The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Medical Research Scholars Program (MRSP) is a comprehensive, year-long research enrichment program designed to attract the most creative, research-oriented medical, dental, and veterinary students to the intramural campus of the NIH in Bethesda, MD. Student scholars engage in a mentored basic, clinical, or translational research project on the main NIH campus in Bethesda, or at close by NIH facilities, that matches their professional interests and career goals. The MRSP is a residential program and comfortable furnished apartments, on or proximal to the NIH campus, are provided at fair market rates. Participating student scholars are required to reside in one of the available MRSP housing options.

The 2012-2013 MRSP class consists of 45 talented and diverse students from 34 different accredited medical, dental, and veterinary schools. The goal is to eventually have a capacity of 70 students. For a select group of students, an additional year of support may be available to allow continuation of ongoing studies if this is judged to be in the best interests of the scholar and the mentor. The NIH MRSP is designed for students who have completed their core clinical rotations but does not exclude students with strong research interests from applying prior to having completed their clinical rotations.

Collectively, MRSP student scholars will experience the full continuum of biomedical research—the bench, the bedside, between both and beyond—from crystallography to molecular biology, from computational biology to clinical trials and epidemiology, i.e., all areas of contemporary biomedical science. Specifically,

• The MRSP provides student scholars with the opportunity to experience the full spectrum of science in the interests of public health.

• The MRSP academic curriculum,offers:
  • Lectures on seminal basic, translational and clinical research topics that highlight the continuum of discovery, as well as include issues in bioethics, science policy and emerging technologies
  • Training in clinical protocol development and the conduct of human subjects research
  • Participation in clinical rounds focusing on the research patient population in the NIH Clinical Center
  • Academic leadership training
  
  

• Each participating student scholar will have a well-articulated career development plan, an assigned, dedicated tutor (year-long advisor), and will work with an approved research mentor.

• Student scholars have the opportunity to enroll in courses offered at the NIH Clinical Center, such as the Introduction to the Principles and Practices of Clinical Research, and the Ethical and Regulatory Aspects of Clinical Research.

• Student scholars also will have the opportunity to interact with NIH leaders—institute directors, scientific and clinical directors, and principal investigators—and established investigators from leading national academic medical centers and universities.

• The Howard Hughes Medical Institute hosts scientific meetings and workshops at its headquarters and Janelia Farm Research Campus that will be available for some participants.

The MRSP is made possible through a public-private partnership supported jointly by the NIH and generous contributions to the Foundation for the NIH from Pfizer Inc, The Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust, and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, as well as other private donors. For a complete list, please visit the Foundation website [disclaimer].

NOTE: PDF documents require the free Adobe Reader.