Information for Faculty

Shapiro Summer Research Program Information

To Submit a Research Project, go to the Google Form

The Shapiro Summer Research Program supports opportunities for SMPH students to undertake full-time summer research projects under the mentorship of UW faculty members. Projects may be in any area of basic science, clinical, translational, health services, global, and public health research. SMPH students who have completed their first year of medical school and are in good academic standing are eligible for the program. About 130 students participate in the program each year.

Mentor Expectations

The Shapiro program is designed to educate students about the 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 and 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 8-10 week full-time experience. Any required IRB approvals or exemptions must be obtained prior to the start of the student’s work and are the responsibility of the mentor to obtain. Faculty mentors are expected to commit time for consistent mentorship of their Shapiro student over the summer and help them prepare abstracts and presentations for the annual Student Research Forum in November. Students may work under the day- to- day direction of a post-doc or senior researcher who functions as a co-mentor provided the student has regular contact with the primary faculty mentor.

Funding

Students participating in the Shapiro Summer Research Program receive a stipend of $450 per week for the duration of their summer research (usually 8-10 weeks) paid in one stipend payment at the beginning of the summer. The payment is processed by the Office for Health Professional Research. Mentors and departments with training grants or other grant or departmental funds to support student research will be responsible for providing 50% in matching funds of $225 per week for the length of the student’s appointment. The Academic Affairs Office of Student Research will cover the entire stipend of Shapiro Summer Research Students whose projects are accepted when other grant or departmental funds are not available to faculty mentors to support medical student research.

Please note that Academic Affairs Office of Student Research funds cover the student stipend only and cannot be applied towards other research-related costs.  Thus, all mentors must have sufficient funds to cover the non-stipend costs of student research (e.g., laboratory supplies, office supplies, space, IT resources, publication costs, tuition for any courses that the faculty mentor requires, etc.) and are expected to help defray some or all costs of student travel to present research at regional or national meetings that is presented on behalf of the faculty mentor or research team. The Shapiro Summer Research Program has limited funds to support student travel (up to $500 per student per year based on the number of requests).

Eligibility

Faculty must be currently active in research or have a track record of conducting research. New faculty should also seek approval to mentor from their departments. If you are unsure about your eligibility, contact Vera Tsenkova, PhD, Director of Student Research (tsenkova@wisc.edu).

Project Proposal/Application Process

Faculty who are interested in mentoring a student may submit their project description online via Google Forms. Mentors who have already accepted a student do not need to submit a description. For the best chance of finding a student, we strongly encourage EARLY submissions of project descriptions (December and January). Interested students will contact faculty members directly to inquire about the project and to schedule a face-to-face meeting, typically in December, January, or early February. A mentor/student commitment is a mutual agreement: students are not assigned to faculty and faculty are not required to accept students not considered suitable for the project. A maximum of two (2) students per faculty member may qualify for Shapiro funding. Students should have a mentor and project finalized by mid-February to allow enough time to complete the Shapiro application by the deadline (Mar 3, 2025).

Important: Faculty will receive a confirmation email after their projects are submitted. Please save the email! It contains a link to EDIT RESPONSE, allowing faculty to change number of students needed to 0 once recruitment goals are met. Changing “How many students would you like for this project?” to 0 benefits faculty by greatly reducing the number of students who inquire about your projects and benefits students by providing an updated database of available projects. We appreciate your help in reducing the frustration experienced by both students and faculty during the intense student-mentor match process.

Students submit their program applications via an online portal. The application includes a 3-page research proposal outlining Aims, Background and Significance, Design and Methods, Student Role, Learning Objectives, and Mentoring Plan. Mentors should review the proposal and provide a statement of support along with a CV or NIH biosketch. Student applications are due Mar 3, 2025.

Shapiro Summer Research Timeline for Faculty

Questions? Contact Vera Tsenkova, PhD, Director of Student Research, at tsenkova@wisc.edu.