SUMMER RESEARCH FELLOWSHIP (SRF) PROGRAM

The FSU College of Medicine Summer Research Fellowship (SRF) Program awards $5,000 stipends to medical students participating in research with the assistance of an FSU faculty mentor. This is a long-standing program established to provide students with opportunities, encouragement and support in research endeavors.

Summer Research Fellowship Program Video

FSU first year medical students are eligible to apply for this program. If awarded, the research is conducted in the summer between first and second year.  

Project Options: Medical students may join existing projects or create their own after identifying an appropriate FSU faculty mentor.

Research Requirements: Projects must be conducted under the mentorship of an FSU faculty member. Only one student per project will be considered for funding. Faculty may choose to be a mentor for multiple students on different projects


 

Only FSU College of Medicine first-year medical students in good academic standing are eligible to apply to the FSU College of Medicine Summer Research Fellowship Program. Students are expected to work full-time on their projects. If students have any questions about their eligibility, please contact us for clarification. 

Awardees are expected to spend 100% of their time on the project during the funded period. The project period will be 10 weeks, the length of the summer semester. This program is compatible with both summer clinical practicum sessions. Awardees must acknowledge the source of their funding on any presentation or publication of their findings. Awardees are expected to participate in the FSU College of Medicine Research Poster Session in the fall semester following their research summer.

Proposals submitted for funding are usually due at the beginning of February of the year the student is applying for funding. 

A committee comprised of FSU College of Medicine faculty will evaluate proposals based on their preparation, design and feasibility.

Students must attest that they are in good academic standing prior to submission of application. Students must be in good academic standing to receive funding and participate in research activities. Decisions are usually announced in mid-March. 

 

Are you looking for research opportunities as part of the FSU College of Medicine Summer Research Fellowship Program, or have questions about the SRF application process?

Please contact the Program Director for Medical Student Research Sabrina Smith, or Assistant Dean for Graduate Programs and Medical Student Research Suzanne Baker.

The first step is to identify a research mentor. Do not wait until the last minute to start a search for a research mentor. Program Director Sabrina Smith and Assistant Dean Suzanne Baker are available to meet and discuss mentorship guidance and opportunities. Friends and classmates may also be able to suggest faculty members that have a reputation for being good research mentors.

Current FSU medical students can log into MedNet to view the Central and Regional Research Opportunities.

It is recommended that students speak with several faculty members to get a feel for different environments and styles of research. Following is a list of five College of Medicine departments as well as it's centers and institutes. This is not a comprehensive list but is a good place to begin. Research descriptions for many faculty members are available on their department or graduate program web pages. 

Most students join an already existing project being conducted by their research mentor. In collaboration with the mentor, students may also propose a new research project. 

There are six items that comprise the full application. We recommend gathering all application elements before beginning the online application. Please read the instructions carefully. Save all documents as a PDF and remember to compile all documents into a single PDF and upload it to the Qualtrics application.

Required:

  1. Qualtrics Application
  2. Abstract
  3. Proposal
  4. Student CV
  5. Faculty Mentor CV
  6. Signed Faculty Mentor and Student Agreement (FMSA) form 

Proposal Guidelines: Proposals must be written by students, not by faculty mentors or research staff. Faculty mentors should review proposals and provide feedback (content and editing suggestions). Proposals suspected of plagiarism (including improper citations) will be disqualified and referred for professionalism violations.

Applications must be electronically submitted through the Qualtrics application link. Remember, all supporting documents must be submitted merged as one PDF file.

The application cycle for summer funding (May-August 2026) is currently closed. Please check back later for deadline information. 

The proposed work is completed in the summer between the first and second year of medical school. All SRF recipients will present their work in a short format to a College of Medicine audience later that fall semester.