Application

Students interested in participating in the Summer Research Program must apply online between December 5, 2024 - February 6, 2025. Applicants will be notified of acceptance status by mid March. 

The Pritzker Steering Committee funds feasible student research projects in which the students test a well-defined and scientifically rigorous hypothesis. Research proposals may be rejected or require substantial revision prior to acceptance. Students should access the Scholarly Opportunities Guide to look for interested faculty mentors.

SRP Spring Prep 

Students are required to participate in a research elective during spring quarter to meet an additional one-week requirement of the eleven-week summer program (because short term training grants permit funding for a minimum of three months).

The objectives of the spring research prep are as follows:

  1. to conduct a rigorous review of the literature necessary to become well-versed in the topic of the student’s proposed summer research project
  2. to learn and begin to conduct methods and procedures necessary for the student to successfully complete the proposed summer research project 

This requirement translates into a MINIMUM of:

  • 1 hour per week working directly with your faculty mentor, and
  • 4 hours per week of independent study (learning lab techniques, literature review, etc.)

Please know that there are deliverables due at the end of this Spring Prep  period, prior to June 9th.

Note: Your mentor may have additional requirements during Spring Quarter in order to prepare you to hit the ground running on June 9th .

You do not need to do any additional paperwork to register. The registrar will follow-up with your mentor at the end of Spring Quarter to determine if this requirement has been fulfilled.

Stipends & Funding

The Summer Research Program has several major external funding sources: The National Institute on Aging (NIA); the Minority Summer Research Grant from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI); The National Cancer Institute (NCI), the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK),the Center for Healthcare Delivery Science and Innovation (HDSI) at UCM, the Bucksbaum-Siegler Institute for Clinical Excellence at UChicago, and the Pritzker School of Medicine.

Depending on funds available, funding source, and time students allocate, stipends for non-mission related projects may be lower than funded NIH mission related projects.

Payments are made in two increments over the eleven week summer period. Prior to receiving the first stipend check, students must submit their IRB/IACUC or quality determination letter, research references, hypothesis and introduction on the SRP website, and receive mentor validation. The final stipend payment is distributed at the completion of the program after the student’s work is submitted and validated by their mentor on the SRP website, and they have presented their work at the Research Forum.

Students funded by the NHLBI are able to offer research mentors an opportunity for a $550 offset for student research supplies. Information will be provided to these mentors about the availability of these funds.

SRP Students cannot be paid for work performed during the 11-week Summer Research Program.

The Summer Research Program stipend reflects a fulltime commitment to research over the course of the 11-week program. Students cannot also receive payment for additional work during this time.

In order to receive their stipend payment, students must meet the following benchmarks:

  • Stipend 1 (July 1, 2025) - IRB Notice, References, Hypothesis, and Introduction must be uploaded and validated on SRP website and the student must have attended all required research seminars, and cluster group meetings.
  • Stipend 2 (Competed Program) - All deliverables, including final research paper and presentation, must be uploaded and validated on the SRP website and the student must have attended all required research seminars, and cluster group meetings.

All research mentors are required to contribute $450 in non-federal funds.

Program Requirements

Students participating in the Summer Research Program are required to participate in the following components of the Program:

  1. Cluster Group attendance is mandatory as these meetings are an integral part of the Summer Research Program.
  2. Attend Required Summer Research Seminars:
    • Seminar One: Program Overview & Reference Managers
    • Seminar Two: Preparing Your Written Report & Data Security
    • Seminar Three: Preparing Your SRP Presentation
    • Seminar Four: Concluding Assembly
  3. Submit a Final Report paper detailing their research procedures and evaluation
  4. Present a seven minute oral presentation at the Summer Research Forum
  5. Attend Summer Research Program Concluding Assembly

Please see the Program Calendar for deadlines.