Summer Scholars Program
The 2025 Summer Scholars Program will open for registration in January. Check back then!
The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) Department of Pediatrics sponsors the Summer Scholars Program in order to enrich the experience of students conducting research in the Department. All students conducting research with Pediatric faculty are invited to participate and all faculty in the Department have the opportunity to participate as mentors. Students are also invited to apply for the paid Summer Scholars Program.
Directors:
Xiao Wang, MD, PhD
Molly Martin, MD
Overview Heading link
To register for the Summer Scholars Program and apply for a paid program, refer to the information below. Prior to applying, please carefully review the application instructions. If you are interested in any of the summer research opportunities, reach out to the contact.
Student-mentor Commitment
Students are responsible for reaching out to potential mentors and establishing their commitment prior to applying.
Finding a Project and Mentor
- All UIC Department of Pediatrics faculty are eligible to be research mentors.
- The research mentor must commit to:
- Supervise the student on a project during the summer months,
- Ensure participation in the Summer Scholars Program, and
- Help the student to prepare for the Summer Scholars Poster Symposium.
- Some faculty have specific opportunities for students. Please see list of summer research opportunities for students.
Eligible Students
Students who wish to be Summer Scholars must meet the following criteria:
- Have established a UIC Department of Pediatrics faculty member as a research mentor.
- Must be available to attend the program for a portion of time between June 1 – August 15, 2024.
- All types of students (high school, undergraduate, graduate, medical) are eligible.
Students should register for the Summer Scholars Program after establishing a research mentor. Some faculty have specific opportunities for students.
Duration
Most students will commit 6-8 weeks over the summer of 2024. The exact program dates will be set once the UI College of Medicine schedule is final.
Program Outline Heading link
In addition to the research they do with their mentors, Summer Scholars will participate in weekly sessions/workshops. The exact topics are determined at the start of the program to align with the student interests, but the following are topics frequently covered: research careers and planning, research design, translational research, survey design, mixed methods and qualitative research, CVs and letters of recommendation. Students also present their summer work to department faculty mentors and each other.
How to Register Heading link
After establishing a Pediatric faculty mentor, students must register for the program. There is no cost to register for the program.
The following information is required when completing registration for the Summer Scholars Program:
- Your name, contact information, university/school/campus and level of training
- Your mentor’s name and contact information (email or phone)
- A title for your project (made in partnership with your mentor)
For the full program description, click here.
Questions? Contact: Heading link
Paid Summer Scholars Program Heading link
A limited number of paid programs are available for Summer Scholars Program participants. Students are encouraged to request funding from their mentor and to apply from funding from other sources, such as the Craig program. Some departmental funds are available as well.
The deadline for applications for the Paid program using departmental funds April 1st, 2024, at 5:00PM. After that point, funding is only available if the mentor has grants funds they are able and willing to commit. Please go to the 2024 full program description for additional information.
Eligibility Criteria
Students who wish to be considered for paid program must meet the following criteria:
- Meet all the criteria for the regular Summer Scholars Program, but also stand out among the applicants during the review process.
- Must be available to attend at least six weeks of the program between June 1 – August 15, 2024, and work approximately 240 hours.
- Present at the College of Medicine Research Day in the fall/winter.
Review Criteria for Applications
The following is the criteria the research committee will use to review applications:
- Application completeness & adherence to guidelines (see below for application instructions)
- Effectiveness of mentorship
- Quality of proposed research plan
- Adequate explanation of interests and motivations to conduct research
- Reasonable timeline for summer project
- Funds availability.
Paid Program Amount
Program payment amounts and route vary by level of student and other factors. Some students will need to be hired as employees, others will receive stipends. We estimate funding amounts will be $3000 for medical students, $2000 for other graduate and undergraduate students, and $1000 for high school students, but these amount may vary depending on funding availability.
Application Instructions
To complete an application, please submit the application regular Summer Scholars Program registration and also complete the Program Application that is found after the primary program registration, application, by April 1, 2024, at 5:00PM:
Please be sure all required components are included in your online application or emailed to pedsresearchcooord@uic.edu.
- Your name, contact information, campus and level of training
- Your research mentor’s name and contact information (email or phone)
- A proposed title for your project
- Overall description of research (limit 500 words)
- Your specific duties (limit 250 words)
- Your personal interests and motivations to conduct research (limit 250 words)
- A timeline for the summer (limit 250 words)
- Mentor letter.
Must include the following:- Student name
- Student role on project
- If the mentor has research funds to contribute to the internship amount, that and the amount available should be stated. (Mentors – please note that department funds will only be considered if no project-specific money is available.)
- Justification for funding this student
- Affirmation that the mentor will supervise the student on a project during the summer months, ensure participation in the UIC Department of Pediatrics Summer Scholars Program, and help the student to prepare for and present at the College of Medicine Student Research Day.
Mentor letters can be uploaded directly in the application OR can be sent to pedsresearchcoord@uic.edu. Mentor letters are due by the application deadline.