Applicant Eligibility
Students must be enrolled and have successfully completed the first year of veterinary school in good academic standing; they cannot have completed the veterinary degree at the time of participation in the program. We welcome students from any college of veterinary medicine in the United States to apply to our program. No prior experience in research is required. Mississippi State University and MSU CVM are committed to diversity in the educational process and seek to involve students from under-represented population groups in this program.
Application Process
Elements of the application include:
- an application form completed by the student. The application includes information on the student’s academic background, research background, and a statement of the student’s interest and motivation for the program. The application also allows the student to indicate his or her area of research interest.
- a letter from a professional that evaluates the applicant's potential and interest in research. If students identify a mentor with whom they would like to work, we also encourage inclusion of a letter (or email) from that potential mentor confirming availability of a project and commitment to the student.
To submit application by mail:
Vet Med Research Scholars (VMRS) Program
College of Veterinary Medicine
Office of Research and Graduate Studies (R2008)
PO Box 6100
Mississippi State, MS 39762
To submit application via email:
Application Deadline and Selection Process
The application deadline is February 1 of the year in which you are applying to participate in summer research. Applicants will be notified whether they were selected for the program by the first week of March. For non-MSU students, the start date will depend on each student’s academic schedule.
Financial Support
This program is generously funded by grants from the National Institutes of Health, BI Veterinary Scholars Program, and through funds provided by the MSU College of Veterinary Medicine. Student trainees receive a stipend of approximately $6,081 for the entire 12-week program. Living expenses stipends for all non-MSU students of approximately $1300 for the summer might also be available depending on funding. Inquiries about the availability of summer housing funding for non-MSU students can be directed to Dr. Barbara Kaplan at bkaplan@cvm.msstate.edu.
Morris Animal Foundation Veterinary Student Scholar Program
The Morris Animal Foundation (MAF) Veterinary Student Scholar Program also funds summer research projects for veterinary students in the areas of animal health and/or welfare. MAF funds research projects that benefit large companion animals, small companion animals, or wildlife/special species. This program is nationally competitive, and MAF announces its grant awardees in March of each year. To apply, students must first identify a research faculty member willing to serve as mentor. Together, the student and mentor develop a research proposal following the program guidelines. The full proposal needs to be submitted to the MSU CVM Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies ten days prior to the MAF deadline. Selected applications will be submitted to the Morris Animal Foundation. For more information on this program and application materials, contact Dr. Mark Lawrence at lawrence@cvm.msstate.edu or visit the program's website.
