The UCSF Short Term Summer Fellowship Program

The UCSF Short Term Summer Fellowship Program Kyle Jones kyle.jones@ucsf.edu What is the UCSF Short Term Fellowship Program? • The UCSF Short Term Summer Fellowship Program funds dental students every year to participate in full-time research at UCSF during the Summer. Details, Details… • ~18-22 funded positions • Must be U.S. citizen or permanent resident* • No more than one applicant per mentor • Must work 40 hours per week for 12 weeks during Summer if selected • Will present research as an abstract/poster at UCSF’s Research Day in October • Last year’s stipend was $5,193 + some lab/travel expenses How Do I Apply? • Think of an idea/Find a mentor • Design a project • Write a detailed protocol of the project to submit for review (due date last year was April 2nd–typically due right after Spring Break) Which Comes First—The Research Idea or the Mentor? • Three ways to develop a research project Method 1. • Find a dental related area of interest that is also being studied at UCSF • Create a hypothesis/research question • Approach a researcher in this field with your idea Which Comes First—The Research Idea or the Mentor? • Three ways to develop a research project Method 2. • Find a professor that performs research in an area interesting to the student and/or that seems interesting to work with • Approach this professor with a desire work in her/his lab and ask for help in creating/designing a research project Which Comes First—The Research Idea or the Mentor? • Three ways to develop a research project Method 3. • A hybrid of methods 1. and 2. • Try to develop broad research questions and approach a professor doing research in that field with your general ideas Getting Started Method 1.Coming up with an idea • Write down very broad research areas that interest you (e.g. oral cancer, biomaterials, etc.) • Go to www.ucsf.edu or dental school website and search for these areas – Will help you determine types of projects being studied in these fields at UCSF • After searching, narrow your scope of interest to topics being studied at UCSF Getting Started Method 1.Coming up with an idea cont’d • Go to the literature and read/learn as much as you can about your narrowed area(s) of interest • While reading, start thinking about broad questions that have not been answered in this field • Try to make these questions more specific as you go---they can eventually become your hypotheses • Find a professor conducting research in your area of interest and approach her/him with your idea(s) – The more specific you can be about how to test your hypotheses, the better Getting Started Method 2.Finding a Mentor First • Similar to Method 1. • Write down very broad research areas that interest you (e.g. oral cancer, biomaterials, etc.) • Search for these research areas on www.ucsf.edu or dental school website • Will help you identify professors doing research in areas that interest you • See on-line application guide for lists of websites and more instructions Getting Started Method 3.The Hybrid Approach • Search for professors doing research in your area(s) of interest • Select a potential mentor and read the literature about their areas of research • Develop broad areas you would like to research in her/his lab • Approach professor and discuss ideas/projects Approaching Potential Mentors • Email seems to work best initially – Send email expressing your interest to work in professor’s lab – May want to attach/offer to send your C.V., especially if you’ve had prior lab experience Approaching Potential Mentors • What if you don’t get a response? – Be persistent but not bothersome – Try contacting professor by email again – May be helpful to stop by lab in person to speak with professor – Find a student who worked in the lab previously to ascertain best way to contact professor Will The Lab Be a Good Fit? • Questions to ask mentor: – What type of schedule will you want me to keep? – When will you want me to start? – Who will I work with to learn new techniques? – How often will we meet to discuss my project? – Will I be able to save some of my lab expense money for poster printing costs and/or travel to the national AADR meeting? Will The Lab Be a Good Fit? • Questions to ask other students/people working in the lab: – How accessible/available is the professor for questions/help? – How flexible is professor with schedule/hours? – Is the professor easy/difficult to get along/work with? – What is the dynamic of the people currently working in the lab? – Do you enjoy working in this lab? The Research Protocol • Typically consists of (but not limited to): – – – – – – – – Title Page Specific Aims Background/Significance Preliminary Data (if any) Materials and Methods Literature Cited Lab Resources Available for Project (optional) Additional Support (e.g. other collaborators working with you on this project—optional) Additional Resources • Rough draft of application guide will be posted onto JGS website • Last year’s application instructions will be posted on JGS website (they may change for this year!) • JGS Winter Elective (IDS 186) showcasing dental school faculty and their research (get elective credit) • JGS sponsored Protocol Writing Workshop during Winter quarter Important Dates/Deadlines 1. AADR Student Research Fellowship Submission Deadline: Monday, January 14th, 2008. The application must be submitted online and the AADR is now taking application submissions! Find more details here: http://www.dentalresearch.org/awards/studentresearch.html 2. NIH Summer Research Fellowship Program Submission Deadline: March 1st, 2008. (Rolling Admissions) For more details, see: http://www.training.nih.gov/student/srfp/ Important Dates/Deadlines 3. Howard Hughes Medical Institute/National Institutes of Health Research Scholars Program Submission Deadline: Thursday, January 10th, 2008. For more details, visit: http://www.hhmi.org/cloister/ 4. Our Next JGS Workshop Series Meeting—Research Opportunities Outside of UCSF December 6th in S-214 from 12-1 Come listen to past participants of the HHMI program, NIH Summer Fellowship, and NSRG President-Elect Kirsten Rittenbach