Need Help Finding a Mentor or Project?
There are many ways to find a research mentor or project, and the opportunities listed on this page are just one place to start. Students are encouraged to explore additional resources, including Mentor Connect, faculty and department research pages, and other opportunities across the University of Utah.
If you’re not sure where to begin, or have explored these resources and are still having trouble finding the right fit, the Medical Student Research Council is here to help. The Research Council has experience connecting students with mentors and projects and can offer additional strategies, resources, and guidance to help you navigate your search.
Connect with the Research Council for support finding a research opportunity that aligns with your interests and goals.
How To Find a Mentor
Mentor Connect
Mentor Connect is centralized resource design to help medical students identify and connect with faculty members across a wide range of research areas. Whether you are just beginning to explore research are looking to deepen and existing interest, Mentor Connect, provide provides a streamlined way to find opportunities that align with your goals.
Through Mentor Connect students can browse faculty profiles, explore current research projects and identify mentors who are actively seeking student collaborators. This tool is intended to reduce barriers to getting involved in research and into support early and meaningful mentorship and relationship relationships.
What Mentor Connect Can Do
- Explore faculty mentors by specialty, research area, or interest
- Identify available research projects and opportunities
- Connect with mentors who are open to working with medical students
- Begin building long-term mentorship relationships
- Mentorship is a key component of a successful research experience. Mentor Connect helps students take the first step by making it easier to discover opportunities and initiate those connections.
- Access Mentor Connect within Tools
- Mentorship is a key component of a successful research experience. Mentor Connect helps students take the first step by making it easier to discover opportunities and initiate those connections.
Program Offerings
EVEREST MEDICAL STUDENT RESEARCH PROGRAM
The EVEREST Medical Student Research Program provides SFESOM medical students with a full-time, mentored research experience during the summer between their first and second years of medical school.
Students gain hands-on research experience, develop research and communication skills, and work alongside faculty mentors on projects aligned with their interests. Research opportunities span a variety of disciplines and approaches across medicine and health.
Application Details
Applications will open in late 2026.
The EVEREST Medical Student Research Program is available to current SFESOM medical students for participation during the summer intersession between the first and second years of medical school.
What You Will Need to Apply
Applicants should be prepared to provide:
- Contact information
- A personal statement describing their interest in participating in the EVEREST Medical Student Research Program
- A research proposal
- Faculty mentor information and support
The research proposal should include:
- Project Title
- Introduction/Background
- Research Question(s)
- Proposed Project Timeline
- IRB Information, when applicable
- Clearly Defined Student Role
- Research Significance, including how the project addresses a gap or contributes to the field
- Faculty Mentor Biosketch/Statement of Support
Additional Opportunities
Explore Specialized Research Experiences & Funding
The Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine currently has a National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded T35 Training Grant through the National Eye Institute (NEI).
The NEI T35 program provides five funded positions, with each selected student receiving a stipend for eight weeks of full-time medical student research.
- Students must work with an approved NEI research mentor.
- View the current list of NEI Funded Mentors to identify an eligible mentor and research opportunity.
- Students interested in T35 funding will apply through the EVEREST Medical Student Research Program Application.
Application: When completing the EVEREST application, students will have the opportunity to indicate their interest in being considered for NEI T35 funding.
The Underserved Medical Education Office provides research experiences focused on rural, tribal, population health, urban underserved, and global communities. Opportunities build upon existing programs and experiences, including Community Engagement Experience (CEE) and Rural Medical Scholars (RMS), with opportunities for continued research and scholarship across the curriculum.
- Students interested in participating in an 8-week summer research experience will apply through the EVEREST Medical Student Research Program Application.
The U of U Otolaryngology Summer Research Program provides funding for two medical students to participate in an 8-week, full-time summer research experience in otolaryngology. Selected students receive a research stipend comparable to the EVEREST/T35 summer research stipend.
- Students interested in this opportunity will apply through the EVEREST Medical Student Research Program Application and indicate their interest in the Otolaryngology Summer Research Program.
- Questions about this opportunity can be directed to Dr. Abby Pulsipher.