Preparation for Undergraduate Research Experiences in STEM

The PURE STEM Program is three-year grant that is specially funded by the National Science Foundation Award #: 2413050.

The grant is funded from 2024-2025 to 2026-2027 academic school years.

2 pictures of students sitting around tables, smiling at the camera

About PURE STEM

Preparation for Undergraduate Research Experiences in STEM (PURE STEM) is a program dedicated to broaden STEM internship and undergraduate research opportunities for community college students in STEM majors. Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF), we believe in providing resources, support, and access for LAVC students to have opportunities for a research internship and an experience to gain skills for their academic, professional, and economic goals in science.

The goals of the program are: to increase the retention and success of students interested in STEM; to provide support and resources that include professional and career explorations and links to transfer, summer research programs, and paid internships; to increase transfer rate in STEM and STEM subject areas; and to increase the number of students considering graduate school and research as a future option.

Program Expectations and Responsibilities

Students will participate in workshops throughout the school year that would help search and apply for STEM internships and programs, gain necessary introductory lab and soft skills, and prepare for summer student research experiences at internships and programs.

At the end of the summer internships, students will have an opportunity to create a scientific poster to present their research and share their experiences at local and national conferences and symposia.

A collage of 11 pictures pf students presenting

Program Partnerships

Los Angeles Valley College partners with the following institutions and programs to deliver the PURE STEM Program with funding from the National Science Foundation:

University of Southern California (USC)
California State University, Northridge (CSUN)
Kelp Ark - A non-profit building a sustainable future with kelp
CSU Monterey Bay

PURE STEM M+

Banner with NSF, PURE STEM, and MESA logos

For the 2025-2026, PURE STEM and LAVC MESA Programs will be collaborating to provide research opportunities and experiences for STEM majors such as Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Math, Geology, Computer Science, and Engineering. PURE MESA M+ is a complementary program for current students enrolled in the MESA program.

PURE STEM and PURE STEM M+ Applications for 2025-2026

Applications are open! If you are interested in joining the PURE STEM Program for 2025-2026, please fill out the application.
Please include transcripts (unofficial are OK) from all community colleges for which you are enrolled.

The deadline to apply is October 3, 2025 at 5:00 PM PDT.
Applications are encouraged to be submitted early. Once your application has been reviewed and accepted, you will be required to attend a mandatory informational session.

PURE STEM and PURE STEM M+ Application 2025-2026

2024-2025 Student Research Posters

MESA STEM Summer Research Symposium 2025

The PURE STEM students had an opportunity to partake in research programs and internships over the summer. Over 10 weeks, the students learned various skills and experiments in their interested field of science. Some students went to our partner campuses and institutions such as USC, CSUN, and KELP ARK. Others went to UC Davis and UCLA to do their research. On August 22, 2025, MESA graciously hosted a STEM Summer Research Symposium, in which PURE STEM students were invited to present their research and experiences from their internships and programs.