Medical students can opt to get involved in a wide variety of research during their time in medical school. Research can prepare students to practice evidence-based medicine, deepen understanding of medical concepts, make contributions to scientific knowledge, and are great opportunities for career advancement, research skill-building, and professional growth. There are multiple programs that are available to support students in gaining meaningful experiences in research at Brown and affiliated institutions.
Medical Education
Student Research Opportunities
Medical students may pursue research under the mentorship of a large array of faculty mentors.
Student Research Opportunities
Medical students may pursue research under the mentorship of a large array of faculty mentors.
Recent Research Opportunities
Recent News
The National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, the world’s largest research hospital, continues a proud tradition of training the next generation of clinician-scientists. The Office of Clinical Research Training and Medical Education offers multiple opportunities for qualified students who seek experience in basic, translational, or clinical research.
Application Deadline: 1 December 2025
Application Deadline: 1 December 2025
Brown University Health's 32nd Annual Research Day will be held Friday, November 7, at Rhode Island Hospital’s George Auditorium. Researchers are encouraged to submit abstracts for electronic poster presentations. Participants will have the opportunity to share findings with colleagues, gain feedback from experts, network and foster collaborations, and be considered for awards.
Abstracts Due: 4 August 2025
Abstracts Due: 4 August 2025
The American Medical Association is accepting abstracts for the 2025 AMA Research Challenge—the largest national, multi-specialty research event for medical students, residents, and international medical graduates—and the winner will receive a $10,000 grand prize!
Abstracts Due: 16 July 2025
Abstracts Due: 16 July 2025
Student(s) will work with a group of Geriatrics and Family Medicine attendings on the development of a longitudinal didactic series in Geriatric Medicine. Project will likely be 2 years in length and would be a good fit for students interested in medical education, Geriatrics or Family Medicine.
Application Deadline: (until filled)
Application Deadline: (until filled)
Are you a medical school student looking to make your summer count? Then, come join the Brain Health Research Program at Boothbay Region Health Center, nestled in the picturesque, seaside town of Boothbay Harbor, Maine!
Application Deadline: 2 May 2025
Application Deadline: 2 May 2025
Brown University’s Master of Science in Health Informatics program in the Division of Biology and Medicine is accepting applications for Fall 2025! This on-campus program blends data science, technology, and health care to equip you with the skills to improve patient care, enhance health care efficiency, and drive innovation.
Application Deadline: 15 June 2025 (extended)
Application Deadline: 15 June 2025 (extended)
The 2025 American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene Annual Meeting Call for Abstracts is now available. The meeting will be held in person November 9-13, 2025 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Abstracts Due: 16 April 2025
Abstracts Due: 16 April 2025
Programs
Students may pursue intensive summer projects under the mentorship of a Brown faculty member.
The H-EIDS program is designed to inspire, train, support, and retain students as a community of scholars to become leaders in research and treatment of emerging infectious diseases with a broad focus on HIV.
The Basic and Translational Research (BTR) Program is a longitudinal experience that includes didactic training and a mentored research experience.
The Primary Care-Population Medicine (PC-PM) program is an innovative 4-year curriculum focused on students interested in a future career in primary care. As part of this program, students are required to perform scholarly work and write a thesis project.
The Global Health Initiative (GHI) and the Emerging Infectious Disease and HIV Scholars Program (HEIDS) offer a research mentor-mentee matching process that will connect students in the Division of Biology and Medicine to faculty mentors and faculty-mentored research projects in the areas of global health and/or infectious disease.
Research Funding Opportunities
- Funded summer research opportunities for first-year medical students (for summer between M1/M2 year) sponsored by The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University or affiliated departments/centers. The awards usually support 8-10 weeks of intensive research with a Brown-affiliated faculty mentor.
- Summer Research Assistantship (SRA): This is the primary research funding opportunity that is sponsored by The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Research projects can be related to any field relevant to health and medicine. $3,750 stipend.
- SRA in Emergency Medicine. Same as the general SRA, however sponsored by the Brown Department of Emergency Medicine. Projects must be with an EM faculty mentor.
- Basic Translational Research Program (BTR): Must be related to Heart, Lung, Blood (funded by NIH/NHLBI). BTR requires in-person didactics.
- Emerging Infectious Disease and HIV Scholars Program (HEIDS): $5,000 stipend. Must be related to HIV and/or emerging infectious disease. Must be a US citizen or green card holder (NIH funded).
- Global Health Scholars Supplemental Travel Grant: Supplemental travel stipend for medical students and PLME students who have had successful research grant funding (such as HEIDS, AMS SRA, PLME SRA, PCPM, BTR, etc.), and need additional international travel support (up to $2,000).
- Primary Care Population Medicine (PCPM): Summer funding provided to PCPM students.
- Summer Research Assistantship (SRA): This is the primary research funding opportunity that is sponsored by The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. Research projects can be related to any field relevant to health and medicine. $3,750 stipend.
For medical students interested in taking a gap year (between M2/M3 or M3/M4) to conduct intensive research, there may be opportunities through Brown faculty and the medical school to support research years although these are not guaranteed each year. There are also many external fellowships and programs that students are eligible for.
- Global Health Informatics Research Fellowship (1 award per year). Sponsored by the Brown Center for Biomedical Informatics.
Brown EM Rwanda Research & Development Fellowship: The Brown Department of Emergency Medicine (BEM) Rwanda Research & Development Fellowship is an excellent opportunity for a motivated, adaptable individual with basic research experience, exceptional initiative and interpersonal skills, and an interest in global health and social justice, to help build emergency care research capacity at the University Teaching Hospital of Kigali in Rwanda.
This is a full-time 10-12 month (flexible start date in late spring/early summer) position based in Kigali, Rwanda. Travel, visa, health insurance and living expenses are covered by the fellowship. Only one fellowship position is available each year. Past fellows have generally been medical students taking a gap year, and current or recent graduates of public health or a health-related graduate degree program. Contact Dr Kyle Martin for more information (kyle_martin@brown.edu)
Warren Alpert Medical School Academic Symposium
- Every November, the medical school hosts its annual Academic Symposium which showcases student research conducted over the past summer.
- The 18th academic symposium was held on November 13, 2024 from 12-3pm.
- All 2nd-year medical students are encouraged to present research they have been working on at the symposium. All awardees of an SRA, H-EIDS, or BTR award are required to present their summer research at the symposium.
- Highlights include summer research projects, a distinguished keynote speaker, and awards are given to students in the following categories: Clinical Research, Basic Science, Health Policy, Medical Education, Medical Humanities
- Check out these articles on the academic symposium, in Medicine@Brown and the Brown Daily Herald!
- See a full list of past projects in the Brown Digital Repository here.
- See the 2023 Symposium booklet here.
- See the 2024 Symposium booklet here.