supported by a series of three seminars and receive a variety of related support services and benefits.
McNair Scholars receive a stipend of $2800 while they conduct research and engage in other scholarly activities with Faculty Mentors. Research internships usually take place during the summer but can be scheduled for the academic year, depending upon the nature of the project and the availability of the Mentor. Upon completion of the research internship, Scholars make formal presentations of their research at The University of Alabama's annual McNair Scholars Research Conference and usually other research conferences as well. Scholars submit research papers for publication in the University of Alabama McNair Journal and other journals.
"Many people believe that the McNair Scholars Program is useful as a stepping stone for undergraduates who want to attend graduate school. That is true, but in my case, the McNair Scholars Program was a key to my growth as an undergraduate...and it drastically changed how competitive I believed I was for graduate school...I was able to confidently apply for graduate school visits and even fellowship programs. I visited two top U.S. engineering schools, ... I was awarded a National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science (GEM) fellowship for a Ph.D. in engineering, offering five years of paid tuition at any one of the 90 GEM Consortium universities. " --Joy Garnett
Joy Garnett enrolls in graduate school, Fall 2008,
in Vanderbilt University's Materials Science Program.