Research and Scholarly Advancement Fellowship

Important Dates and Information

Application Deadline: January 15, 2023

Acceptance Notice: February 15, 2023 (Tentative)

Program Dates: May 22 - July 28, 2023

2023 RSAF Guidelines

Proposal Information Form (Required)

Proposal Submission Link

About the RSAF Program

All Heritage College students who will successfully complete the Year 1 medical school curriculum by the end of the spring semester are invited to apply for the Research and Scholarly Advancement Fellowship program. Students must be in good academic and professional standing, with no Code of Professional Standards violations on record from the time of application through the conclusion of the RSAF program. Heritage College Office of Medical Education and others may be contacted to evaluate the student’s suitability to participate in this experience prior to the conclusion of the proposal review process. 

Under the guidance of the mentor, students conduct intensive short-term (10-week) research projects in selected areas of biomedical/basic, social-behavioral medicine, primary care, medical education or clinical investigation. Students will participate in a core curriculum consisting of seminars on broad topics in medical research. They will complete an oral presentation describing their research, to be presented after the conclusion of the summer program. 

The objectives of the RSAF program are to provide a valuable experience for highly motivated and talented medical students to participate in a defined research project; to acquaint students with scientific methodology; to enhance their analytic and laboratory skills; and to provide an opportunity to improve their presentation and writing skills. The program provides foundational skills for future physicians to use scientific evidence as a basis in their clinical decision making and to consider the possibility of pursing research as physician-scientists dedicated to enhancing healthcare.

The fellowship pays $3,000 to assist fellows with living expenses over the course of the program. Fellowship payments will be paid intermittently throughout the program and will be paid through the Ohio University Bursar’s Office. Typical disbursement dates are June 1, July 1 and August 1 but are subject to change.

Students from all three Heritage College campuses are encouraged to apply.  

Identifying a Mentor

Students are encouraged to directly approach the Heritage College faculty member and/or members of Heritage College affiliates (e.g., Cleveland Clinic systems, Kettering Health Network, Nationwide Children's Hospital systems) or Ohio University faculty members (outside the Heritage College) whose research may be of interest to them.

Evaluation Criteria

Quality of the Research Experience
Research projects should be well-planned and should be structured. A student should be carrying out much of the work. A project that requires more than two weeks of reading or library research is not appropriate for this program.

Quality of the Proposal
The proposal should include all components outlined in the Application Guidelines. In addition, the proposal must include a clear mentoring plan indicating to the committee specifically how often the mentor will meet with the student and how the student will be spending their time on the project during the 10 weeks.

Mentor
Mentors must be members of the Heritage College faculty or Heritage College affiliates (e.g., the Cleveland Clinic system, Kettering Health Network, Nationwide Children's Hospital systems) or Ohio University faculty members (outside the Heritage College).

Questions?

For additional information, please contact:
The Heritage College Office of Research and Grants, Nadine Borovicka, program manager, or Jessica Wingett, director of research administration and student research and RSAF program director

RSAF Class of 2022

Student Name	Primary Mentor
Sarah Beach	Leslie Consitt, PhD
Lauren Cea	Emily Guseman, PhD
Dalton Drumm	Emily Guseman, PhD
Cory Edwards	Xiao Chen, PhD
Nick Ferrara	Dustin Grooms, PhD
Sravya Patibandla	Zelalem Haile, PhD
Dominique Rehl	Elizabeth Beverly, PhD