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School of Medicine Virginia Commonwealth University VCU Medical School

Summer Research Program Opportunities - 2010

Summer research participants

Welcome to the VCU School of Medicine Summer Research program! We invite current high school, college and VCU medical school students to use this as a central resource to:

  • Identify research opportunities
  • Register for placement online

In the spring of 2010, you will need to register for all School of Medicine summer research programs through this Web site, even if you have independently contacted a research mentor and arranged for a summer position.

Step 1 – Locate Research Faculty in your Areas of Interest

Visit The School of Medicine Summer Research Faculty List to locate faculty members conducting research in your areas of interest. Indicate the names of faculty you would be interested in working with on your application. Contact the faculty members by e-mail to arrange a meeting.

Step 2 – Complete the appropriate application

Most programs accept students on a “first come, first served” basis. We will try to honor your requests, but labs and research programs fill up quickly, so submit your applications as soon as possible.

Research Opportunities

If you will be doing research for the VCU School of Medicine, you will need to fill out one of the applications above in addition to contacting the specific program. There are a variety of summer research opportunities in the school:

Programs

There are several programs for summer research for which you can apply.

  • Pre-Health Programs (Undergraduates)
    • VCU Undergraduate Research and Creative Scholarship — Summer Fellowship Program Prospectus

      VCU is committed to making opportunities for active learning available to undergraduates in all departments in the university. For the Summer of 2010, we have initiated a special program to provide student fellowship and faculty support money for mentored research and creative scholarship experiences. Successful student applicants will receive a cash stipend of $3000. The faculty mentor will receive an additional $500 to defray expenses.

      Full time VCU undergraduate Freshmen, Sophomores and Juniors in all departments are eligible to apply. Students who wish to apply to the program must take the following steps:
      1. Engage a faculty mentor with whom you would like to work. Your prospective faculty mentor may be in your home department or from a department other than your major. For information on how to approach faculty mentors, see VCU Research Web site, Resources for Undergraduate Research.
      2. Work out a summer work project and plan with your mentor. Application requirements will include a maximum five (5) single-spaced-page fellowship proposal, detailing:
        1. the significance of the work in relation to previous scholarship or creative expression,
        2. the specific aims of the work,
        3. the methods to be employed, and
        4. results expected.
        The prospective faculty mentor or others may review and comment on the proposal prior to submission, but the conception and writing must be the work of the student applicant.

        A maximum one-page personal statement, expressing the experience and skills you bring to the project, and the importance of the fellowship for your personal development.

        A mentor’s signed letter of support for your collaboration with her or him in the project.

        A one-page joint statement of intent with respect to the fellowship, signed by the student applicant and the prospective mentor, describing a general work plan that includes 20 to 40 hours of work per week for 10 weeks during the summer, and a pledge to report as required on progress and results in a timely manner.
      3. Complete an application online. Application materials are available at the VCU Undergraduate Summer Fellowship Web site. Deadline for applications is March 1, 2010.
      If you have questions, you may contact Dr. Earl Dowdy [E-mail].
    • The Alliance
      Eligibility: Minority Undergraduate Students
      The goal of the Alliance partnership is to increase the number of minority health professionals and researchers nationwide, with the hope of promoting better health outcomes for underrepresented minorities. The Alliance provides a 10-week summer research program for minority undergraduates. For more information, call 804-827-2075 or visit The Alliance program’s Web site.
    • VCU Acceleration
      Eligibility: Recent Highschool Graduates
      A four-week summer health sciences program that exposes undergraduate students to the math and science curricula of health sciences. Students will also complete internships in various clinical health service provider settings. For more information, visit the VCU Acceleration program’s Web site.
    • The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease STEP-UP Program
      Eligibility: Minority Undergraduate Students
      This program provides undergraduate students with a 10-week, hands-on research experience in a VCU laboratory setting. The research explored will be in NIDDK mission areas including diabetes, endocrinology, metabolism, nutrition, obesity, and digestive, liver, urologic, kidney, and hematologic diseases. Each student is assigned a faculty mentor. Stipends provided. For more information, call 804-827-2087 or visit the The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease STEP-UP program’s Web site.
    • Physiology and Biophysics
      Eligibility: Undergraduate Students
      The goal of the Physiology and Biophysics Summer Undergraduate Research Program is to recruit academically excellent undergraduate students to engage in research projects on a full-time basis in the summer, and to enrich the candidate pools for the PhD and M.D./Ph.D. programs in the Department of Physiology and Biophysics at VCU. For application information, please contact Dr. Gea-Ny Tseng, SURP Director, at gtseng@vcu.edu or visit the Physiology and Biophysics’ Web site. Applications for the Summer 2010 program are accepted between 10/1/09 and 2/1/10.
    • VCU Honors College Summer Undergraduate Research Program
      Eligibility: VCU Honor Students
      The Honors College cultivates a community of students and faculty focused on collaborative research that goes beyond the typical undergraduate experience. For application information, visit the VCU Honor’s program’s Web site.
    • Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Summer Scholars Program
      Eligibility: Undergraduate Students
      The VCU HHMI Science Education and Research Progam is expanding its undergraduate learning and research opportunities by offering transformational undergraduate teaching, training and research in systems biology. For more information, visit the Howard Hughes Medical Institute program’s Web site.
    • Health Educational Research Opportunities Program (HERO)
      Eligibility: Minority Undergraduate Students, VCU First-year Medical and Dental Students
      Sponsored by the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, the HERO program provides 10-week summer research experiences for undergraduate students and first-year medical or dental students. Students have the opportunity to work with VCU faculty on research projects that focus on diseases of the heart, blood vessels, lung and blood; blood resources; and sleep disorders. Students from racial and ethnic minorities or disadvantaged backgrounds are encouraged to apply. For more information, visit the VCU Division of Health Careers/Education and Special Services for Students (HCE/SSS) Web site.

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  • Health Professions Programs
    • The Alliance
      Eligibility: Minority VCU Faculty Members
      The goal of the Alliance partnership is to increase the number of minority health professionals and researchers nationwide, with the hope of promoting better health outcomes for underrepresented minorities. The Alliance provides a 10-week summer research program for minority faculty members with an interest in health-related research. For more information, call 804-827-2075 or visit the The Alliance program’s Web site.

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  • Post-baccalaureate Research Year (PRY) Programs
    Eligibility: Minority College Graduates
    Post-baccalaureate Research Year (PRY) is a one-year biomedical research training program for recent college graduates from underrepresented groups who are considering graduate level training in the biomedical sciences. The program provides PRY scholars with (1) a year-long, paid, mentored research experience, (2) the opportunity to develop technical skills, and (3) the opportunity to develop critical thinking skills. PRY scholars receive competitive stipends. At the end of the program, PRY scholars should have the skills needed to successfully compete for admission into a biomedical PhD program, at Virginia Commonwealth University or another outstanding institution. For application information, please contact Dr. Joyce Lloyd, the PRY Program Director, at jlloyd@vcu.edu or 804-628-2182.

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  • VCU Medical Student Programs
    • VCU School of Medicine Student Summer Research Fellowship Program
      Eligibility: VCU Medical Students between the M1 and M2 years
      1. Eligibility and Requirements for Students and Sponsors
        1. Students in the School of Medicine may do research with any faculty member in the School but must register through this Web site.
        2. Students can receive a stipend ($2,500) funded by the Dean’s office but must apply to the Senior Associate Dean for Research and Research Training for a summer research fellowship using the School of Medicine Student Summer Research Fellowship Application form. The fellowships are limited and are, therefore, very competitive.
        3. Fellowships are for a period of two months and are offered between the M1 and M2 years.
        4. A faculty member may sponsor only one fellowship-funded student application per year.
      2. Application Procedures
        1. Applicants must complete the School of Medicine Student Summer Research Fellowship Application form by March 31, 2010.

          Submission of this online application form certifies that you will not be working another job during the period of time that you will be involved in this research project.

        2. The applicant’s prospective research mentor must prepare a letter agreeing to be their advisor for the summer and to be present for at least 6 weeks of the research period. The applicant should submit this letter to Sandra Sorrell at ssorrell@vcu.edu.

        3. Applications will be judged on the quality and suitability of the project, the student’s academic achievement at the VCU School of Medicine and the suitability of the sponsor. Evaluation will be conducted by a faculty advisory committee appointed by the Senior Associate Dean for Research and Research Training. Notification of awards will be made during the month of April, 2010.
      3. Obligations of the School of Medicine Student Summer Fellow
        1. The student will devote full time to the research project throughout the time devoted to the fellowship and will not hold other jobs during this period.
        2. It is mandatory that students submit their research for presentation at Student Honors Day, which is usually held in May of the following year. About half of the submitted research summaries are accepted for presentation and the best presentations are awarded prizes: 1st prize gets $1000, 2nd $500 and 3rd $250.
        3. Any publication resulting from this research should acknowledge support by the School of Medicine.
        Questions concerning these fellowships and guidelines may be directed to Dr. Gordon L. Archer, Room 1-018, Sanger Hall, 804-828-0673, garcher@vcu.edu

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Individual Opportunities

student in lab

In addition to programs, a variety of individual opportunities are available for you to work with faculty throughout the school.

Visit The School of Medicine Summer Research Faculty List to locate faculty members conducting research in your areas of interest. Contact the faculty members by e-mail to arrange a meeting.

Summer Research Opportunities abound! You can apply through any or all of these options if you wish.

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Applicant Education Level

High School

High school students are encouraged to seek summer research opportunities. We are anxious to foster an interest in science and to stimulate career goals in this area. Students who apply should have taken courses in basic chemistry and biology. Previous high school or summer laboratory experience is desirable, but not mandatory.

College

Students who are preparing for careers in science or as science professionals are encouraged to apply for summer research opportunities. Most of the students involved in specific programs will be college students and there will be specific seminars and events scheduled throughout the summer to which all summer research students are invited

Medical School

Students in the VCU School of Medicine are encouraged to do summer research. Research is usually conducted between the M1 and M2 years and can be continued for varying lengths of time throughout M2, M3 and M4 years.

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