Summer Funding

First Year Pathways United States-Based Projects

Expectations:

• Identify an eight-week summer project in a health-related field
• Commit to full-time work (a minimum of 32 hours per week)
• Submit one application for one project
• You can join a faculty member's ongoing research (most common) or propose your own project with faculty mentoring
• Secure a primary mentor from any institution. If your mentor is not at Harvard, you must also have a Harvard advisor. Visit Finding a Project & Mentor for advice. 
• If your project involves human subjects, the project you join should already have IRB approval. You should not spend the summer months applying for IRB approval. 
• If you receive OSE funds and your project changes, immediately notify OSE of the changes.

Due by March 31:

1. Submit your proposal in the Application for Summer Funding (follow the Summer Funding Proposal Instructions)  
2. Your mentor must complete the Mentor Agreement Form

Your proposal will be reviewed by OSE faculty. The OSE will notify you if you need to make revisions to your proposal. We aim to have all proposals reviewed by May 1st. 

No late applications will be accepted.

First Year Pathways Summer Global Health Projects

Expectations:

• One destination, one project
• 8 weeks of full-time work (32-40 hours/week)
• Minimum 4 weeks abroad
• A time for exploration, learning, contributing towards the larger project in which you work
• You have a role in a project; not necessarily contributing to new knowledge
• A faculty mentor (HMS, other school) and a local mentor
• Students with approved projects will receive a stipend towards basic expenses (modest round-trip airfare, housing, food, up to $50 toward phone), but OSE may not cover all your expenses
• Mentors are invited to contribute funding if funds are available

Timeline:

• By January 21, complete the Application for Summer Funding with your 2-3 sentence concept and mentor (if identified).
• In January and February, meet with Dr. Jennifer Kasper, the Chairperson of the Faculty Committee on Global Health, to discuss your summer plans.
• In Spring semester, participate in a seminar series on carrying out global health work abroad. If you plan to travel with OSE funds, you must participate in this seminar series.
• By March 1, your mentor must complete the Mentor Agreement Form
• By March 1, email to ose@hms.harvard.edu your project proposal (Follow the Summer Funding Proposal Instructions) and your draft budget outlining your estimated modest round-trip airfare, housing, and food expenses.
• Your proposal will be reviewed by OSE global health faculty. You may be asked to revise your proposal. Please respond with your revisions within one week. Use track changes to show the revisions you made to the proposal. OSE aims to complete proposal review by April 1.
• By March 15, submit the following items to ose@hms.harvard.edu to be eligible for your OSE stipend:
  1. Society and Mentor Approval of Travel Abroad Form
  2. Safety Information for International Travel Form
  3. Harvard Acknowledgment of Risk and General Release Form
• By May 1, submit to ose@hms.harvard.edu 
  1. A copy of your airfare itinerary and receipt
  2. Certificate of completion after viewing the Harvard Global Support Services’ pre-departure orientation
  3. Confirmation email with your travel details that you receive after you have registered your travel with International SOS for emergency support services
• Prior to travel, you will attend a mandatory travel safety briefing with Dr. Jennifer Kasper (date to be determined).
• OSE will reimburse you for any immunizations/travel medications (e.g. typhoid vaccine, malaria prophylaxis) you need for your trip. You may submit your receipts before you leave or upon your return to the US. Receipts must show in detail what was purchased, date purchased, amount paid, and how paid. You may need to submit both the credit card receipt and the pharmacy description of the medication/price.

Once your proposal is approved, OSE will you send a formal award letter with a payment schedule for your funding. Funding is disbursed in two installments over the summer. 

Make sure that your mailing address in my.harvard is up to date throughout the summer and fall.  Your first stipend payment will be mailed to you and you will be invited to set up direct deposit for future payments.

OSE awards are not transferable.  If your project significantly changes (i.e. scope, mentor, location, duration, etc.) , you need to seek OSE’s approval to continue funding.  If there are any changes to your project and you do not inform us, your award may be rescinded. 

Whenever appropriate, cite your HMS funding with this wording, “Supported in part by the Office of Scholarly Engagement, Program in Medical Education, Harvard Medical School.”

All students who receive OSE funding must submit:

1. By August 15, complete the Summer Funding Reflection form.
2. By January 31, submit an abstract on their OSE funded project for the annual Soma Weiss Student Research Day. See below.

Abstract

Students who received OSE funding must submit a scholarly abstract on their funded project by January 31 using the abstract submission form. Your mentor must review and approve this abstract. Information on abstract writing is on the internal Soma Weiss Student Research Day site. All medical and dental students who carried out research or service projects while at HMS are invited to submit a scholarly abstract.

If you have any questions, contact the staff at ose@hms.harvard.edu.