Shapiro Summer Research Program Information for Faculty

The Herman and Gwendolyn Shapiro Summer Research Program supports opportunities for University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health students to participate in full-time summer research projects under the mentorship of UW-Madison faculty members.

Projects may be in any area of basic science, clinical, translational, health services, global and public health research. Students who have completed their first year of medical school and are in good academic standing may apply for the program. More than 50 projects are funded each summer.

The Shapiro program is designed to educate students about the nature and process of scientific research and to develop skills in study design, methodology, statistical analysis and presentation of findings. Each student works under the supervision of a faculty investigator on an existing or new research project of the investigator.

Typically, medical student research projects are more advanced than those undertaken at the undergraduate level. The student should play an active role in conducting the research rather than function solely in a technical role.

Projects must be clearly defined and appropriate in scope for an 8-12 week full-time experience. Any required IRB approvals must be obtained prior to the start of the student's summer appointment. Students may work under the day-to-day direction of a staff researcher provided the student has regular mentoring contact with the primary faculty investigator.

Funding

The Shapiro program funds 50 percent of the total stipend paid to students during their summer appointment. Mentors are responsible for securing matching funds of approximately $250 per week for the length of the student's appointment (8-12 weeks). Matching funds typically come from external grants, department funds, or from the the UW Cardiovascular Research Center (for affiliated faculty).

Student-Mentor Matching

Faculty who have an available project and are interested in mentoring a student may submit their project description online or contact the program manager, Lynne Cleeland, at lmcleela@wisc.edu. Please provide a brief description of your research interests or any projects currently available, and the number of positions available. 

Project information will be distributed to students via e-mail and the Summer Research Opportunities fair in January. Faculty should submit project descriptions by January 15 to ensure enough time to find students and develop a proposal.

Interested students will contact faculty members on their own to inquire about the project and to schedule a face-to-face meeting. Faculty should meet and interview students in a timely fashion. A mentor/student commitment is a mutual agreement. Students are not assigned to faculty. If a student does not have the requisite experience or time availability, faculty are not required to accept them. If a student is not interested in the available projects, they are not required to work with the faculty member. 

Project Development

If the student and faculty agree to proceed, the student should begin work on submission of the Shapiro project application. View more details on the Student Research Page. Mentors should review the application and provide a letter of support for the project along with a CV or NIH biosketch.

Timeline and Approval

The deadline for submission of proposals is Monday, March 7, 2011. The Student Research Committee will review applications and announce awards by mid-April. Students are available to begin their work at the end of the spring semester (mid-May) and should conclude their work by the start of fall semester (mid-August). All students funded through the program are required to present their work at the annual Student Research Forum.

Travel funding is available for research presentations at professional conferences. Students who wish to continue their research work throughout medical school are encouraged to apply for the Research Honors Program.