# UK awards 11 students CURE Fellowships for summer research  
**Published:** 2026-05-12T18:23:02.000Z  
**Source:** [University of Kentucky News](https://uknow.uky.edu/research/11-students-awarded-cure-fellowships)  
**AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001)  
**Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/uk-awards-11-students-cure-fellowships-for-summer-research

LEXINGTON, Ky. — The University of Kentucky [Office of Undergraduate Research](https://our.uky.edu/) has selected 11 undergraduates for the 2026 Commonwealth Undergraduate Research Experience (CURE) Fellowship program, providing each student with a $5,000 stipend to conduct mentored research over the summer.

The CURE Fellowship, [established in 2022](https://research.uky.edu/news/cure-summer-fellowship-provides-undergrads-opportunity-enhance-research-skills), focuses on four of UK's research priority areas: cancer, cardiovascular health, neuroscience and substance use disorder. Fellows will conduct individual research projects under faculty guidance and culminate their work by presenting findings at the Summer Research Symposium on Aug. 25.

Christine Rivet, a junior psychology major working on substance use disorder research, said the fellowship will prepare her for graduate work. "Participating in the CURE Fellowship program will allow for further development of my research-related knowledge and skill sets to adequately prepare myself for conducting independent research in graduate school," she said. Rivet is mentored by Martha Tillson, Ph.D., assistant professor in the UK College of Medicine.

The recipients span multiple academic disciplines and UK colleges. The neuroscience research priority area received the most fellows with four students, while the cancer and cardiovascular health areas each received two, and substance use disorder received three. All fellows are either sophomores or juniors, and seven are members of the [Lewis Honors College](https://honors.uky.edu/).

Chad Risko, Ph.D., director of the Office of Undergraduate Research, has previously noted that [the fellowship provides opportunities for undergraduates to secure research funding in areas where the university has tremendous strength in delivering outcomes that directly impact communities and the Commonwealth](https://research.uky.edu/news/cure-summer-fellowship-provides-undergrads-opportunity-enhance-research-skills).

The fellowship requires fellows to complete a minimum of 300 hours of mentored research during the summer term. Fellows will also participate in a collaborative cohort experience alongside other selected researchers, providing professional development and networking opportunities during their summer work.

## Sources

- [University of Kentucky News](https://uknow.uky.edu/research/11-students-awarded-cure-fellowships)
- [CURE Fellowship program details and information](https://our.uky.edu/CURE-Fellowship)
- [History and impact of CURE Fellowship program](https://research.uky.edu/news/cure-summer-fellowship-provides-undergrads-opportunity-enhance-research-skills)

---

This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from University of Kentucky News, enriched with 2 web searches. The original source is available at https://uknow.uky.edu/research/11-students-awarded-cure-fellowships.