West Virginia Universitys McNair Scholars Program is accepting applications for summer internships.

Interns will participate in a six-week program where they are taught how to do research, receive standardized test preparation, visit different graduate schools and get a $2,500 stipend.

Students should be first-generation college students with demonstrated financial need or members of groups that are under-represented in graduate education as defined by the U.S. Department of Education . Students must also have completed their sophomore year of study, be enrolled as a full-time student at WVU , have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and have U.S. citizenship or permanent residence.

McNair was one of seven people who died when the space shuttle Challenger exploded after takeoff 23 years ago. A well-rounded individual, McNair was an astronaut, researcher, sixth-degree black belt in karate and saxophonist.

After his death, Congress created the Ronald E. McNair Scholars Post-Baccalaureate Achievement Program to honor McNair and encourage undergraduate students to enroll in graduate school to earn a doctoral degree. The program targets students from low-income, first-generation or under-represented groups.

WVU s McNair Scholars Program was established in 1999 and has already produced two alumni with doctorates.

Application forms for summer internships may be downloaded at http://www.wvu.edu/~mcnair/ . For more information, call the McNair Scholars Office at 304-293-4316.