Research Funding
Medical Student Research Funding at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
The Office of Medical Student Research administers funding for summer research projects, for longitudinal research opportunities and training, and for travel to national conferences where students can present their work.
Summer Stipends for Research
Dean's Summer Research Fund
Each year the Dean’s Office has funds available through University resources and Federal Work Study Programs to support medical student research during the summer between the first and second years of the medical school curriculum.
To be eligible for funding, the student must work under the direct supervision of a Hopkins faculty member, either on one of the medical campuses here in the United States, or abroad. The stipend varies by year and is disbursed on JHU pay dates in accordance with the amount of time worked in that pay period. These funds cannot be used to support research undertaken later during the medical school years.
Summer Departmental or Specialty Programs
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Cancer in the Under-Privileged, Indigent, or Disadvantaged (CUPID) is a laboratory-based summer fellowship program at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine that is designed for medical students who have an interest in bringing the benefits of modern cancer research to underserved populations in the US.
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The Medical Student Training in Aging Research (MSTAR) program encourages medical students--particularly budding researchers--to consider a career in academic geriatrics by awarding short-term scholarships.
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The James A. Ferguson Emerging Infectious Disease Fellowship Program is geared towards research on infectious diseases and public health. It provides a stipend for a 9-week summer program in Baltimore or Atlanta, with weekly research and public health seminars. Applications begin in November and are usually due by late January.
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The Persky Summer Research Award is made possible by a generous gift from the Persky family, and provides summer research funding for research at the Brady Urological Institute. The application is typically due in the spring. For further information, please contact Marcia Clay.
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The William C. Walker Fund provides summer research funding for medical students doing research projects related to Psychiatry. Student must have a faculty mentor at Johns Hopkins, and the application requires a one-page summary of project/personal role. Contact Dr. Parekh with any questions.
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The Fisher Fund for Summer Infectious Diseases Research is made possible by a generous gift from the Fisher family, and provides funding for summer research focused on infectious diseases. The application is typically due in the spring. For further information, please contact us.
Longitudinal Research Opportunities and Training
Many students also decide to participate in a more in-depth and longitudinal research experiences, taking between 9-12 months as an Advanced Student Placement status to pursue their interests with faculty members. Faculty mentors are sometimes able to provide a graduate student stipend for a medical student to work in their research program.
There are also the following resources of funds for a year-long program of study:
Dean's Year of Research
The Dean’s Year of Research serves the needs of medical students who wish to pursue a more intensive research experience than the Scholarly Concentrations course and elective schedule presently allow. If you are interested in applying or learning more about the Dean's Year of Research Funding, please email us.
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Medical students can apply for support of a 12-month research experience. The cost of the stipend is shared equally between the Dean’s Office and the department in which the research is being conducted. The Dean’s Office will also contribute to the cost of individual student health and dental insurance.*
*There are limitations on the support available for the cost of health insurance premiums for those students not participating in the School of Medicine Student Health Programs.
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We will consider the following information, as well as the student’s performance to date in the M.D. Program, in determining the awardees. If the nature of the competition requires it, we may request a formal interview.
- A fully completed Project Proposal, as defined in the Dean’s Research Year Application
- A letter of support from the proposed faculty mentor. This letter must include a statement indicating that the faculty member is willing and able to provide 50% of the stipend for the student’s participation, and outline the mentor’s commitment and availability to mentor the student during the research year.
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Following completion of the Dean’s Year of Research, the student must provide the following:
- A letter describing the work pursued during the year of research indicating the impact of the experience on future plans and goals;
- A statement from the preceptor that evaluates the student’s performance, the results of the effort, and the student’s potential as an investigator; and
- Copies of any abstracts or publications based on their work.
Predoctoral Clinical Research Training Program
This predoctoral (TL) training program allows the ICTR to provide training for students interested in pursuing a career in clinical and translational research (combined master and doctoral degrees with MD or nursing degree). This program is a collaborative effort of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public, the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing, and the Johns Hopkins University Center for BioEngineering Innovation & Design.
Funding for Travel to Research Conferences
Johns Hopkins University provides several travel funding opportunities for scholarships, fellowships and research conferences. If you have an interest in one of the following funds for travel please e-mail Robin Lenzo with the details. Students must provide original receipts that will be reimbursed up to the amount allotted.
The following funding opportunities are currently available for student travel:
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The Andrew Watson Sellards Fund allows a modest amount of money for "the purpose of providing traveling scholarships or fellowships" for medical students for travel to "Latin America or, perhaps, at times, to the Orient, especially the Philippines. Occasionally, a reconnaissance expedition may be made to the Southern United States, particularly Florida, New Orleans, Texas or California." This wording is a direct quote from the bequest. Travel is limited to the areas indicated and there must be a constructive project in medicine as the primary reason for travel. This support is limited to $350 for domestic travel and $750 for international travel. Please note, the Sellards Fund can only be used once for international travel during your medical school training.
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Student Research Travel funds are available to support registration and travel for students who are presenting their research at meetings. Students may receive up to $350 and these funds are expected to be matched or exceeded by the department where the research was conducted. The Student Research Travel support, subject to availability of funds, may be used only once per academic year.
National Research Opportunities and Fellowships
In addition to the many research opportunities at Johns Hopkins, students are encouraged to explore national programs that offer short term (e.g. summer) or longer term experiences.
A list of such opportunities is maintained by the AAMC.