Students

Applications are now open. Applications are due by February 6, 2025 at 4:00pm PDT. Please find the application portal below.

Note: The application process for the 2025 MRPM round has been changed. Please carefully read the instructions below to ensure your application is submitted correctly. 

Students are now required to submit with supervisors as one application. Students are responsible for finding a supervisor in advance of the application deadline. 

For any students who do not have a research supervisor, you can apply directly to supervisors whose projects are listed in the ‘Available FoM MRPM Projects’ below on this webpage.

Eligibility

  • MD: The competition is only open to currently registered UBC undergraduate students.
  • Undergraduate students must be registered in a direct-entry UBC undergraduate program at the time of application (the summer studentship can be held immediately after graduation). Due to UBC award regulations, unclassified students are not eligible.  
  • Students in direct-entry health professions in Nursing, Pharmacy, Speech & Audiology, Genetic Counselling, Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy are eligible to apply as they are considered undergraduate students. 
  • All students must be in good academic standing and students must also have a minimum GPA of 75% to be deemed eligible.
  • If you are currently or plan to be on a co-op placement during the MRPM award, please contact med.studentresearch@ubc.ca to discuss eligibility. 
  • Note that this year’s funding period must occur between May 1st — August 31
  • Students must attend three workshops (dates TBA) to be eligible for funding.
  • Students that have applied for the FoM SSRP summer studentship may also apply for MRPM funding.
  • Although students are encouraged to apply for all eligible funding competitions, only one summer research studentship may be accepted for the eligible time period (i.e. either NSERC USRA, SSRP, or MRPM).
  • Up to three students may apply for one research project: 
    • two non-MD undergraduate students (required) 
    • one MD student (optional)
  • Non-MD undergraduate students:
    • are eligible in years 2+ of their program
    • will receive a minimum of $9,400 for 16-weeks of full-time research experience (35 hours/week or 560 hours total). Supervisors are required to fund at least $3,400 of this amount contingent on eligible student awards
    • must be eligible to conduct research for 16-weeks (non-consecutively) between the time period of May 1 — Aug 31
  • MD undergraduate students:
    • are eligible in year 1 of their program
    • will receive $3,200 for 8-weeks of full-time research experience (35 hours/week or 280 hours total). Supervisor funding is not required.
    • must be eligible to conduct research for 8-weeks (non-consecutively) between the time period of June 1 — Aug 31
  • As MD and non-MD students have different scheduling restrictions, students and supervisors are encouraged to discuss project expectations and timelines in advance of agreeing to work together.

Application Process

  • See previously funded MRPM projects to get a sense of projects that have been successful in the past
  • Students can only apply once for one research project 

Step 1 – Find a Supervisor

  • Students may contact a supervisor directly to discuss available opportunities or review the ‘Available MRPM Projects’ table below and then contact the supervisor to set up an interview. 
  • Students are also encouraged to seek out a potential supervisor directly. Most applications are submitted by student supervisor teams who connect through other methods, namely student-initiated contact. 
  • Students seeking a FoM MRPM supervisor are encouraged to visit the Find a Supervisor page.
  • Some supervisors/projects may only be suitable for students who are available for a continuous 8-week period and/or a specific portion of the summer. For this reason, students with restricted or uncertain schedules should discuss their situation with potential supervisors prior to agreeing to work together. This ensures that the potential FoM MRPM schedules are agreeable to both parties. 

Step 2 – Complete your application package 

  • Once you and the rest of the team (ie. FoM primary supervisor, non-FoM co-supervisor, postgraduate advisor, non-MD student and optional MD student) have agreed to apply for the program as a team, you will work together to complete and submit one application. 
  • Note that each student may only submit one FoM MRPM application. Multiple applications naming the same student partner will be disqualified. The application limit also applies to supervisors and thus supervisors can only be named as a primary supervisor on one application with student partners. 
  • MD students must be in good standing. MD student grades will not be considered in the evaluation process. 
  • Students are no longer required to submit a CV or transcript. Student grades will only be considered to confirm eligibility (ie. Good academic standing), but they will not be considered in the evaluation process. The application Form asks applicants to provide consent for their grades to be viewed. For details on how grades will be used, please see the Adjudication page. 
  • Students will be asked to provide their contact information and a student statement.  

    Click here to see an example template of the application form, which you can use as a guide to prepare your application.

  • Note: The application requires research teams to complete and sign a Student-Supervisor Agreement along with their application. Please see a template of this Agreement here. 
  • Award notices will be sent out to successful Research Teams in March 2025. Students must confirm award acceptance prior to starting a research project. 
  • Students are permitted to choose only one summer research project (i.e. NSERC USRA, SSRP, MRPM, etc).  
  • Click here for instructions on creating a digital signature on Adobe Acrobat. 

Step 3A – If your application is successful: 

  • Applicants will be contacted in mid-late April with the results of the adjudication process. Unfortunately, we are generally unable to confirm FoM MRPM placements any earlier. 
  • Successful applicants will receive their stipend via Workday Student. 
  • Students will be required to complete a brief Project Summary Report and an online evaluation after the completion of their studentship in September. Additional details will be sent to successful applicants via email.  

Step 3B – If your application is not successful: 

  • Applicants will be contacted in mid-late April with the results of the adjudication process. Unfortunately, we are generally unable to confirm FoM MRPM placements any earlier.* 
  • Unfortunately, many excellent students may be unable to be funded due to the limited student positions available. 

*Students with special circumstances, such as multiple award offers, are encouraged to contact us as soon as possible. 

Available FoM MRPM Projects

Note that students are encouraged to seek out a potential supervisor directly and not only apply to projects posted on the FoM MRPM website. Most projects result from students and supervisors connecting via other methods, and thus are not posted on the website. The Find a Supervisor page will be of assistance to students looking to connect with a potential supervisor directly.  

Please only contact supervisors if you are eligible to apply for the MRPM (see eligibility requirements). Only current UBC students are eligible to apply.  

Projects are posted in the order in which they are received. New projects will be added as they are received (newest at top) with the posting date noted in square brackets.  

If you are interested in applying to one of the available projects below, contact the supervisor as soon as possible to set up an interview. Once the supervisor has confirmed your involvement in the project, complete an application together in consultation with other research team members.  

The table below will be populated with projects that students can apply to once we receive advertisements from supervisors. 

Supervisor Name Supervisor Contact Information Project Information Students Needed Date Posted
Alex Scott alex.scott@ubc.ca Click here to view the Project Details PDF 1-2 non-MD students December 12, 2024
         

Application Template

Application Portal

The application form contains fields to provide information on both non-MD students, FoM supervisor, non-FoM co-supervisor, postgraduate student advisor, and optional MD student. It can be filled out by anyone on the team. 

Deadline

Applications are due on February 6, 2025 at 4:00pm PDT. 

Student FAQs

Student FAQ's

How can I submit an application? 

  • Please submit an online application as a team with an FoM supervisor, non-FoM co-supervisor, postgraduate advisor, and other students. Applications are submitted per research project, not per person. The application contains fields for each team member to provide information about themselves and the project. It can be filled out by any team member or a combination of people. 

Can the online application be completed in multiple sittings?

  • Yes. You can return to your in-progress application using the email address that was provided during the initial registration step.  

Do I have to apply for one of the projects listed on the website? 

  • No, you can students may contact a supervisor directly to arrange a project. See Find a Supervisor.

If I have arranged a project with a supervisor, do we need to post our project description online?

  • No. Online posting is simply a means to help students and supervisors connect. If a team has connected via other methods, this step is unnecessary.

What confirmations will I receive after I submit my application? 

  • Following submission of the online application, an automatic confirmation email will be sent to the student email address, supervisor email address, and up to one additional email address chosen by the applicant. About 2 weeks after the application deadline, we will notify student applicants, via email, if their application has been deemed eligible to be forwarded to the review committee. Please note that academic eligibility is not assessed at this time.

Can I submit FoM SSRP applications with two different supervisors?

  • No. Applications are restricted to one per individual, this includes both students and supervisors. Multiple applications from the same student will be disqualified and not be put forward for adjudication. 

I’m not a UBC student. Can I still apply? 

  • This competition is only open to currently registered UBC students. 

I am a part-time student at UBC. Am I eligible to apply? 

  • Please email med.studentresearch@ubc.ca ca to discuss your eligibility. Please include your graded credit course load over the previous 4 winter terms as well. 

I am an Unclassified student at UBC. Am I eligible to apply? 

  • The FoM MRPM is paid as an award, and due to UBC award regulations unclassified students are no longer eligible for this program. 

Are international students eligible to apply?

  • Yes, currently registered UBC international students are eligible to apply. 

Can I hold this award in my graduating year?

  • Non-MD undergraduate students are eligible to apply for this award in their graduating year as long as they are registered as a UBC student as of March and meet all other eligibility criteria. 

Can I hold this award if I am in the MD/PhD Program?

  • Unfortunately, we are unable to open it to MD/PhD students at this time. MD/PhD students are classified as graduate students. We are opening up this pilot project to undergraduate students only this year. 

Are direct-entry students in the health professions eligible to apply? 

  • Yes, students in direct-entry health professions in Nursing, Pharmacy, Speech & Audiology, Genetic Counselling, Occupational Therapy and Physical Therapy are eligible to apply as they are considered undergraduate students. 

Can students hold both a FoM SSRP and a FoM MRPM for the same time period? 

  • No, the FoM MRPM is a full-time commitment, and you may not hold two concurrent summer studentships. Students can only hold one source of summer research funding (i.e. FoM SSRP, FoM MRPM, or FoM NSERC USRA). If you are offered more than one award, you must only accept one. Knowingly accepting multiple summer studentships that overlap with one-another without prior approval constitutes academic misconduct and may jeopardize future funding opportunities and applications with the Faculty of Medicine. 

Are Co-op students eligible to apply?

  • Due to the way in which the FoM MRPM awards are awarded and administered it is typically not possible to hold a FoM MRPM award as part of a co-op placement unless you have the approval of your co-op coordinator and supervisor, and we coordinate the process in advance. If you are currently on co-op or plan to be on co-op during your MRPM placement, please email med.studentresearch@ubc.ca to confirm eligibility. 

Can students hold a FoM MRPM and a Work/Learn? 

  • Typically not. The FoM MRPM is a full-time research award, and other awards should be declined. There may be some instances where this may not be the case. Please email med.studentresearch@ubc.ca  for more information and to ensure feasibility. 

I am in the UBC-BCIT joint Honours in Biotechnology program, am I eligible to apply?

  • Most likely, but please contact us at med.studentresearch@ubc.ca to confirm your eligibility. Please include your student number and confirm that we have your permission to look at your registration record in the body of the email. 

Do I have to submit transcripts with my application?

  • We use the Student Information System (SIS) to access student grades. Students are asked to consent to this process on the FoM MRPM application form. Students in non-standard programs where grades will not be available within their SSC Grades Summary should contact the FoM MRPM coordinator directly med.studentresearch@ubc.ca to make arrangements to obtain grades via other channels in advance of the deadline. 

How will GPA be considered for non-MD and MD students?

  • Student GPA will only be relevant to confirm eligibility (ie. Those students are in good academic standing, which is a minimum GPA/rank of 75%).  
  • For both MD and non-MD students, GPA will not be taken into consideration when adjudicating applications.  
  • Non-MD students GPA calculation will include the best 24 graded credits from the previous 2 winter terms (2022W2 and 2023W1). To be eligible this GPA calculation must be over 75%. 2023W Term 2 (Jan-Apr 2024) grades are not included because the term ends after the FoM MRPM application deadline. The GPA calculation does not typically include grades from any summer sessions, part-time terms, co-op terms, and courses taken for Cr/D/Fail. Transfer students with fewer than 24 credits completed at UBC by the application deadline will be evaluated based on all grades currently available on SSC, as well as any interim grades. In some cases, we may ask for transcripts from your previous institution. As outlined on the website, the onus is on the student to provide any grades not available from the SSC/Student Information System (e.g. interim grades, students doing joint degrees with other institutions etc.). UBC-BCIT Honours students should contact studentresearch@ubc.ca prior to application to ensure eligibility. 
  • MD students need to be in good standing and award eligible. This will be confirmed by the Research Coordinator in consultation with the MD Undergraduate Program after student application. 

Do I have to submit transcripts with my application? 

  • No. We will confirm your GPA/academic standing through Workday. Students are asked to consent to this in the FoM MRPM application form.  

How will I receive the student stipend?

  • The award will be distributed through Workday Student. 

If a student/supervisor team is awarded a FoM SSRP summer studentship and the student decides to pursue another opportunity, can the supervisor recommend another student in their place?

  • No, the adjudication committee ranks each project based on the project description as well as the applying student. To be fair to all involved, both students and supervisors should ensure that they are committed to a project prior to submitting your application. This commitment is outlined in the Student-Supervisor Agreement, which must be completed and attached to your application. 

How many projects will be funded? 

  • The number of projects funded varies based on the number of applications received and the available funding (noting some funding is restricted by research area). Do all applications have the same chance of being funded? 
  • Not necessarily. The FoM MRPM uses a variety of different funding sources to fund projects. Each of these funding sources has its own set of requirements and restrictions. For example, some funding sources are restricted to specific research areas. Note that we do have general funding available as well.  

  If I have applied for a FoM MRPM award, can I apply to other sources for funding as well? 

  • Yes, we encourage you to apply to other competitions as the FoM MRPM is a competition and funding is not guaranteed; however, funding for the award period can only be held from one source. Additional weeks or months of work before/after the award period may be funded by the lab or agency associated with the project using alternate sources. 

Who reviews the applications? Can I contact them?

  • All applications are adjudicated by an adjudication committee comprised of faculty members from the UBC Faculty of Medicine. Each application is evaluated by multiple reviewers. Applicants cannot contact the adjudication committee in order to keep the competition as fair as possible to all participants.  

How are applications evaluated?

  • For information on the adjudication criteria, please see the Adjudication Criteria section below. 

Adjudication Criteria 

Total: 100 Points

Criterion Points Notes

Project Summary

The project must be based on a clear and testable research question(s) or hypothesis. Projects not meeting this requirement are not eligible for the FoM MRPM. 

 30

This section should address the scientific merit and feasibility of the proposed project.  

Considerations should include: 

  • Clear interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary focus 
  • Clear rational for the proposed research approach and methodology, including the context within the relevant field of research 
  • Clear and testable research question or hypothesis 
  • Feasibility of the research approach including the project timeline 
  • Expected project outcomes

Benefit to the Students

Students should benefit from their involvement and come away with new knowledge, new skills, and a better understanding of what interdisciplinary/multidisciplinary research entails. 

 50 

This section must address how involvement in this project will help the students gain an understanding of how high-quality research is conducted. This includes addressing the opportunities to learn new skills (or develop existing skills) in the context of the following learning objectives (as applicable – not all will be applicable to all projects). 

As a result of their FoM MRPM experience, the students will gain an understanding of: 

  • How to generate testable research questions and/or hypotheses 
  • How to critically evaluate & analyze existing literature/data 
  • Specific techniques/skills required for the project (of lesser importance in scoring than the above learning objectives) 
    • The ethical principles of research 
    • How to critically analyze data; appropriate statistical analyses
    • The principles of experimental design 
    • Effective scientific communication (presentations, manuscripts, guidelines, patient learning materials, etc) 

  • Additional considerations: 

    • The students’ learning objectives and role are clearly defined 
    • The fulfillment of additional learning objectives (not discussed above) related to the conduct of medical research 
    • Students have the opportunity to interact with and learn from other researchers (will help the student gain a broader understanding of what research entails) 
    • The project has strong research and educational merit 
    • The project can be completed in the time available 
Student Statements 20 total (If application has 2 students, this will be divided into 10 points per student. If application has 3 students, this will be divided into 6.6 points per student)

Score on a continuous scale using the guidelines provided: 

  • 0: poor 
  • 0-5: satisfactory 
  • 5-10: good 
  • 10-15: excellent 

Positive consideration will be given to statements that address: 

  • Why the students want to be involved in research and this particular project 
  • What the students hope to gain – how will this research experience benefit their current/future educational and/or career 
Academic Record 0

*Note: Student academic record is not factored into adjudication scoring; it is only relevant to ensure eligible.

This will be assessed by the Student Research & Education Coordinator. 

More questions?

Please email the Student Research & Education Coordinator at med.studentresearch@ubc.ca.