What is the Summer Research Scholar Program?

The Summer Research Scholar Program (SRSP) is designed to give medical students a research experience during the summer between their 1st and 2nd years. The SRSP offers these students the opportunity to engage in a research project with a UofL faculty member. If provisionally selected for the DIR track, the SRSP mentor can be used as the mentor for the continuing DIR program in the 2nd through 4th years of medical school.

What are the dates for the Summer Research Scholar Program?

The SRSP is a 10-week program. In 2024 it will run from May 20th to July 26th.

What is the training schedule for the program?

Trainees will commit sufficient time to complete a research project suitable for submission as an abstract to poster presentation program at the fall Research!Louisville event.  The SRSP Program experience suggests that most students will spend approximately 35 hours per week on their selected project for the 10 week period.  Except for official holidays, students may not take time off during the 10-week program.  Acceptance of the stipend will be contingent on fulfilling the obligations agreed to on the SRSP agreement form.

How much is the SRSP stipend?

Stipend support ranges from $4,500 to about $5,665 depending on the number of accepted students and the sponsor of the stipend (NIH, foundations, School of Medicine, mentor, etc.)  The summer stipend for each project can be viewed on the project spreadsheet during the selection process.

When would I get the stipend?

The SRSP stipend will be distributed in two disbursement through Financial Aid and will be deposited to the account you have listed for refunds.  These stipend distributions are tentatively scheduled for the end of June and the end of July.

How do I apply to the SRSP?

Please complete the SRSP application available on this website and submit by February 9, 2024.

When will I know if I am accepted into the SRSP?

Following receipt of the SRSP application, those accepted to participate in the SRSP will be notified by the end of March. Acceptance will depend on academic status and the number of stipends available.

Are any students ineligible to participate in the SRSP?

Students who will not be able to train for a contiguous 10-week period, because of other summer commitments or activities, will not be able to participate in the SRSP.  In addition, first-year students who are in academic difficulty will not be accepted into the program.  For these students the summer would be better spent reviewing 1st-year material and beginning preparation for the Step 1 exam. 

How can I review projects and talk to faculty members about their research beforehand?

A spreadsheet of most of last year's projects will be posted on this website early in the year. By clicking on the title, the details about each project can be found along with the mentor contact information. Also provided may be the names (and usually class year) of recent medical students who have trained for this faculty member in case you would like some information on their experience.

NOTE: it is not certain that the faculty members who had research projects in 2023 will submit projects for the 2024 program.

How am I paired up with a research mentor and project?

After verification of eligibility, students  will be able to choose projects from a list that will be sent to them.  To be fair, project pairings are primarily based on a lottery system.  However, because faculty members provide all the research funding (but normally not the stipend support) for the project, if a faculty member identifies one or more students they would like to have train on their projects, those students are given priority as long as the designated student picks the project high in their selection.  (Even though a faculty member asks for a particular student, the student would not be assigned to the project if the student is not interested, which is why even "designated" students are asked to rank their selections.)  In some cases, e.g. on important NIH training grant projects, academic performance may be considered.  The details of the project assignment process is explained below.

How can I see what projects will be available for the SRSP?

In early February, faculty members who are interested in having a summer medical student will be encouraged to submit projects.  Those students who are Summer Research Scholars will be sent via email a spreadsheet of all available projects.  Each project will have a website link that will provide detailed information about the project, the mentor, the research site, the stipend level, and whether the project is an NIH-supported project.

What is the significance of the NIH-supported projects?

The NIH-supported projects are prestigious research projects submitted by well-established investigators under several NIH training grant programs.  The stipend level of these projects is typically higher than the standard SRSP stipend.  Students are selected and interviewed to match to these NIH projects to assure the training grants remain funded for continued support of the SRSP.  For that reason, the NIH projects are filled before students are paired up with the other projects.

How do I make my project selections?

A spreadsheet of remaining faculty projects (non NIH T35 grant projects) will be sent to students in early March. Project viewing will be available for about two weeks after the project spreadsheet is sent in the email.  After viewing the projects, students will send their rankings indicating the order of preferences (1-5) to the HSC Research Office. 

How are students paired up with particular projects?

The student-project pairing process is in some ways similar to the NRMP residency match.  Students are given their highest choice of projects as long as the project has not "filled".  However, unlike the residency match, only one student can be assigned to a project and more than one student may have selected particular projects.  Therefore, a lottery system is used for pairing students to projects.

When will I know what project I got?

Students will receive an email in late March notifying them of the project they received.

Can I do summer research at another medical school and still be eligible for the DIR?

All of the SRSP research projects must be overseen by a full-time UofL faculty member. However, in limited circumstances, a student may work with a mentor at another university*. The program and project requires pre-approval from the SRSP & DIR directors to determine whether the summer experience will meet requirements for the DIR. A poster presentation at Research!Louisville is still mandatory to be eligible for the DIR.

Is the SRSP restricted to medical school faculty members?

No, research projects can be submitted by any faculty member of the University or community physicians with an appointment to the UofL faculty.  In past years there have been projects in Engineering, Psychology, Chemistry, Nursing and Public Health.

Is there any training or other qualifications that must be met before I can participate in the summer research program?

Before the start of the SRSP, all students must have completed their HIPAA and privacy training.  In addition, students who will be involved in clinical research with human subjects, or those working with radioactive material, with biohazards, or with animals, must have completed the appropriate training before engaging in that aspect of the project.  Details for obtaining the required training will be presented at the mandatory SRSP Orientation on the morning of May 20, 2024 the first day of the SRSP.

Are there any other requirements to participate in the SRSP?

Trainees funded by the higher-stipend NIH projects may be participating in additional lab meetings or research conferences as part of their training program with the mentors. All SRSP students are eligible to participate in these additional meetings/conferences. In addition, all SRSP trainees will present the results of their summer research in the form of a poster presentation at Research!Louisville scheduled for September or October 2024.

What if I have other questions about the Summer Research Scholar Program.

For additional information or questions, contact Anne Noe at 852-2553 or via email at anne.noe@louisville.edu