Key Information

Students may select a mentor from the list in Research Opportunities: University of Utah Research Projects. Other mentors may be considered if they conduct research in the fields of heart, lung, blood, diabetes, metabolism, digestive or kidney diseases.

The program will pay a stipend to the student, but will not fund supplies, which must be provided by the sponsor. Students should discuss the project with the mentor. (Usually only one student will be allowed to work with each mentor.)

Key information about the MSRP for summer 2023

Beginning 2023 1st Year Medical students will need to submit a research proposal to apply to the Medical Student Research Program.  All must include the Student Information Sheet located below. 

Timeline

• Early November, contact three to five faculty members to find a project for the summer. 
• December (Winter break) Select the faculty mentor to work with during the summer after first year of medical school
• Early January meet with faculty member to identify project and begin writing proposal
• January 31, due date to submit research proposal including mentor’s NIH Biosketch – upload documents in the Canvas Course “MSRP 2023” to be set up by January 01, 2023 - Provide UNID to Scott Willie at scott.willie@hsc.utah.edu for access to Canvas Course
• Selected students and mentors will receive offer letter by March 15
• Start Date: May 15, 2023 (subject to change)
• Participation in Summer Reserach Course Series (one credit) specific to their grant program or other support mechanisms
• Attend two mandatory Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) courses and complete RCR online course
• End Date: July 21, 2023 (subject to change)
• Participate in Medical Student Research Forum with new 1st Year Medical Studnets, Fall 2023

Proposal Deadlines

Proposal due date: January 31, 2023.  Please upload dcouments in the Canvas Course "MSRP 2023".

If you have any questions, please contact Scott Willie at scott.willie@hsc.utah.edu.

Proposal Components

• Fill out the student information sheet
• Compile a two to three page research plan (see attached sample proposal #1, sample proposal #2, and sample proposal #3)
• Include the title, your name, and your mentor’s name on the first page of your research plan
• Include your mentor's NIH biosketch

Upload proposals to Canvas Course "MSRP 2023"

Proposal Evaluation Criteria

Students’ research proposals are reviewed by a committee that evaluates them and assigns a priority score, using the same criteria as NIH study sections. The committee’s evaluation focuses on the following questions:

• Does the project represent hypothesis-driven science?
• Is there a clearly stated hypothesis?
• Is there a test of the hypothesis?
• Is there evidence that the student was involved in writing the proposal? The MSRP realizes that most research proposals reflect projects generated by ongoing studies in the mentor’s laboratory. However, the review committee wants to see some evidence that the proposal reflects thought and effort on the part of the student and is not simply lifted from a pre-existing grant proposal.
• Does the project offer a learning experience for the student? The MSRP does not want the student to be considered a pair of hands doing a limited number of repetitive tasks, but rather that they be exposed to different techniques and have the opportunity to generate experimental protocols. Remember that in order to fulfill the Scholarly Activity requirement you must demonstrate that you made an independent, intellectual contribution(s) to the project.
• Is it feasible to accomplish, or at least initiate, a body of work in the allotted time frame?

If the project involves animals or human subjects the appropriate approval numbers must be included at the time of submission.

Number of Students to Be Funded

• Fifteen heart, lung, and blood research focus
• Twelve diabetes, metabolism, digestive or kidney diseases research focus

Stipend: $5,490 (subject to change)

Note: All faculty must have IRB and/or IACUC approval before students can start work on any projects.

If you would like to discuss any aspect of the summer Medical Student Research Program, please email Scott Willie . The research opportunities page is updated periodically, so it is important for students to review the page for updates and additional projects.