At the School of Medicine, students and faculty have access to a wide range of opportunities designed to enhance research expertise and foster the next generation of health innovators. Whether through hands-on learning, mentorship, or interdisciplinary collaboration, we equip our community with the skills and knowledge needed to make lasting impacts in health and medicine.
Undergraduate Programs
Summer Research Experience for U.S. Residents
The School of Medicine in collaboration with the Translational Biosciences PhD program, coordinates summer research opportunities that support students’ professional development and full-time mentored research under the direction of a School of Medicine faculty member. Details on the program for citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. Can be found below.
Summer Research Program in Translational Biomedicine
Summer Research Experience for International Students
For international students not currently studying at the University of Missouri, the SOM Office of Medical Research offers two visiting scholarships in partnership with the SRM Institution and two visiting scholarships for students from the University of Western Cape.
Medical Student Programs
MU Summer Research Fellowship
The Summer Research Fellowship program supports original medical student research under the direct supervision of a faculty member by rising M2s. Find research opportunities within the School of Medicine through this database. You can filter by principal investigator, desired medical sub-specialty, research focus and more.
Students receive stipends while working for eight to 10 weeks on projects proposed by faculty members while completing introductory research training. Funding of $3,000 is provided to each summer research fellow. Applications open February 3 and are reviewed by the Research Council.
MU Travel and Publication Funding
The Office of Medical Research has allocated funds to reimburse medical students for up to $1,500 per student to attend a national or international conference to present their research findings obtained during research fellowships, including summer research and MD-PhD training. In cases where a strong justification is provided, travel to attend a conference that is critical to career development will be supported. In addition, funds have been allocated for publication expenses in a recognized peer-review journal (up to $1,500 per publication) for research where a medical student or MD-PhD is a co-author.
External Training Opportunities
If you have identified other opportunities for research training, such as the NIH Medical Research Scholars Program, an expression of interest needs to be completed prior to the application deadline.
Expression of Interest include requests for letters of support and/or letters of good standing.
See Other Summer Learning Experiences For Medical Students
Combined Degrees with MD
Fulfill your interest in a research or academic career by working toward a combined MD and MS or MD and PhD degree. Following your acceptance into medical school at the University of Missouri, you may be accepted by a dual-degree committee. Your course of study must satisfy the requirements for the doctoral degree. Choose from doctoral programs through the School of Medicine or from other schools and colleges on campus (see Graduate Degree Programs).
MD-PhD Degree Program
Be part of the new generation of physician-scientists who apply research discoveries to patient care. Physician-scientists who complete an MD-PhD program are uniquely qualified to conduct, lead and train others in translational—or bench-to-bedside—research. Learn more about the Tom and Anne Smith MD-PhD Program at the University of Missouri School of Medicine.
Graduate Degree Programs
Pursue a standalone MSc or PhD at the University of Missouri School of Medicine. Following your application to the University of Missouri Office of Graduate Studies, your application will be reviewed by your program of choice.
Master-level Programs:
PhD-level Programs:
- Translational Biosciences Graduate Program
- Informatics PhD Program
- Interdisciplinary Neuroscience Program
Certificates and Training Programs
Graduate Certificates
Take your professional career and/or graduate education to the next level with a graduate certificate. Both degree-seeking and non-degree seeking learners are eligible to apply.
- Graduate Certificate in Health Ethics
- Graduate Certificate in Health Informatics
- Graduate Certificate in Health Care Project Management
- Graduate Certificate in Life Science Innovation and Entrepreneurship (online)
- Graduate Certificate in Participatory Health Research
Biomedical Entrepreneurship Training Program for Aging (BETA)
Biomedical Entrepreneurship Training Program for Aging (BETA) is a National Institute of Aging (NIA/NIH) funded training program administered at the University of Missouri. The BETA program is to train the scientific workforce to impart a broad set of skills and knowledge required for translation-focused and multidisciplinary roles in modern academic career positions.
Next Gen Precision Health Clinical Trial Investigator Training
The Next Gen Precision Health Clinical Trial Investigator Training is a five-session educational program designed for investigators who currently lead or would like to lead clinical trials. The series includes lectures and panel discussions from leaders across the University of Missouri system, as well as Washington University in St. Louis, to define the regulatory, operational, and ethical components of clinical trials, with the goal of developing a skilled workforce that provides the highest level of patient safety, teamwork, and data quality. The program also covers institution-specific resources for investigators.
KL2 Program with Washington University
The KL2 Career Development Awards Program provides high-quality, multidisciplinary training in clinical and translational research to promote the career development of future clinical investigators. This program provides financial support and benefits that allow scholars to focus on mentored, multidisciplinary research, supplemented by applicable coursework. Information and applications can be found on the Clinical Research Training Center site.
TL1 Post-doctoral Training Program with Washington University
Open to all qualified postdoctoral applicants. The objective of the TL1 Postdoctoral Training Program is to demystify the processes of translating research findings, including studying the methods to disseminate and implement new findings. The program has the broad ability to include research projects in late-stage preclinical, first-in-human, clinical, translational, patient-oriented research, population health and community engagement, and biomedical informatics. Applications can be made at the Clinical Research Training Center site.
