FAQs | Office of Medical Student Research

Here are answers to some of the questions we are asked most frequently. If you’re wondering about anything not listed here, please contact us and we’ll be happy to help you out.

How do I find a mentor?

We have a list of mentors on our website with a description of each project they have available. Once you find something that interests you, contact them for a meeting. We also have our associate directors available to meet with you and help you decide what could be best for you. Contact us to see when a good time would be to set up a one on one.

How does the selection process work?

After the student has submitted their application through the website, a study section of about 20 faculty, both clinical and basic science, convene and score the proposals on a scale of 1-9 with 1 being excellent. After the proposals have been ranked, we fund as many as we can that have a score of 5 or lower.

What should I do if my project isn’t funded?

If your project isn’t funded, there are other options to choose from. Check out these links for other opportunities:

Occasionally, the PI with whom you wrote your proposal will have funds to help. Another option is getting credit through UNC for the research by taking a research elective over the summer.

When do we get our stipends?

The stipend payments are direct deposited over the course of two payments. Once at the end of June, after you have been working on your project for about a month and once at the end of August, after you have handed in the final paper and abstract. There are no exceptions.

What happens if I can’t complete the research over the summer for any reason?

If that occurs, then you will be responsible for returning your stipends to the Office of Medical Student Research. There are no exceptions.