Please note: Internship Applications for the 2024 Spring Semester will be accepted from November 27, 2023 – January 31, 2023.

The Student Research Training Program, Basic Research Pathway, develops and mentors passionate students and trainees ages 16 or older at the high school, undergraduate and graduate levels on a career trajectory of a research professional or investigator in basic research, by providing a mentored hands-on experience.

Students will have the opportunity to work with one or more of the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research scientists.

Learn more about the Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research

Program Description

During the Student Research Training Program, Basic Research Pathway, students will gain an applied, hands-on, mentored experience in the conduct and/or analysis of one or more basic research studies, with potential opportunity for co-authorship and/or acknowledgement(s) on a publication (depending upon contributions to, and timelines of, these studies).

In addition, students will have access to an unstructured curriculum in basic research and related aspects of academic medicine, consisting of:

• In person instruction from Johns Hopkins All Children’s/Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine-based faculty on research design, implementation, analysis and publication; and
• Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research program seminars and relevant individual lab meetings as well as the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Seminar Series in Academia.

Students will have the opportunity to work with one or more of the scientists in the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research. See each scientist’s lab page for more information on their research:

• Timothy Osborne, Ph.D., Director, Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital, and Professor of Medicine in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism of the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
• Laszlo Nagy, M.D., Ph.D., Co-Director of the Institute for Fundamental Biomedical Research, Associate Director of the Center for Metabolic Origins of Disease, and Professor of Medicine in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism in the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
• Masanobu Komatsu, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
• Ranjan Perera, Ph.D., Director, Center for RNA Biology, and Associate Professor, Department of Oncology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
• Matthew Poy, Ph.D., Associate Professor, Medicine and Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
• Xiangbo Ruan, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
• Martin Trapecar, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Division of Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
• Rui Zhou, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Departments of Oncology & Biological Chemistry, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

The recommended length of training is three to six months with a specific supervisor/research group within a given year, and can be repeated with a different supervisor so that the trainee gains training in a different project/objective.

Acceptance into the program is subject to availability of a suitable mentor, project(s), and funding for projects and programmatic infrastructure/resources (as applicable).

Requirements

• Application to the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Student Research Training Program, Basic Research Pathway.
• Execution of an Educational Affiliation Agreement between the student’s academic institution and Johns Hopkins All Children’s.
• A letter of support or recommendation from the principal/headmaster or science department chair of the student’s academic institution recommending the student for participation in the program.
• Students under 18 will be required to submit a signed parental consent form.

To receive an application for the program, please contact the program coordinator Kimberly Newton at [email protected] or 727-767-8934.

Student Qualifications

• Must be matriculated in high school, undergraduate, or graduate school
• Fluent in English (verbal and written communication comprehension)
• Ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing
• Highly organized, hardworking, enthusiastic to learn, responsible, reliable and efficient
• Able to work effectively in a team environment.
• Able to work independently but recognize his/her own limitations and the appropriate need for guidance/supervision
• Exercises sound judgment

Trainees must be able to commit to a minimum of eight weeks of direct in-person/on-site participation with a 10-week period between May and September during the given year of application. A minimum of 30 hours per week is required within the summer training period.

In addition, trainees are encouraged to continue to conduct research in the mentor’s lab during the spring and/or fall semester and gain credits from their home institutions, if such research activity can be justified as part of the course work offered by the trainees’ home institutions. The exact length of this additional training period can be determined between the mentor and trainee.

Expectations (upon acceptance into the program)

• Introductory meeting with the program director, to review expectations for the program and frequency and quality of interactions between student and assigned mentor.
• Successful completion of all Johns Hopkins Medicine-required online training for investigators and staff involved in the conduct of research in basic research laboratory setting, including general and biosafety trainings and responsible conduct of research, within one week of start date.
• Actively participate in mentor-mentee meetings and interactions focused on assessment of knowledge gained and competencies achieved.
• Actively participate in study team meetings on specific projects in which the mentor and mentee are involved, including but not limited to those that involve research design, implementation, data review and analysis, and/or manuscript preparation for potential publications.
• Actively engage in experiential learning activities in basic research.

Remuneration to participant

• No remuneration will be provided to students for participating in this training program.
• Students are not eligible for any Johns Hopkins All Children’s benefits, including unemployment or workers’ compensation.

Cost to participant

• There will be no cost to students for participating in this training program.