First-Year Yale Medical Student Summer Research

Download the Faculty Mentor Agreement for First-Year Summer Research. Students must review and complete this form with their research mentor. The completed form must be submitted with the students research funding application.

Log into Elentra and complete the First Year Medical Student Application for Summer Research Funding. The OSR will provide students with detailed instructions for submitting their application and all required supporting materials through the Elentra platform prior to the submission deadline. We encourage students to review the application in advance and to reach out to the OSR with any questions.

Students should submit their application for summer research funding in Elentra by the deadline stated below. Students who are unable to meet the deadline are required to submit a completed First-Year Summer Research Funding Application Deadline Extension Request to the OSR at least one week in advance of the application deadline. Only students who meet the specified conditions, which align with YSM educational policies, qualify for consideration of an extension.

Applications, or extension requests, received after the application deadline will not be eligible to receive summer research funding from the OSR.

Students planning to conduct international research must contact the YSM Global Health Program (global.health@yale.edu) at least six months in advance of travel and beginning research to receive guidance on pre-departure planning. Students conducting international research are required to provide documentation of both Yale and international site approval, as well as register their research with the YSM Global Health Program. For students planning to apply for summer research funding from the OSR for international research, funding will be contingent upon verification from the YSM Global Health Program that all requirements have been met. This ensures that students conducting international research receive the necessary support.

This award supports Yale medical students pursuing research that requires an interdisciplinary approach, drawing on mentorship and resources from across Yale’s schools and departments. Designed to address questions with social, economic, cultural, and scientific significance, it encourages projects at the intersection of medicine and fields such as law, management, environment, divinity, computer science, and the arts. First year medical students planning to conduct interdisciplinary summer research with a primary YSM faculty mentor and additional faculty from other Yale schools (e.g., Architecture, Environment, Graduate School, Divinity, Nursing, Public Health, Management, etc.) should note this on their Application for Summer Research Funding for consideration.

Below you will find links for external sources of funding for summer research for 1st year Yale medical students. It is important that you read the requirements carefully for each fellowship, as they have different eligibility requirements and deadlines.

Please note: Applications for external funding may require a letter of recommendation from the student’s Head of Advisory House. Applications for external funding are prepared and reviewed by the Office of Sponsored Projects (OSP) pre-award team that supports the student’s mentor’s department. A minimum of 7 business days is required for the OSP to conduct an adequate review. Students are encouraged to work with their mentor and the pre-award team to finalize the application well before the submission deadline. Applications for internal funding through the OSR are managed by the OSR and do not require preparation or review by the OSP.