Undergraduate Summer Research Programme

The Programme

Welcome to the School of Medicine, Undergraduate Summer Research Programme. Here you will find all the information you need to learn more about our Programme, submit an application and apply for funding. 

The Summer Research Programme at NUI Galway is a longstanding, well established active research programme, which has grown significantly over the past number of years. The Programme is open to NUI Galway medical students only, and is an excellent opportunity for experienced or first time undergraduate researchers to undertake a summer project to enhance their knowledge and research skills in a particular subject area, or explore a new area of research. Each year our students undertake research in a wide range of medical disciplines encompassing, the basic sciences to clinical practice which, culminates in our Annual Research Day and Poster Symposium.

The Programme provides students with the opportunity to develop personally and professionally and past participants have cited the following as some of the key learnings and benefits;

• Developed critical thinking skills through problem-based learning.
• Supported intellectual independence and personal development.
• Gained a depth of knowledge in an area not available in the classroom.
• Increased knowledge of highly specialised research taking place in the University and Hospital, and provided a platform to undertake additional independent research projects and report on findings at national/international conferences; co-authorship on publications
• Developed essential team work skills, by working as part of a multidisciplinary team - academic scientists and clinicians, statisticians, data managers, materials scientists, engineers, industry. 
• Through weekly research meetings, learned to effectively communicate ideas, analyse and critique the work of others. 
• Established personal contacts that will be beneficial in future years.

Key Features of the Programme

• Extracurricular 8 week programme run during the summer months (June/July).
• Academic expertise and supervision from staff in the School of Medicine, Galway University Hospitals and Medical Academies.
• Choice of locations; Galway, Ballinasloe, Mayo, Sligo or Donegal. 
• Programme is supported by an Academic and Professional Development seminar series.
• All students who participate are required to present their work at Annual Research Day. View the 2016 UGR Schedule ‌. 
• Opportunity to present at the annual Atlantic Corridor Research Conference, where research students from NUI Galway, University of Limerick Graduate Entry Medical School, and University College Cork come together to present their research projects.

Further details of the Programme, Funding Applications and additional resources are available for current NUI Galway Medical Students on Blackboard.