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Summer Veterinary Student Research Program


The Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine (VMRCVM) is pleased to announce the Summer Veterinary Student Research Program (SVSRP), which is offered during the summer to train veterinary students in their first or second year in biomedical research. The SVSRP is sponsored by both the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Merck Company Foundation. Students applying to this summer program need to commit to a continuous 11-week program without interruption.
 
Inquiries about SVSRP should be addressed to T35svsrp@vt.edu.

 
Objective

Dr. MengThe objective of the Summer Veterinary Student Research Program (SVSRP) is to encourage veterinary students in a biomedical research career. Veterinarians with a biomedical research background are much in demand. It is likely this career will open many new opportunities in universities, federal, biotech and pharmaceutical institutions. To achieve our objective we have identified four key success factors:

  • Close interaction of high-quality students who show an interest in research with enthusiastic competent scientists as mentors
  • Educational activities that support a fundamental learning experience in biomedical research
  • Exposure to veterinarians who have chosen to pursue a biomedical research career
  • Strong follow-up program ensuring research options for program alumni

 
Program Description

ResearchHighlights of the program include:

 
Funding

SVSRP trainees will receive a stipend by direct deposit to the bank account provided by the Scholar. Travel, lodging and food for the DC visit and symposium will be reimbursed. Furthermore, students visiting from another college of veterinary medicine will receive additional money to cover housing expenses.

 
Timeline & Schedules

Process Timeline

Feb. 9   Deadline for Application Receipt
Feb 16-20   Advisory & Selection Committee Meeting for Selecting Trainees and their Mentors
Feb 23-27    Notify Selected Students of Award
Mar 2-Apr 24    Six SVSRP Preparation Sessions
Apr 22    Deadline for Completion of Initial Summer Research Project Proposal
May 26-June 5   Orientation Short Courses
May 30   Orientation Picnic with all Mentors, their Lab and Trainees
May 31   Travel to Washington, DC
June 1-2    Veterinary Medicine & Public Health Visits in Washington, DC
June 5   Hand in Approved Summer Research Project Proposal
June 3-Aug 5   Nine and a half wks of Summer Research with Mentor One-on-One Contact
June 8-July 31   Eight Wks: Ethical Conduct of Research Seminar & Veterinary Research Career Seminar
Aug 6-9   National Merck-Merial Symposium

Program Schedules

 
Step 1: Application Process

Deadline
The application deadline for the SVSRP is midnight on Monday, February 9, 2009.

Eligibility
Only students in a DVM program at a US accredited veterinary medical college will be considered for these scholarships.

Application
The application form provided online requests the following personal information:

  • Name and contact information
  • Citizenship and other eligibility questions
  • Career plans and goals
  • Education
  • Research experience (if any)
  • Three ranked mentor choices
  • Research interests

In addition letters of recommendation from two faculty at the applicant's veterinary medical college are required.

Selection Criteria
Students will be selected by an Advisory and Selection Committee already created for the SVSRP (including both NIH T35- and MMVSP-funded students), based on the likelihood that the student will pursue a career in research. Criteria used to assess this includes: previous research experience, educational excellence, and references from veterinary medical college faculty. The committee will make every effort to match the research interest of applicants to those of the mentors.

Contact
For additional information about this program or assistance with the application process, please send email to T35svsrp@vt.edu or call Allison Craft at 540-231-3528.

 
Step 2: Summer Training Preparation (March-April)

Selected students will participate in summer training preparation before orientation. Students will participate in:

  1. An initial meeting with mentors
  2. The "Experimental Design & Biostatistics" course
  3. The "Initial Summer Research Project Proposal" course

Preparation Courses

Initial Meeting with Mentors (1 hr) – Awardees will be able to formally meet with their assigned mentors to learn about key milestones of the SVSRP, discuss questions of either the mentors or mentees, and begin the process of developing an Initial Summer Research Project Proposal. This document will serve as a start for the Final Summer Research Project Proposal trainees will finalize with their mentors by the end of their second week of the SVSRP.

Biostatistics and Experimental Design (3 hrs) – In three-one hour classes awardees will obtain a basic understanding of the requirements for the design of studies, and the planning and implementation of data collection and organization. They will become aware of approaches for data analysis, as well as of how to evaluate the output of such analyses. In addition, critical evaluation of published information will be stressed. Topics covered will include the characteristics of distributions, indicators of central tendency and variability, sampling distributions and probability, regression and techniques of hypothesis testing (parametric and non-parametric uni- and multivariable tests of continuous and categorical variables).This short-course will be coupled to the short courses on Computer-Based Graphics, Reports and Presentations and the Visual Display of Quantitative Information which will demonstrate examples of data sets using Statistical Analysis System (SAS). Students should complete their orientation with the ability to use various statistical analysis procedures with examples of data sets that they might encounter in their research. Specific resources available to them in case they have questions will also be clarified.

Initial Summer Research Project Proposal (2 hrs in Preparation Period and 1 hr in Orientation Period) - The first two one-hour classes of this course will be provided before Orientation. They will give the awardee a general overview of proposal writing techniques that characterize successful grants, with an emphasis on how to structure a hypothesis-based research proposal for the Initial Summer Research Project Proposal. The third hour, done during the Orientation period, will be a review of the Initial Summer Research Project Proposal, and an opportunity to get some pointers about how to improve upon these documents to create the Final Summer Research Project Plan, which must be approved by the trainee's mentor, and submitted to the Program Director at the end of the second week.

Upon notification of award the selected veterinary students will be given the name of their mentor and provided with an outline for an Initial Summer Research Project Proposal. Based on this information and working with their mentors scholars will be expected to produce an Initial Summer Research Project Proposal. A meeting with mentors and five-one hour classes will be provided as part of the Program Preparation period. The Initial Summer Research Project Proposal will include:

  • Name
  • Title
  • Rationale for the proposed studies with references
  • Project objectives (i.e Aims) and hypothesis to be tested
  • Brief description of methods that will be used
  • Reason for interest in this research

The draft proposal must be submitted using the online Initial Summer Research Project Proposal form.

Also we will require a letter from the mentor endorsing this initial proposal from the student. This must be received by April 22 to ensure that the mentor is prepared to have the student start on the project by the last week in May, and complete it by the end of July.

 
Step 3: 11 Weeks of Research Training

To begin the program, prior to nine and a half weeks of research in the laboratory of the mentor, all trainees will travel to the Washington, DC metropolitan area to learn about career opportunities for DVMs pursuing research careers.
Download the SVSRP Orientation Schedule. (PDF)

Week 1: Four days of Orientation Coursework and Picnic
The Summer Veterinary Student Research Program (SVSRP) will include an initial one week orientation with short courses in:

Computer-Based Graphics, Reports & Presentations (2 hrs, Faculty Development Institute, Virginia Tech) - This short course will provide participants with an introduction to methods, tools, and resources needed to create computer-based graphics, reports and presentations. Designed to be results oriented, this Short Course will help participants identify specific skills needed to achieve their goals; learn how to develop an effective presentation; and receive insights of how to develop meaningful reports. Participants will also be introduced to specific tools that can be used for each of these areas. In addition, participants will be introduced to available resources on and of campus to gain the additional skills and support to be successful. Optional follow-up sessions in the New Media Center and with the on-line Element K and Atomic Learning tutorials will provide a great degree of skills training and personal support to the participants.

Humane Care & Use of Laboratory Animals (3 hrs) - The first hour of this course will cover laws, regulations, and guidelines affecting animal care and use, ethical issues, introduction to replacement, reduction and refinement (referred to as the 3R's), and methods used to assess availability of alternatives. The second hour will cover husbandry requirements for common laboratory animal species, recognizing and controlling variables, recognizing and minimizing pain and distress, and overview of common laboratory animal technical and surgical procedures. The third hour will cover animal model criteria, animal model selection, and an overview of common animal models.

Research Management (1 hr) - This course will describe the requirements and procedures for successfully managing a research project and developing a research program. Methods of project planning, monitoring, and reporting will be discussed. Also, various forms of research organization structure and research development opportunities will be illuminated, within a context of career paths and opportunities. This will include a brief discussion of intellectual property issues. Following this course the student should have a good feeling for research management as a success strategy and a career path.

Scientific Writing (3 hrs) - This workshop, which is annually taught to researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Sandia National Laboratories, will focus on helping students avoid the most egregious errors of scientific writing. These errors include improperly organizing the information, not emphasizing the key details, not writing clearly, not making smooth transitions between details, and not selecting persuasive illustrations. Michael Alley, the instructor for this workshop, is the author of the popular text The Craft of Scientific Writing (3rd ed., Springer, 1996). He is also the lead editor of Writing Guidelines for Engineering and Science Students (http://writing.eng.vt.edu/), which according to Google is the number one web site on scientific writing.

Common Experimental Techniques & Methods (4 hrs) - This time will be used to describe and, if possible, demonstrate the following experimental techniques and methods. Mentors with expertise in these techniques will be asked to prepare the demonstrations. The trainees will benefit from this information as they may incorporate one or more of these methods in their own summer research project.

Proposal Writing (12 hrs, see Letter of Support) - The first two hours of this class will be a general overview of writing techniques that characterize successful grants, with an emphasis on how to structure a hypothesis-based research proposal. Hour three is devoted to an individual proposal rework session with faculty mentors with the objective of improving the Initial Summer Research Project Proposal. Additional time throughout the week will be provided for finalizing the Summer Research Project Proposal. Trainees will be expected to work on their research proposal in the evenings during orientation week as their homework. Some of the time provided during the day for this session will include additional time to receive assistance from their mentors, to ensure that scholars get adequate input as they work on these research proposals. In hours eight through twelve of the class, trainees will each make a twenty minute presentation and all mentors in the program will have an opportunity to provide constructive suggestions for additional improvement of the proposal. A final research plan, approved by the trainee's mentor, will be submitted to the Program Director prior to the initiation of research the following week.

Experimental Design and Biostatistics (3 hrs) - Students will obtain a basic understanding of the requirements for the design of studies, and the planning and implementation of data collection and organization. They will become aware of approaches for data analysis, as well as of how to evaluate the output of such analyses. In addition, critical evaluation of published information will be stressed. Topics covered will include the characteristics of distributions, indicators of central tendency and variability, sampling distributions and probability, regression and techniques of hypothesis testing (parametric and non-parametric uni- and multivariable tests of continuous and categorical variables).This short-course will be coupled to the short courses on Computer-Based Graphics, Reports and Presentations and the Visual Display of Quantitative Information which will demonstrate examples of data sets using Statistical Analysis System (SAS). Students should complete their orientation with the ability to use various statistical analysis procedures with examples of data sets that they might encounter in their research. Specific resources available to them in case they have questions will also be clarified.

Ethical Conduct of Research & Policy (7 hrs) - Instruction in the responsible conduct of research will include a three one-hour classes during orientation and four-one hour classes in the Ethical Conduct of Research & Policy from 8-9 AM on Wednesdays during the Laboratory Research Period. Scientists are now increasingly required to go beyond experimental design and factor in ethical, social, and legal responsibilities as they plan and conduct their programs of animal research. We will consider the nature of these responsibilities from two perspectives: scientific community and general public.

Overall the course and seminars will examine the professional values, policies, and procedures emanating from within the scientific community itself, which under gird the responsible conduct of research. This includes the following areas:

  • Research conduct
  • Peer Review
  • Authorship
  • Publication
  • Mentoring
  • Conflict of interest
  • Data ownership
  • Record keeping
  • Environmental health and safety
  • Policies and guidelines for responsible conduct of research

The ethical issues involved in the use of research subjects will not be covered in this course. Policies and ethical considerations regarding the use of animal subjects are handled during the orientation in a separate short course. Furthermore, we will provide you with materials for self-learning about the use of human subjects, but due to time constraints, we will not cover human studies in this short course. This short course and the associated research subject material you will be covering is meant to be only an overview. A career in research would require further in depth treatment of these subjects. SVSRP trainees are expected to attend this short course, and readings and exercises will be provided in class which will require the students to interact with other students and their mentors who have been asked to attend if possible as part of their mentoring responsibility.

The SVSRP Timeline (PDF) has the details about the dates of the various Ethical Conduct of Research classes during the Lab Research Period.

Text: Macrina, Francis L. Scientific Integrity, Third Edition. American Society for Microbiology Press, Washington, DC, 2005. (One or more copies will be kept in the Vet Med Library on reserve.)

 
Week 1 (Saturday): Summer Picnic
PicnicA weekend picnic will be provided at the end of orientation week to ensure that all the participating mentors may meet with the trainees and that the trainees may make supportive ties among themselves early in the program. Our intention is that this activity in combination with other shared experiences including the orientation, visits in DC and symposium will create a bond for these scholars that has a life beyond the end of the summer program and further encourages them to pursue a research career upon completion of their DVM program.

 
Week 2: Trip to Washington, DC (2 days)
This visit provided through cooperation wtih the Center for Public and Corporate Veterinary Medicine at VMRCVM, College Park, MD is designed for the two-fold purpose of:

  1. exposing the students to a spectrum of research employment opportunities within governmental facilities, industry, and nongovernmental organizations.
  2. developing an understanding of public policy as it relates to and is influenced by biomedical research and public/animal health.

The Washington, DC metropolitan area has the highest concentration of veterinarians working in the public and corporate sectors in the world. Students participating in the program will have facilitated visits with multiple veterinarians who are engaged in careers in research, from a spectrum of government agencies and corporations. Exposing students to role models and potential mentors is a compelling way to encourage them to pursue careers in biomedical research. The program will provide the students with the opportunity to network with these veterinarians in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. Students may meet with potential future colleagues and employers at the US Department of Health and Human Services (including the National Institutes of Health and the Food and Drug Administration), US Department of Agriculture, US Army Veterinary Corps, the Office of Science and Technology Policy, and corporations. The students may visit with an AVMA/AAAS Fellow. Students may also meet with representatives of a subset of the many nongovernmental organizations involved in biomedical research policy issues (e.g., Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, Institute for Laboratory Animal Research). Coordinated travel will be organized to and from Blacksburg, VA and Washington, DC.

 
Step 4: Summer Research (weeks 2 - 11)

Summer ResearchTrainees will spend nine weeks in the laboratory implementing a research plan that they finalized during orientation while being guided closely by their assigned mentor. Some mentors may have co-mentors to insure that the mentor has adequate funding and experience working with trainees. Our goals for this component of the program will be

  1. to maximize mentor-to-trainee contact, ensuring that trainees get the intensive encouragement they need to consider a research career following this summer experience.
  2. to maximize the potential for publishable results that will give the scholar an accomplishment they will be able to point to, thus providing further encouragement related to a research career.

Mentors will follow up with trainees after the end of the summer program to ensure that a publication will result when possible.

 
Weekly Seminar Description
Each week during the summer research period there will be a Wednesday morning (8-9 AM) seminar. This will include four one hour classes on The Ethical Conduct of Research and Policy (which will expand upon the introductory short course provided in the initial orientation week, see Ethical Conduct of Research and Policy described in the Orientation), and four one hour presentations on Research Careers for Veterinarians.

Research Careers for Veterinarians
Each seminar will have faculty and other invited speakers who received a DVM and then have pursued a research career. Specific speakers to be announced. In the past we have had lectures by two faculty who talked about their careers and research interests, a special forum by women DVM faculty about women in research careers, and a veterinarian from Merck Pharmaceuticals.

 
Step 5: Merck-Merial Veterinary Scholars Symposium
            (end of week 11)

In the last week of the program, following nine and a half weeks of research in the laboratory of the trainee's mentor, all trainees will travel to the National Merck-Merial Veterinary Scholars Symposium.

Students will make a formal poster presentation to faculty and graduate students about their work at a special conference along with veterinary students from similar programs around the country. Symposiums that we have held with previous summer student training programs were well received. This special symposium sponsored by the Merck-Merial Foundation and NIH allows for connections to additional students and faculty from other colleges of veterinary medicine which strengthens the program.

Download the Symposium Schedule (PDF).

 
Past SVSRP Research Posters & Photos

View the research posters from previous programs.