Summer Research Program

Administration of the Summer Research Programs (SRP) has transferred to the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

Summer Research Programs

Welcome

I am glad to see you are interested in research. If you are a first year medical student (MS1) you are in the right place. The Summer Research Program (SRP) is here to help you with organizing your summer to conduct research either at UTMB. In this webpage, you will find current research opportunities and the steps to follow to enroll in a Summer Research Program.

Important Dates

  • SRP Application deadline April 2025
  • Course Dates: April - June 2025
    • Mandatory Orientation - April 2025
      • HEC 2.220; 12-1pm
    • SRP Main Poster Session - June 2025
      • HEC 2.220/2nd Floor Hallway; 2pm-5pm

UTMB SOM Academic Calendar

  • SRP Application Opens: February 2025
  • SRP Application Closes: April 2025
  • 8 Week Program – Period 13 and Period 1
  • *Note: with prior written approval from Director
  • Lab Training (if required) occurs in April

Steps to Apply

STEP 1. Click on the link UTMB Faculty Mentor List to view a list of Principal Investigators (PI’s) and their discipline.
STEP 2. Contact UTMB research mentor and receive their approval. Obtain description or your responsibilities. (You may apply for a Stipend Program or ask your research mentor if they are able to provide a stipend. You cannot receive credit if you are given paid employment, but a stipend to offset expenses is acceptable.)
STEP 3.

Steps 3-4 are necessary as part of the required BSL (Biosafety laboratory) training. SRP students will receive BSL2 and ABSL2 (if necessary) training as part of their SRP enrollment. More information regarding the required lab training can be found below, at the bottom of the webpage.

Fill out the Annual Research Questionnaire and email it to Employee Health. Be sure to place in the subject line SUMMER RESEARCH PROGRAM so the Employee Health coordinator(s) can properly direct the query.

Please send the completed Annual Research Questionnaire to Employee Health prior to attempting to schedule an appointment or walk in.

Please ensure that vaccinations and TB tests have been obtained from Student Health and are up to date and copies are taken to Employee Health.

Note: Employee Health and Student Health are not connecting departments.

STEP 4. Follow up, at a minimum, weekly by calling, not emailing, Employee Health to see if cleared for rotation.
STEP 5. Upon receipt of medical clearance from Employee Health please, complete the SRP application form for the 8-week research. The link to the electronic application will be available here by February 15. Once the student submits the form, it will be routed to the research mentor’s email for electronic approval, and then the SRP Director. After the student has submitted the online form, it is recommended that the student alert the mentor to approve the form. Students will receive an automated email once the form has been approved by the mentor and SRP program.
STEP 6. Conduct 8-week research and attend required meetings.
STEP 7. Present research as a Poster, approved by the Mentor/PI. Fill out required evaluations and upload all required documents to your unique folder on SharePoint.

Additional Poster Informational Hypothesis & Posters

For further information regarding the SRP, please contact:

Dr. Daniel Jupiter
dajupite@utmb.edu

Brittany Wallace
brwallac@utmb.edu

Stipend Program Information:

SCiTR and TL1 - https://www.utmb.edu/its/learning/degrees-certificates/scholarly-concentration-in-translational-researchNIAID T35 - https://www.utmb.edu/microbiology/trainees/niaid-t35/overviewMSTAR - https://www.utmb.edu/scoa/education/mstar-program

COEPAR - Center of Excellence for Professional Advancement and Research-https://www.utmb.edu/coepar/research

Deadlines

  1. MSTAR: February 2025
  2. NIAID T35: February 2025
  3. SCiTR/TL1: February 2025
  4. COEPAR: April 2025

PLEASE NOTE: For those SRP students that wish to receive a stipend, there is a separate application process, which BOTH must be completed and accepted prior to completing the SRP Application. For more information, please use the links above, including stipend program contacts.

Important Training Information:

All research students will attend the General Lab Knowledge Training on Orientation Day (first day of the block), as applicable. All students whose research project involves lab time, will be required to attend several training sessions during the first week of the program. Times will be assigned by the Program Coordinator or UTMB's Biosafety Team. Any research that involves animals requires additional training. We recommend that you contact the Program Coordinator as soon as possible or Dr. Thomas Shelite (trshelit@utmb.edu) to accommodate your training needs.