2023 Diabetes and Obesity Summer Research Fellows Program

Diabetes and obesity are prevalent health issues in the Commonwealth. The University of Kentucky and the Office of the Vice President for Research are committed to reducing these disparities by enhancing research and training the next generation of biomedical investigators.

To help accomplish these goals, the UK Diabetes & Obesity Research Priority Area (RPA), under the directorship of Simon Fisher, MD, PhD, and Nada Porter, PhD, is launching a summer research fellowship program for highly motivated undergraduate and medical students. 

If you are interested in mentoring a student for this program, please complete this survey.

Undergraduate students

Investigators in the area of diabetes and/or obesity-related research are invited to identify potential undergraduate student candidates and encourage them to apply. Alternatively, investigators will be paired with undergraduate students interested in this experience. Student researchers will be provided with a $5,000 stipend to enable this activity in your lab over the summer. The session will run 10 weeks, approximately from May 29 to Aug. 4.

Medical students

The Office of Medical Education is identifying potential candidates for this fellowship who will be paired with investigators. Alternatively, if you have identified potential medical students, please forward the application and ask them to apply. Medical student researchers will be provided with a $4,000 stipend to enable this activity in your lab over the summer. The session will run eight weeks, approximately from June 5 to July 28.

To complement the research experience, students will attend a weekly session that will feature a short talk by participating faculty, followed by brief, five-minute presentations by fellows on their summer projects. The program is informal and geared to promoting discussion and an exchange of ideas.  

Additionally, research fellows can participate in a poster forum on Friday, July 28 (details to follow). This is a valuable networking event and provides students with an opportunity to share their work with fellow students, research mentors and other campus research programs.

Applications are due March 31, 2023, by 5 p.m. and must include a personal statement and resume. Submit materials here.

Have questions? Email Allison Walters at allison.walters1@uky.edu.