DVM Student Research Opportunities
The USU College of Veterinary Medicine is comprised of research-based faculty and committed to providing research opportunities for veterinary students from the USU-CVM. There are currently eight different areas of research emphasis within our college: Health & Disease/One Health; Infection & Immunity; Cellular & Molecular Physiology; Reproduction & Development; Pharmacology & Toxicology; Mechanisms of Aging; and Veterinary Clinical Sciences. Our veterinary student research program is comprised of two components: a Research Scholars Program and a Summer Research Program.
APPLICATIONS ARE NOW CLOSED for the Summer Research Program.
Applications open in late January or February each year.
Contact CVM Research Scholar Committee with questions
View Past Publications and Presentations
Summer Research Program
The USU College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) is not soliciting applications at this time. The following information is provided as a resource for future applicants.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be 1st or 2nd year veterinary students but may not be enrolled in a graduate degree program. Students that have received prior internship are eligible for a second year of research.
- Student applicants must not be on academic probation. Prior to applying, please check with the Office of Student Services to verify your status. Although an absolute class rank minimum is not established, please be aware the class rank may influence the competitiveness of your application.
Stipulations upon award
- Students are expected to commit 12 weeks during the summer to their research project. This leaves four weeks for vacation or other activities.
- Successful applicants will be expected to commit to an intensive, full-time work schedule on their approved research project during the summer months, although the amount of time required, and the schedule of activities will ultimately be determined by your mentor.
- Applicants who wish to enroll in additional summer coursework or engage in additional summer employment must gain approval from their mentor (also called “sponsor”) and the Program Coordinator of Academic and Student Affairs office (brenda.poulsen@usu.edu) before applying for the summer fellowship.
- Successful applicants must complete all required training; namely, (1) all mandatory USU laboratory safety training, (2) all lab specific training as directed by the sponsor (e.g., PI, mentor), and (3) the CITI “Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) Curriculum.” Note, you must pass each module with a score of 80% or higher. Detailed instructions will be sent out regarding these requirements upon invitation and acceptance to the program.
- Students who receive summer research fellowships must also agree to: (1) participate in the summer research trainee workshop series hosted by Department of Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Sciences (ADVS), (2) agree to present a poster describing their project and its results at the ADVS Department Research Symposium in early August, and (3) submit a progress or final summary report by mid-August.
- Each fellowship recipient will be required to sign a letter that stipulates they understand and agree to the above requirements and that failure to meet these requirements will result in stipend funds being withheld and/or repaid to the CVM.
Review Criteria
Applications will be judged competitively by the CVM Research Committee. Criteria include: (1) scientific merit of the research proposal, (2) grantsmanship of the proposal regarding its overall clarity, logic, and feasibility, (3) perceived level of student participation in preparation of the application, (4) faculty mentor research environment and commitment to the project (e.g. does the mentor have a strong record of research in the area of the application as evidenced by publications and/or extramural funding), and (5) perceived level of student professionalism and commitment to execution of the proposed project and to scientific exploration in general.
If you have any questions, including the appropriateness of your research topic, please email the chair of the CVM Student Research Steering Committee, Dr. Jeff Mason (jeff.mason@usu.edu).
Funding
Funding for the Summer Research Fellowship program is provided via the USU College of Veterinary Medicine. Awards from these sources are made contingent upon the faculty mentor agreeing to provide material support for the project. Specifically, the award will provide $6,000 to cover the student’s stipend. Awardees should know that this support will be subject to all applicable federal and state taxes or other applicable withholding. Historically, we have been able to fund 4-6 awards per year. However, the actual number of awards is always subject to change due to funding uncertainties or the identification of additional funding sources (e.g., available grant support from the sponsoring faculty member).
Selecting a mentor
All USU-CVM and USDA-PPRL faculty are eligible to sponsor students as advisors for summer research Fellows. Sponsors from other departments or organizations will be considered on a case-by-case basis.
When selecting a mentor, you should speak with him/her to learn about their research and to request reprints and related materials to help identify labs with which you share interests. Determine the level of interest from the prospective mentor. It is appropriate to determine if the potential mentor has sufficient resources to support your efforts even if you do not receive a fellowship. This is important, because in some years the number of worthy applications exceeds the number of available summer fellowship funds. To learn more about faculty research interests, please see the following links:
USU Department of Animal, Dairy and Veterinary Sciences
USDA Poisonous Plants Research Laboratory
Paul G. Allen School For Global Animal Health
WSU School of Molecular Biosciences
WSU Department of Integrative Physiology and Neuroscience
WSI Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences
WSU Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology