The Office of Scholarly Engagement (OSE) is a primary source of funding for MD students.
OSE Funding
Community Engagement Funding
Two funding options are available to students:
- Student stipend: $1250/month stipend for full-time community engagement work in a fifth year (up to $15,000/year) or for summer (8 weeks); no matching funding is available. Students must have an on-site mentor who will supervise their daily work AND a Harvard faculty mentor who will be available to advise them over the course of the project
- Materials reimbursement: Up to $500 reimbursement for materials for community service or engagement events organized by HMS students and community agencies
Conference Funding
HMS MD students may apply for up to $300 for registration fees to present an abstract, poster, or oral presentation at academic or professional conferences outside of Harvard University.
Fellowships
Students work with the OSE to apply for these external and Harvard fellowships:
- The Fulbright U.S. Student Program for study or research abroad
- The Marshall Scholarship (Try to apply through your undergraduate institution first)
- Various Harvard traveling fellowships
Visit the external funding page for a list of other fellowship opportunities.
Fifth Year Research Funding
Typically, MD students take a fifth year for research between their third year and fourth year. Students may apply to OSE for $1250/month for full time research up to 12 months. Students should secure matching funding from their mentors or external funding sources. No credit is awarded for taking a fifth year for research.
Publication Funding
The OSE has limited funding up to $750 to defray publication fees when:
- The HMS MD student is first author
- The mentor/senior author contributes some funding towards the publication fees
Summer Funding
By Curricular Track
Pathways
Pathways MD students may apply to OSE for summer research funding of $1,250 per month for full‑time projects of at least 8 weeks. Students may not be enrolled in HMS courses during the funded period. Research mentors are asked to provide matching funds. Pathways students should follow the application procedures outlined on the Summer Funding page.
HST
HST MD students who participate in the MD Research Assistantship program are eligible to receive OSE funding for June, July, and August. Mentors are asked to provide additional funding. HST students work with HST administration to prepare and submit their funding applications.
Travel Supplements
HMS MD students can apply for an OSE stipend to defray some travel expenses to selected clinical elective exchange sites, research abroad, and research outside of New England.
External Funding Opportunities
Students are encouraged to apply for fellowships and/or scholarships from external sources for research or travel. In most cases, students apply directly to the funding sources.
Fellowships
The Office of Scholarly Engagement (OSE) provides information in the weekly News You Can Use newsletter about external funding fellowship opportunities. MD students are encouraged to apply for funding from the many excellent national and professional societies that offer:
- Year-long or year-off fellowships
- Summer fellowships
- Fellowships for study or research abroad; clinical electives abroad (including some Harvard traveling fellowships)
- For study in the UK, see also the http://www.britishcouncil.us
Fellowships Processed Through OSE
- The Fulbright U.S. Student Program for study or research abroad
- The Marshall Scholarship (Try to apply through your undergraduate institution first)
- Various Harvard traveling fellowships
Some of these fellowships are processed through the Office of Scholarly Engagement (OSE). Students should contact ose@hms.harvard.edu in the summer if they plan to apply to any of these fellowships. Deadlines for these fellowships vary each year.
Scholarships
The Financial Aid Office maintains a list of available scholarships located on the Financial Aid Office Types of Aid page (from the funding page: navigate to Scholarships/Fellowships > External > Outside Scholarship Opportunities).
Preparing Your Application for External Funding
Important Deadline: At least three weeks before your submission date
When you prepare an application for external funding, find out if the funds must be awarded to HMS. Information on how the funds are disbursed may be found on the funder’s website; if not, contact the funder to ask how the funds are disbursed.
If the funds must be awarded to HMS, reach out to the Finance Office in the Program for Medical Education at least 3 weeks before the submission date of your application. The PME Finance administrator will work with you to have your application reviewed and approved by the HMS Office of Research Administration.
HMS-sponsored proposals require institutional review and authorization before submission. See the strict HMS submission policy.