Research Summer Scholars Program
Children’s Mercy Kansas City offers an exciting and competitive research opportunity for highly motivated undergraduate students with an interest in biomedical research.
For over 25 years, Children’s Mercy Kansas City (CMKC) has welcomed students in our annual Research Summer Scholars Program. The program provides an opportunity to participate in hypothesis-driven research under the mentorship of nationally and internationally recognized clinicians and scientists. This is an intensive, hands-on experience, designed to engage students in multiple aspects of research studies within a supportive environment while learning valuable skills and experiencing life at an academic medical center.
To date, over 100 students have participated in the program, engaging with divisions across the organization including aerobiology, allergy, nephrology, baby health behavioral medicine, bioinformatics, cancer, cardiology, clinical pharmacology, emergency medicine, endocrinology, gastroenterology, health outcomes, human factors research, immunology, infectious disease, microbiology, molecular biology, molecular genetics, pulmonary and sleep medicine, radiology, surgery, urology, weight management.
Why you should apply
As a summer scholar, you will be immersed in research and educational opportunities. In additional to the interactions of performing day-to-day research, scholars commonly participate in meetings and events hosted by their laboratory. Scholar’s will receive training in the techniques necessary to conduct their research activity. The projects have been specifically designed for summer students, allowing them to take on a sense of ownership of their work. This form of experiential training provides excellent preparation, relevant knowledge, and practical skills needed to pursue a career in research.
In addition to working on their respective projects, scholar’s participate various academic and social activities. This includes lunch-and-learn seminars, exposure to the institutional review board, biostatistics, and scientific writing. Additional activities provide opportunities for networking to build upon academic and professional networks. At the conclusion of the program, scholars showcase their research at a formal presentation for their peers and researchers across the institution.
Program Logistics
The CMKC Summer Scholars program runs 10-weeks with an option to extend through 12 weeks depending on scholar and mentor interest and project availability. The program is held at the Children’s Mercy Adele Hall campus at 2401 Gillham Road, Kansas City, Missouri. However, scholars may work in nearby clinics and research labs as dictated by project needs.
This is a full-time position – Monday through Friday. All scholars must commit to full participation during the entire period. The hospital does observe the July 4th holiday.
Key Dates
| Application Deadline (Online) | Feb. 26, 2024 |
| Notification of Interviews | Beginning Feb. 27, 2024 |
| Extend Offers | Mid-March, 2024 |
| First Day of Program | June 5, 2024 |
| Luncheon and Presentation | August 8, 2024 |
| Last Day of Program | August 16-28, 2024* program duration for 10-12 weeks depending on need to return to school |
The Kansas City Appeal
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To learn more about what KC has to offer, check out the following links:
Application and Eligibility:
Applications for the 2024 program are due Feb. 26, 2024. Click the button below to access the application and view a list of projects.
Who is Eligible:
- Applicants must have a 3.0 GPA or higher
- Applications should self-motivated and have a strong interest in pursuing further experiences in the biomedical sciences.
FAQ
Typically, 5-10 scholars are accepted per year
Students will be expected to work 40 hours per week. Mentors will decide specific hours. Due to the short length of the program, vacations are not encouraged. Students are advised to not make vacation plans until they discuss these with their mentors.
We try to prioritize student interest. During the interview process, candidates are asked to complete an interest form that ranks the potential available topics for the summer. Placement ultimately depends on the availability of mentors and the appropriateness of a lab for a summer intern; however, we almost always have Scholars placed within one of their top three options.
Scholars will receive a competitive, hourly salary. Overtime is not expected nor supported for this role. The program is budgeted for 40 hours a week and 80 hours per pay period.
Program Organizers:
Faculty Director, Research Summer Scholars Program
Assistant Professor Pediatrics, UMKC SOM
Program Coordinator, Research Summer Scholars Program