Funding Opportunities for Year Out Research

These awards provide one year of research support to medical students interested in clinical and basic science diabetes research.  Awards are $30,000 a year for one year. Applicants may request up to $20,000 for the student’s stipend and up to $10,000 for tuition and lab expenses. Funding begins in July.  For more information and to apply, visit http://professional.diabetes.org/Diabetes_Research.aspx?typ=18&cid=64376.

The Fellowship has been designed to help a student initiate a career in cardiovascular research by providing research assistance and training. Supported research includes that broadly related to cardiovascular function and diseases, stroke, or to related basic science, clinical, behavioral and public health problems. Eligible participants include MD students seeking research training with a sponsor/mentor prior to embarking on a research career. The Fellowship's duration is one to two years, with a stipend support of $21,000.00 per year. For more information and to apply, visit http://www.americanheart.org/presenter.jhtml?identifier=3059788, or call the Great Rivers Affiliate Office at (410) 637-4539.

The ASN Student Scholar Grants enable selected medical students with an interest in either basic or clinical research to spend from 10 to 52 weeks engaged in full-time research. The mentor must be an ASN member and must submit a program of study for the applicant. An award period can be a summer, semester, academic year, or other 10-52 week period of continuous full-time research.  Compensation includes a stipend, money for the PI's lab to cover expenses, and travel costs to attend the ASN meeting the year following the research program.  For more information and to apply, visit:  http://www.asn-online.org/grants_and_funding/SSG-Grant.aspx.

The Cancer and Radiation Biology Research Training Grant, an NIH T32 training grant through the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine’s Department of Radiation Oncology, provides a focused perspective and state-of-the-art research training in cancer biology and aspects of cancer treatment to predoctoral graduate (Penn Med) students and postdoctoral fellows.  The grant provides the opportunity to do both lab/translational and clinical research projects.  Students are expected to commit to full-time research training with a minimum one year commitment.  The grant provides a stipend and health insurance.  Positions generally start in the summer but start times are negotiable.  Interested individuals should contact Dr. Gary Kao to apply.  For more information, click here. 

Funded by a grant from Pfizer Inc, The CDC Experience: Applied Epidemiology Fellowship at CDC provides medical students with an applied hands-on training experience in epidemiology and public health. Eight competitively selected medical students from around the country who are completing their second or third year of medical school will spend up to one full year at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia. While at CDC, with the guidance of experienced CDC epidemiologists, they carry out epidemiologic analyses in areas such as birth defects, injury, chronic disease, infectious disease, environmental health, reproductive health and minority health. By gaining an in-depth perspective of the role epidemiology plays in protecting the health and safety of both individuals and entire populations, The CDC Experience graduates will be better prepared to pursue careers in clinical medicine, clinical epidemiology, health services research, preventive medicine and public health. They will have the potential to become future physician leaders and to substantially contribute to the quality of the health care system.  For more information and to apply, visit: http://www.cdcfoundation.org/thecdcexperience.

The CHOP Benjamin Fox Orthopaedic Research Scholar Award promotes clinical research by giving an extraordinary medical student the opportunity to investigate pertinent topics in clinical research at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. While there are several funded year-out programs for medical school students to conduct research, this award is unique because it is specifically designed for students who are interested in pursing a career in Orthopaedic surgery. The funded year-long experience will be supervised by Dr. John M. Flynn. Students are eligible to apply for this award if they are currently completing their second or third year of medical school (preference is given to students who've had experience in clinical rotations). Additionally, the student must be in good academic standing and must have an interest in pursuing a career in Orthopaedic Surgery. The recipient of this award will receive a $20,000 stipend for one year. For more information and to apply, visit : http://stokes.chop.edu/programs/ortho/opportunities.php#MEDICAL or click on the following: Description and Application.

The Doris Duke Charitable Foundation (DDCF) sponsors a program which allows students to take a year out to receive didactic and hands on clinical research training. The DDCF currently funds clinical research training programs at twelve institutions: Penn, Columbia, Harvard, UCSF, University of Iowa, University of North Carolina, University of Texas - Southwestern, Wash U., Mt. Sinai, Yale, University of Pittsburgh and Johns Hopkins. Each institution is committed to offering at least five fellowships. Six institutions (including Penn) have additional opportunities for international fellowships. Penn has two international fellowships in Botswana. The stipend for each Fellow is $27,000 per year with additional funds for research-related expenses. The DDCRF website includes links to the application form and the Penn DDCRF website provides more detailed information.

Check out the powerpoint presentation that Dr. Josh Metlay, DDCRF Program Leader, gave at the September 23, 2009 Year Out Research Programs Information Session - click here.

FOCUS on Health & Leadership for Women in Penn's Center for Clinical Epidemiology and Biostatistics (CCEB), invites applications for 2 - 4 women's health experiences, the FOCUS Medical Student Fellowship in Women's Health and the Bertha Dagan Berman Award in Women's Health.  These initiatives offer Penn men and women medical students funding for 6 months to work full-time with a faculty mentor conducting clinical or basic science research or participating in a community-based program centered around issues of women's health. Students have the option to work with a faculty member actively engaged in women's health research or to work in a community-based agency providing women's health related services, also under the guidance of a faculty mentor. More information is available at http://www.med.upenn.edu/focus/StudentFellowships.shtml or by contacting Patricia Scott at pscott3@mail.med.upenn.edu.

Check out the powerpoint presentation that Dr. Susmita Pati, FOCUS Director of Research Programs, gave at the September 23, 2009 Year Out Research Programs Information Session - click here.

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute-National Institutes of Health (HHMI-NIH) Research Scholars Program enables medical and dental students to spend 9 to 12 months conducting basic, translational, or applied biomedical research in one of the laboratories on the NIH campus in Bethesda, MD.  The program includes rental housing for all Scholars together on the NIH campus and student selection of preceptor and research project after arrival in Bethesda.  Scholars will receive annual compensation of $27,000, health insurance, and other benefits.  HHMI offers approximately forty students the opportunity to participate in the Program after completing the second or third year of medical school, but this time frame is flexible. The emphasis of the research is on genetics, immunology, cell biology, neuroscience, structural biology and epidemiology & biostatistics. Upon the completion of the Fellowship students can apply for a second year at the NIH. After the conclusion of the program, a small number of students will be selected to receive continued support of up to two years while completing studies toward the M.D. degree. Scholars must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States. All students considering applying for this fellowship should contact Dr. Celeste Simon (celeste2@mail.med.upenn.edu), HHMI investigator at Penn and former member of the fellowship review panel. She is an excellent source of advice on the application process.  For more information and to apply, visit: http://www.hhmi.org/cloister.

The Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Training Fellowships for Medical Students Program enables medical, dental and veterinary students from U.S. schools to spend a year conducting basic, translational, or applied biomedical research at any school or non-profit research institution in the U.S., except at the NIH in Bethesda, MD. This includes joint initiatives with the Ivy Foundation for student researchers in the neurosciences, particularly neuro-oncology; the Foundation Fighting Blindness (FFB) for students conducting research in ophthalmology, particularly inherited retinal degenerative diseases; and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund (BWF) for veterinary students. Approximately 60 awards will be made annually. The stipend is $27,000 plus $5,500 that may be used for health care and other expenses and a $5,500 research allowance. Upon completion of the fellowship, a small number of students may be selected to continue research for a second year. In addition, a few students may be selected to receive continued fellowship support for up to two years toward completing the M.D. degree. All students considering applying for this fellowship should contact Dr. Celeste Simon (celeste2@mail.med.upenn.edu), HHMI investigator at Penn and former member of the fellowship review panel. She is an excellent source of advice on mentorship selection and the application process. For more information and to apply, visit: http://www.hhmi.org/grants/individuals/medfellows.html

Each year, the Charles A. and Anne Morrow Lindbergh Foundation provides grants of up to $10,580 (a symbolic amount representing the cost of the "Spirit of St. Louis") to men and women whose individual initiative and work in a wide spectrum of disciplines furthers the Lindberghs' vision of a balance between the advance of technology and the preservation of the natural/human environment. Lindbergh Grants are made in the following categories: agriculture; aviation/aerospace; conservation of natural resources - including animals, plants, water, and general conservation (land, air, energy, etc.); education - including humanities/education, the arts, and intercultural communication; exploration; health - including biomedical research, health and population sciences, and adaptive technology; and waste minimization and management. A Jonathan Lindbergh Brown Grant may be given to a project to support adaptive technology or biomedical research which seeks to redress imbalance between an individual and his or her human environment.  The deadline for grant applications is the second Thursday of June in the year preceding the awarding of funds. For example, for funding beginning in July of 2010, applications are due June 11, 2009. All applicants receive notification of final selections by April 15 of each funding year. Grants are released in July.  For more information and to apply, visit:  http://www.lindberghfoundation.org/grants/index.php.

The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) provides 9 - 12 month fellowships to two medical students to conduct basic science and translational research at Penn in diabetes, endocrine and metabolic diseases, hematology, renal disease, gastroenterology, or urology. Medical students in good standing who have completed at least two years of medical school and are U.S. citizens or permanent residents may apply. The stipend is $20,772 for a full year. In addition, $4,200 for research support and $1,000 for travel to scientific meetings will be allowed. It is expected that mentors will be selected from those already participating in these training programs. There is a two-part application process: 1) selection of the top two candidates by Penn's NIDDK MSRT advisory committee and 2) final decision on funding by NIDDK. Up to 4 students from Penn may be supported. No more than 2 students may be supported by the same training program area . All students considering applying for this fellowship should contact Dr. Anil Rustgi (anil2@mail.med.upenn.edu). Completed applications are due to the Combined Degree Office, 104 Stemmler.  More information on potential mentors and the application process, including specific grant areas, is available here.

Check out the powerpoint presentation that Dr. Anil Rustgi gave at the September 23, 2009 Year Out Research Programs Information Session - click here.

The Clinical Research Training Program (CRTP) is a year-long opportunity for medical and dental students to do mentored clinical or translational research in an area that matches their personal interests and goals at the NIH in Bethesda, Maryland.  CRTP scholars are expected to live in NIH facilities, which are leased, furnished apartments adjacent to the NIH campus.  Scholars attend formal and informal meetings with one another and with leading clinical investigators at NIH. Upon arriving, each scholar is assigned to an advisor who helps with mentor selection. The program begins in July or August.  Third year medical students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents are eligible. The stipend is $33,000. Health insurance and moving costs are provided. For more information and to apply, visit:  http://www.cc.nih.gov/training/crtp/crtp.html.

The fellowship is offered to medical or dental students who have substantial interests in research and teaching careers in pharmacology - clinical pharmacology and who are willing to spend full-time in a specific research effort within a pharmacology or clinical pharmacology unit. Fellowships are available for a minimum period of six months or any period of time up to 24 months with a maximum stipend of $18,000. The commitment must be full-time. Awards will begin on July 1, 2010. The student may undertake this investigative effort at their own school or at another institution.  For more information, click here or visit: http://www.phrmafoundation.org/index.php?option=com_award&task=sdetail&id=20

The Special Study Experience in Anatomic Pathology or Laboratory Medicine provides students an opportunity to expand their knowledge of anatomic pathology or laboratory medicine (clinical pathology) in a working fellowship which includes research and independent study. The structure of the fellowship year is somewhat flexible to permit the student to tailor the program to his or her interests. Applicants must have satisfactorily completed the basic medicine and surgery clinical rotations. The student-fellow will earn $27,000 which may be taken as a monthly stipend during the fellowship year or may be issued at the end of the year as a fellowship award to be applied towards the following year's medical school tuition. In addition, the program covers student fees and health insurance, and provides for travel to a national meeting if the student will be presenting his or her research. In the Anatomic Pathology Special Study Experience, the student-fellow spends at least three months on the autopsy service and three months on the surgical pathology service. Responsibilities are similar to those of a first year resident. Additionally, three months of the fellowship are devoted to the investigation of a problem in disease etiology and diagnosis under staff guidance. The Special Expanded Study Experience in Laboratory Medicine is spent in one to three of the major laboratories (Chemistry, Coagulation, Hematology, Blood Bank, Tissue Typing Immunology, or Microbiology) within the Division of Laboratory Medicine. Usually, the student-fellows rotate through two of these service areas and then spend six months in intensive research and study in a third area. Each student-fellow meets with the Advisory Committee to arrange a program that is most consistent with his/her specialized interests and goals. All students considering applying for this fellowship should contact Cindy McGrath, M.D (cmcgrath@mail.med.upenn.edu). For more information, visit: http://pathology.uphs.upenn.edu/Education/FellowshipPrograms/edu_fellow_prog_studentfellow.aspx.

Check out the powerpoint presentation that Dr. Gordon Yu gave at the September 23, 2009 Year Out Research Programs Information Session - click here.

The Stanley J. Sarnoff Fellowship in Cardiovascular Research affords medical students, who have completed their second or third year, the opportunity to spend a full twelve month period in an area of research related to cardiovascular disease at an institution other than their home institution. Up to 20 fellowships are awarded each year, nationally. Fellows receive a stipend of $27,500 and additional research-related funds.  All students considering applying for this fellowship should contact Dr. Jon Epstein (epsteinj@mail.med.upenn.edu) who functions as the advisor for our student(s), and in this role, works to identify an optimal research project and monitor progress. All fellows are expected to make a presentation of their research at the Sarnoff Annual Scientific Meeting . For more information and to apply, visit:  http://www.sarnofffoundation.org/program/information.cfm.

Check out the powerpoint presentation that Dr. Jon Epstein gave at the September 23, 2009 Year Out Research Programs Information Session - click here.

African-American, Hispanic/Latino and Native American students are eligible. This program allows faculty members who hold specific, commonly held types of NIH research grants to request additional money to fund an underrepresented minority student for a research experience that is an integral part of the parent grant. A three to four page research description must be submitted, along with additional documentation, to the institute which funds the parent grant. The proposal must be submitted at least eight weeks prior to the start date of the project. Funds may be requested for a short term or long term projects. See the information on the NIH website for complete details, http://grants.nih.gov/grants/guide/pa-files/pa-05-015.html, or drop by the Combined Degree Office.

The Office of Minority Health and Health Disparities (OMHD) sponsors several six month to a year fellowship programs, which contain a research component, for underrepresented minority students in the area of public health. Check out the different opportunities listed on there website at:  http://www.cdc.gov/omhd/training.htm.

The American Australian Association will award up to four fellowships to Americans doing research at the graduate level.  Applicants must conduct a well-defined research project in medicine, life sciences, engineering, or mining.  There will be particular interest in the fields of stem cell research and oceanography/marine sciences.  Each Fellowship award is up to $25,000, which will support part of the costs of one year of research in Australia and includes flight allowances between the U.S. and Australia.  For more information and to apply, visit:  http://www.americanaustralian.org/usa_to_aust_apps/ and scroll down the page to the relevant information. 

The NIH's Fogarty International Center offers one-year fellowships for students interested in pursuing careers in public health and clinical research.  The program features mentored clinical research training at top-ranked NIH-funded research centers in developing countries, including Bangladesh, Botswana, Brazil, China, Haiti, India, Kenya, Mali, Peru, South Africa, Tanzania, Thailand, Uganda, and Zambia.  Fellowship stipends will be $25,000 per year with additional funds to cover travel to-and-from the site, insurance, and educational materials.  Training begins in July of each year.  The application will be available in July.  For more information and to apply, visit:  http://www.aamc.org/students/medstudents/overseasfellowship/start.htm#research.