Student Research Funding for MDs

Managed Internally

NIH Summer Grants

  • Available for: 1st year VP&S students
  • Covers: living and research expenses
  • Limitations: cannot be combined with other full-time research stipends (ex. Global Pop)
  • Amount: approximately $5400
  • How to apply: complete and submit Research Proposal and Online Qualtrics Form
  • Approval: NIH T35 Principal Investigators and Student Research at P&S
  • Deadline: early February

Global Pop Summer Grants

  • Available for: 1st year VP&S students
  • Covers: travel, living and research expenses
  • Limitations: cannot be combined with other full-time research stipends (ex. NIH)
  • Amount: ~ $5000
  • How to apply: complete and submit Global Pop summer application
  • Approval: Global Pop directors and Student Research at VP&S
  • Deadline: early February

Scholarly Project Program Stipend

  • Available for: all 4th year D&I students completing the SPP
  • Covers: all SPP project related expenses
  • Limitations: may not be used for direct payments of hourly wages for project assistance, or direct payments for research subject participation
  • Amount: up to $500
  • How to apply: submit SPP funding form along with receipts for expenses to  psspp@cumc.columbia.edu
  • Approval: SPP Director, Submissions accepted until deadline
  • Deadline: end of student’s final Spring semester, as indicated by email from psspp@cumc.columbia.edu

Friedman Award Grant (Scholarly Project Program)

  • Available for all: 4th year D&I students completing their Scholarly Projects Program who have exhausted the $500 stipend
  • Covers: all SPP project related expenses
  • Limitations: SPP stipend of $500 must first be exhausted. May request support for no more than one conference per application cycle. See Friedman Award guidelines for further details
  • Amount: open
  • How to apply: application submission to psspp@cumc.columbia.edu
  • Approval: Friedman Award Committee, Quarterly
  • Deadlines: February 1st 12 PM, June 1st 12 PM, October 1st 12:00 PM

Dean’s Research Fellowship

  • Available for: rising D&I students planning to take a pull-out research year
  • Covers:  12 months for the pull-out research year, and used for living expenses, health insurance and university fees
  • Limitations: cannot cover a Research Year already in progress. At least one on the mentors must be Principal Investigator or major Co-investigator on grant(s) funded by NIH or other federal agency, and at least one must be Columbia University’s Faculty
  • Amount: $20,000 - $32,000 ($12000 are usually funded by the mentor, when feasible)
  • How to apply: application submission to studentresearchatps@cumc.columbia.edu 
  • Approval: DRF Committee approval, Annually
  • Deadline: beginning of January, specific date announced by Associate Dean of Student Research

Dean’s Conference Funds

  • Available for: all student levels
  • Covers: conference presentation related fees, including poster printing up to $55, registration, accommodations, ect.
  • Limitations: if funding request is related to the SPP, the $500 SPP funding must be exhausted prior to requesting Dean's Conference funding. Students may request support for one conference per academic year.
  • Amount: 50% of expenses up to $1000 ($500 max reimbursement). In addition to conference costs, students are eligible for up to $55 poster fee reimbursement.
  • How to apply: submit application form, found in Courseworks site (VP&S Student Research) along with accepted abstract and receipts for expenses to studentresearchatps@cumc.columbia.edu
  • Approval: Associate Dean of Student Research, submissions accepted until deadline
  • Deadline: end of Spring semester, as indicated by email from studentresearchatps@cumc.columbia.edu 

The following expense reimbursement limitations apply to all internal funding sources:

  • Perpetual software licenses will not be covered. Maximum one year.
  • Conference costs will be covered only for students attending as presenting author
  • Conference costs will be covered for 3 nights maximum
  • Conference accommodations must be the most affordable method
  • Only public transportation will be covered (Ride-shares, taxi, etc. are not covered)
  • Poster printing cost will be covered up to $55 for in-person presentations, whether through preferred vendor MakeSigns or any other vendor

Managed Externally

Pivot connects researchers to financial support by leveraging the most comprehensive global source of sponsored funding opportunities, coupled with scholarly profiles to match researchers with financial partners and collaborators.  To access Pivot, please click here.