External Summer Research Programs

The Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society Carolyn Kuckein Student Research Fellowship offers financial support for research to be conducted either during a continual period of a minimum of 8 to 10 weeks, 30 hours or more per week; or an average of 4 hours per week for 12 months over a period of 1 to 2 years. The research should focus on clinical investigation, basic laboratory research, epidemiology, social science/health services research, leadership, or professionalism.

The American Association for Thoracic Surgery (AATS) Summer Intern Scholarship in Cardiothoracic Surgery introduces cardiothoracic surgery to first and second year medical students during an eight-week summer placement within an AATS member’s cardiothoracic surgery department.

American Brain Tumor Association Jack and Fay Netchin Medical Student Summer Fellowships are $3,000 grants awarded to medical students who intend to spend a summer conducting brain tumor research with esteemed scientist mentors. The program’s intent is to inspire talented medical students to pursue a career in neuro-oncology research.

The American Federation for Aging Research (AFAR) Medical Student Training in Aging Research (MSTAR) Program provides medical students with an enriching experience in aging-related research and geriatrics with the mentorship of top experts in the field.

American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) Medical Student Fellowship Award for Underrepresented Populations introduces medical students from backgrounds that are underrepresented in medicine (URiM) to the discipline of radiation oncology early in their medical education.

The Clinical Nutrition Internship Program is designed for medical students to foster interest in the role of nutrition in the practice of medicine, medical research, health promotion and disease prevention. The CNIP will introduce medical students to a unique blend of educational experiences to enhance their knowledge and familiarity with the importance of nutrition in health promotion, disease prevention and the provision of medical nutrition therapy.

The Gold Student Summer Fellowship program offers opportunities for medical students to undertake a research or service project related to community health and to develop skills to become a compassionate, relationship-centered physician.

The Summer Training as Research Scholars Program (STaRS) is an on-site summer research program for undergraduates and first-year Boston University medical school students. STaRS offers motivated and academically talented students a valuable opportunity to confirm a strong interest in doctoral studies and a career in research. STaRS provides scholars with the opportunity to participate in research and to enhance the skills required for successful entrance and completion of a graduate program or an MD/PhD program in the biomedical sciences.

The Endocrine Society Research Experiences for Graduate and Medical Students (REGMS) Program supports promising medical and graduate students who have demonstrated commitment to endocrine research and expressed interest in enhancing their professional development skills.

FAER’s Medical Student Anesthesia Research Fellowships (MSARF) program provides funding to support medical students over a summer in focusing on anesthesiology research, training in scientific methods and techniques, and learning how to incorporate research into a medical career.

The goal of  Harvard-Longwood Short Term Research Training in Vascular Surgery (sponsored by the NIH) is to encourage the movement of technical innovation and relevant clinical findings from the laboratory to the vascular surgical community. Research fellowships are available for summer research training in molecular and cell biology, biomechanics, coagulation and thrombosis, and angiogenesis, with a focus on clinically relevant problems such as atherogenesis, intimal hyperplasia, prosthetic/host interactions and thrombosis.

The Research and Mentorship Program (RAMP) provides structured mentorship and project funding for medical students from communities that are underrepresented in medicine (as defined by the NIH) in the US who are considering careers in HIV prevention and/or vaccine research. The HVTN, in collaboration with the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the National Institutes of Health, is investing in the next generation of HIV prevention researchers with opportunities for independent research along with structured mentoring, project and salary funding, training, and professional development activities.

Medical Student Summer Opportunities to Advance Research (M-SOAR) is an opportunity for first-year medical students to learn about translational research to spend a summer immersed in a culture of translational science at the NIH. These are full-time research positions within one of the NIH Institutes and Centers (IC) in the NIH Intramural Research Program. M-SOAR students will work on, or near, the main campus in Bethesda, MD.

The Medical Student Research Program in Diabetes is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health through the NIDDK and allows medical students to conduct research under the direction of an established scientist in the areas of diabetes, hormone action, physiology, public health, islet cell biology or obesity at an institution with one of the NIDDK-funded Research Centers during the summer between the first and second year or second and third year of medical school.

The Neurosurgery Research & Education Foundation Medical Student Summer Research Fellowships are provided to students whose research projects are aimed at the better understanding, treatment and prevention of neurological disorders, as well as improved patient care.

The Summer Research Fellowship was created through grants from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI), and Mayo Clinic. This comprehensive training program, which lasts eight weeks, prepares underrepresented students for careers in clinical care and patient-oriented research.

The Rehabilitation Research Experience for Medical Students (RREMS) is an eight-week funded summer externship designed to expose medical students to a structured research experience and respected academic physiatrists.

The Rheumatology Research Foundation Medical Student Preceptorship is a full-time clinical or research mentorship with an established rheumatology professional; students can choose a four- or eight-week clinical preceptorship or an eight-week research preceptorship.

The Robert A. Winn Clinical Investigator Pathway Program (Winn CIPP) is a 6-week summer externship aimed at increasing diversity in clinical research. Funded by the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, Gilead Sciences, and Amgen, this program is part of a larger $114 million initiative to enhance diversity in clinical trials.

Winn CIPP is designed for medical students (MD, MD/PhD, DO, DO/PhD) who are underrepresented in medicine or from disadvantaged backgrounds. It offers immersive experiences in community-based clinical research settings, focusing on increasing inclusion and equity in clinical and translational research. Participants receive a stipend and are trained in clinical research, community engagement, and leadership development. Please check back in November for the 2025 due date.

The NIH-supported SORF Program is designed for medical students in the summer between their first and second year who are considering a biomedical career that involves cancer research. This research fellowship is held at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA) and at the Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center at the Keck School of Medicine at University of Southern California (USC).

The Summer Student Research Program in Radiation Oncology is designed to further students’ interest in radiation oncology and consists of a research project, didactics and shadowing. Students are assigned a research mentor who develops a radiation oncology research project with them to be largely completed during their summer externship. 

The Vanderbilt Medical Student Research Training Program (SRTP) is sponsored by the National Institutes of Health and allows medical students to conduct research under the direction of an established scientist in the areas of diabetes, obesity, kidney disease, or digestive disease at Vanderbilt during the summer between the first and second or second and third years of medical school.

Visiting Research Internship Program (VRIP) is an eight-week internship designed to foster interest in clinical and translational research careers and enhance diversity in the workforce by exposing underrepresented minority and disadvantaged students to a range of clinical research disciplines.