Research Track

Expectations will include: 

• An individualized Research Plan which will be created and monitored by the student in collaboration with a primary research mentor. 
• You are expected to spend a minimum of ½ day per week working on your research project through the remainder of Year 1 (Plains). 
• You are required do a 4 week full-time summer research experience working in your mentor's lab during the summer after your first year (Discovery period). You will receive a stipend for the four weeks of work. 
  • Students on certain Visas may have restrictions on whether they can receive stipends. All requirements are the same for students on Visas who cannot accept a stipend (the 4 week summer research experience is required). 
• During Year 1 (Plains)  you will attend scheduled Wednesday meetings of the Research Track Program from 12-1 PM. These meetings will be virtual and will be held no more than once/month. You and your peers will be presenting your work in these sessions in the late spring of your first year. 
• Students will complete two 4-week full time research electives sometime during their 3rd and 4th years.  These two electives should be completed before December 1 of your MS4 year. You will receive a stipend for each of these two research months.  Students can elect a third month of research, but there is no stipend. 
• You will have the opportunity to present your research plans and findings: 
  • To peers in the program: In oral presentation format (10-15 minutes) at the Research Track Wednesday 12 Noon meetings— in the late spring  of your 1st year and again in the summer between years 1 and 2. PowerPoint slides will be used with your presentations. 
  • To campus-wide peers: In poster format at the annual Health Sciences Center Research Forum—December of your MS2 year. 
  • To a national group of peers: In oral or poster format at the annual Western Medical Student Research Forum, held in Carmel, California—January of your MS2 year (students will receive funds to support travel and registration to the meeting) 
  • To a national audience: Students are expected to submit an abstract to a national meeting and present if the abstract is accepted.  

A primary goal of all Research Track participants is the submission of a 1st authored (or 1st co-authored) manuscript to a peer-reviewed journal for possible publication by the midpoint of your 4th year.

How to apply to Research Track 

1. In 2025, we have the following Departments/Institutes that will provide funding for student slots in the Research Track. We are only accepting applications for projects that fall within these Departments/Institutes and for projects with approved mentors. Approved mentors are those listed in the database (see #2 below).

The departments that have agreed to fund a student to participate in the Research Track are below (note all departments do not participate):

• Anesthesiology
• Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
• Fort Collins Branch
• Medicine
• Neurology
• Ophthalmology
• Orthopedics
• Pathology
• Pediatrics
• PURE (Pediatric Urology Research Enterprise)
• Radiology
• Surgery

2. The database below lists mentors (and their projects). Students should contact mentors with projects of interest and meet with the mentor to see if both parties think they would be a good fit. The link below is to the Project Mentor Database. This database was updated 8/22/2025 and is now final (two additional ophthalmology projects were added).

Identify potential mentors/projects from the Mentor and Project Database You must work with one of the mentors on the approved list in the Mentor and Project Database. Not all departments participate in this program.

Students at the Ft. Collins Branch campus should set up a meeting with Casey Gries to talk about projects. Depending on your personal interests, Dr. Gries can direct you to potential mentors in Ft. Collins.

3. Download a copy of the Research Track Application

4. Meet with potential mentors to discuss possible projects. Come to a mutual decision with a mentor to apply and then work with that mentor to complete the application.

5. Submit application materials electronically (by emailing [email protected]). The deadline for submitting applications is 11:59 on October 6, 2025.  Required materials to submit include:

• A completed application form
• Both a student and mentor's CV or NIH-format biosketch. Please make sure the mentor highlights, or otherwise designates, past or current mentees on the list of publications in the mentor’s CV.
• A separate email from the mentor confirming their willingness to serve as the student’s mentor. The mentor should include that he/she is aware that a core requirement of the Research Track is that the student will submit a first authored publication to a peer reviewed journal by February 1st of their fourth year.

Applications will be reviewed by the Research Track Steering Committee and results announced around November 16th.