MICHR’s annual three-month Summer Research Program provides students with a rich experience in clinical, translational, and health disparities research and inspires them to choose a research-focused career. Most years, students come from around the country to the University of Michigan Ann Arbor campus to participate in the program. But with the arrival of COVID-19, that changed in an instant.
When the pandemic arrived in the U.S., many similar summer programs at U-M and other CTSAs were either canceled or offered reduced capacity and course offerings; few offered a research experience. However, MICHR’s Education and Mentoring Group was able to pivot quickly to a comprehensive remote program and enrolled a full cohort of 20 students.
“In a short period of time, my team was able to take something they knew how to do very well in person and move it completely to a remote learning format,” explained Brenda Eakin, Program Director of Mentored and Career Development Programs at MICHR. “The program retained its hands-on research component, with faculty who had projects students could participate in without needing to be on campus. We were able to move other components of the program to remote platforms too, and maintain the high quality of what we do.”
The MICHR summer program participants are studying a variety of disciplines ranging from social work, pharmacy, and public health to medicine, engineering, and kinesiology. The program’s interdisciplinary approach attracts students from all over the country.
“Among U-M summer programs, we are very unique because we are transdisciplinary and focus on graduate-level students,” said Christy Byks-Jazayeri, Summer Research Program Manager at MICHR. “A lot of other programs really focus on one research area, but our programs are in translational science.”
One Oakwood University student, 2020 program cohort member Madison Thomas, said she decided to apply for MICHR’s program when her advisor introduced her to the program faculty director Dr. Susan Woolford, who explained the program to her.
“I decided to join the program because I wanted to learn more about health disparities and gain research experience from a prestigious university like U-M,” she said.
Despite the disappointment of not being able to come to Michigan, Thomas said her experience in the program has been wonderful. Thomas is studying the prevalence and risk factors of diabetes in elderly adults in Flint.
“I’ve been thrilled with my experience in the MICHR program this summer. The things I enjoy the most are the speakers and the research with my mentor,” Thomas said.
To ensure accessible, open communication, Byks-Jazayeri and colleague Shannon Marshall, Student Services Specialist for the program, host weekly virtual office hours. With the lost avenue of face-to-face communication and learning sessions, Byks-Jazayeri wanted to ensure that students had a place to discuss anything that comes up in the program and resolve challenges.
Leveraging Partnerships for Successful Recruitment
The strength of MICHR’s summer program lies in leveraging unique relationships and partnerships from around the country to recruit qualified students into the program, such as the one with Oakwood University, based in Huntsville, Alabama.
In fact, MICHR’s Education and Mentoring Group’s recruitment and partnership efforts have been so successful that they often share their lessons learned and strategies across the CTSA consortium.
The Education and Mentoring Group works to establish positive relationships across a broad array of institutions, such as the Alabama College of Osteopathic Medicine, Morehouse School of Medicine, schools and colleges across U-M and other schools throughout Michigan, and leverages those partnerships to solicit applications for the program. MICHR’s positive relationships are reflected at every level, from faculty recommendations and partnerships to staff connections and student referrals.
One such example is an established partnership that Vicki Ellingrod, PharmD, Faculty Director of MICHR’s Education & Mentoring Program facilitated with the University of Puerto Rico. For the past few years, she’s taught short-term classes in Translational Science at the University of Puerto Rico through a partnership with the Mayo Clinic. While there, she made several connections with students and asked them if they would be interested in participating in the summer program.
Byks-Jazayeri said students often return to their home institutions and share the great experiences they had in the Summer Program. Other students continue to apply based on their positive feedback.
“Working internationally with a variety of institutions such as with Oakwood University in Alabama and the University of Puerto Rico brings a unique perspective and world view to our programs,” Eakin said.
Unique, Multi-Level Appeal for Graduate and Undergraduate Students
Another unique aspect of the program is that select undergraduate-level students are able to participate.
“This is only our second year incorporating undergraduates into the program and our first year offering the program virtually (due to the pandemic),” said Susan Woolford, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases and Faculty Program Lead for MICHR’s education program. “So, it has been encouraging to note that the undergrads have integrated easily into the program and their successful participation in both group and research settings has been noteworthy.”
Learn more about the summer program here.