ICTS

Immersion Research Track Overview

Section 1

Students participating in the Immersion Research Track have the opportunity to spend the summer between MS1 and MS2 inside an industry setting conducting research. Students are matched with a research mentor both at UCI and in industry to develop and complete a research project. Students spend the summer with their industry-sponsored mentor and continue their work at UCI with a secondary mentor for the remaining years of the program.

Currently, industry-sponsored research opportunities are limited to TRACON Pharmaceuticals. If you are interested in this opportunity or would like to explore other companies for industry-sponsored research, please contact Brooke Piercy at piercyb@hs.uci.edu.


Expectations for the Immersion Research Track

  • Students continue working with their research mentors for all four years of the program; the student must continue working on their research project upon return to receive program credit
  • Students meet with the ICTS twice per year to provide an update on their research project with a BRIEF 5-minute PowerPoint Presentation
  • The mentor and the student work together to plan a research project by setting reasonable, attainable goals, and establishing a timeline for completion of the project
  • Mentors and students should plan to meet regularly to progress through the research project and keep each other up to date
  • Students respond to all progress assessment surveys sent with updates regarding their research progress
  • Students produce a scholarly abstract for poster or oral presentation at a scientific meeting, or a peer-reviewed manuscript for publication by the end of the program

What benefits and resources are there?
The ICTS MSRP provides several benefits and mechanisms of support:

  • 16 units of non-clinical credit and transcript notation of 250+ research hours completed through the program
  • Eligibility for School of Medicine Research Distinction at graduation
  • Statistical support through the ICTS BERD Unit (3 free drop-in sessions with potential for more support if necessary)
  • Administrative support writing and applying for extramural grant funding
  • Administrative support writing and editing peer-reviewed manuscripts
  • Administrative support writing IRB and IACUC protocols
  • Access to ICTS FFAST workshops, Brown Bag meetings, BERD Statistical Trainings, and other relevant research resources on and off campus

Need more support you don’t see listed? Contact Brooke Piercy at piercyb@hs.uci.edu for help with obtaining the support you need!