SRI - CAREER ACCELERATOR PROGRAM (SRI-CAP)
Looking for your next step in life science research? Do you want to participate in cutting-edge research and learn skills that local biotech companies are seeking? The mission of the SRI Career Accelerator Program (SRI-CAP) is to bridge the gap between life science research and careers by providing students with hands-on projects, industry connections, and personalized career support. SRI-CAP empowers students to gain real-world experience and build successful futures in Utah’s biotech and health sciences fields. The initiative is supported by the Talent Ready Utah Life Science Initiative passed by the Utah Legislature in 2024.
The program is designed for College of Science students with more than 60 credits at the University of Utah, and ideally, at least some of the required lab courses completed (see details below). SRI-CAP students will be placed in a research stream with their peers and will conduct research on a real-world project. While participating in SRI CAP, students may enroll in independent research credit. In addition to research, students will hear from industry experts, participate in panels and networking events, visit local industries, and receive expert feedback on their resumes. This program is designed to help advanced College of Science students engage in project-based research experiences and professional development.
Who Should Apply?
- SRI-CAP is designed to support students interested in life science research and careers.
- Applicants must be a declared College of Science major with 60+ credits.
How Does SRI-CAP Work?
- Students should complete the application linked below, where they can indicate specific skills they would like to develop through SRI-CAP.
- To be eligible, you must be a full-time undergraduate in the College of Science with a minimum of 60 college credits completed. Time commitment is variable but on average 5-10 hours per week.
Program Benefits
- Faculty/industry mentored research
- Networking with biotech industry leaders
- Professional development workshops (resume building, interviewing)
- Merit-based scholarship funding
- Career-focused skill development in biotechnology and life sciences
SPRING 2026 EVENTS
[All events are scheduled for 12:00-1:00pm in CSC 206 unless otherwise specified]
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In this meeting students will receive a program summary including what students can expect and a list of opportunities and services provided by the Career Accelerator Program.
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In this workshop, co-lead with UCareer Services, will explore strategies for planning for post-collegiate careers. This includes an overview of a variety of career options for those pursuing science degrees, tools and resources to search and apply for employment/internship opportunities, and additional resources outside of the College of Science to assist with these topics.
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This event has been cancelled/rescheduled for another date.
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Kyle Dunlap graduated from the University of Utah with a PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology focusing on cancer metabolism. During the last year of his PhD, Kyle did an internship at 3Helix where he led a research project on CHPs for oncology treatments. The data he produced was pivotal in 3Helixs patent application for this asset. Immediately following his PhD, Kyle joined 3Helix as a Scientist on the Therapeutic Team where he now pushes forward key data sets for anti-inflammatory peptides.
Mallory Longacre is the Operations Manager at 3Helix overseeing the Life Science tools department, Human Resources, Intellectual Property and Finances. Mallory has been with 3Helix for 4 years, she started as a scientist building their molecular biology capabilities in house. During her MBA at the University of Utah Mallory began to transition out of the lab into the operations of 3Helix. Her work is key to driving revenue, expanding key hires, and supporting the scientific staff towards clinical development.
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This workshop will be on Translating Scientific Skills for landing a Job/Internship/Research Position. In this workshop we will be looking at available positions and dissecting the desired skills for the position, analyzing students class work and previous work/research experiences for skills and assessing your mastery, and the curating this list to help students build out a resume/CV to apply to those positions.
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Founded by experts in genetics, epigenetics, and bioinformatics, Wasatch Biolabs are at the forefront of innovation, driving groundbreaking research and development from its inception.
Chad Pollard, CEO and Co-Founder, leads the company with a deep commitment to advancing genomic research through innovative sequencing technologies. He drives the strategic vision of the company, fostering growth and delivering cutting-edge solutions for researchers and clinical providers.
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In this workshop, we will be building on the previous workshops in seeking careers and other opportunities, our compiled skills list and personal statements to compile a resume, CV, or related application statements of work. We will highlight form, style, and concise explanations to make you stand out. We will then utilize these application statements to apply for desired positions.
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Brighton Resort is dedicated to environmental stewardship and sustainability and this requires scientific and policy experience to deploy. We will hear from Abby Layton to discuss Brighton, her role as Sustainability Coordinator, and her scientific journey.
Abby Layton is the sustainability coordinator at Brighton Resort. In this role she communicates with local resources in order to come up with the best solutions for environmental projects, works on sustainability plans at the resort, and is consultant on sustainability plans across Utah. She holds a BS in geosciences.
Learn more about Boyne Resorts (Brighton's parent company) and the Forever Project.
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In this workshop, UCareer Services and the School of Medicine will go over the basics of medical school application, programming, requirements and other things to consider if students are desiring a medical degree.
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Glycosurf, Inc. a local specialty chemical company and contract research organization (CRO) specializing in surfactants and industrial chemicals.
Bobby Bruggeman is the Director of Production and Quality Control for Glycosurf where he directs the production of grams to kilograms of chemicals in Glycosurfs catalog of molecules. He also leads the Quality Control and Analysis directorate assuring compliance and material purity. He originally went to school for business and he holds a BA in Finance, however later went back to school to get a BS in chemistry from Westminster University.
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In this workshop, co-lead with UCareers, we will build off our skills assessment and application statement materials, and discuss professionalism, image, communications, and image for interviewing and for conducting yourself in a professional scientific environment.