PMRTP Summer Training Award For Medical Students
The Program for Minority Research Training in Psychiatry (PMRTP) provides funding for training opportunities at the medical school level. Support is available for training opportunities during an elective period (three- to four-month rotation) or as a summer experience. The PMRTP is funded by the National Institute of Mental Health and administered by the American Psychiatric Institute for Research and Education (APIRE) and is designed to increase the number of underrepresented minority men and women in the field of psychiatric research.
Medical students may choose where they will receive their research training, which is usually at research-intensive departments of psychiatry in major U.S. medical schools and at other appropriate sites. A research mentor at the site is responsible for overseeing the applicant's research training experience. Training sites with excellence in such areas as research facilities and resources, funded research, research faculty and minority researchers, and training history are considered preferable as training sites under the PMRTP.
Eligibility:
All medical students are eligible to receive information about research training opportunities through the PMRTP. Funding for full-time training is available to minority medical students enrolled in accredited schools. Trainees must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Preference in selection goes to the underrepresented minorities given priority by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in awarding supplements in biomedical and behavioral research. These include American Indians, Asian Americans, Blacks/African Americans, Hispanics, Pacific Islanders, or other ethnic or racial group members who have been found to be underrepresented in biomedical or behavioral research nationally.
Selection Criteria:
The PMRTP can provide support for medical students for research training experiences through a monthly stipend of $1,731 ($20,772 annually) for the months involved in research training. Stipends are prorated according to the number of months of support provided. Federal regulations preclude payment of a stipend to those already receiving a stipend through another federal source.
Application Guidelines:
If you would like to apply for funding for a research training experience, call or write the American Psychiatric Institute for Research and Education to request the criteria for selection and the application form appropriate for your level of education. The application process involves identifying an area of research interest, the institution where the training will take place and the mentor at the training site that will be responsible for overseeing your training program. You will need to complete an application form, design a research training plan and prepare a budget with your mentor, and write an essay. You will also need one or more letters of recommendation.
Application Deadlines:
The deadline for applications from medical students for a research training experience for the summer is April 1. Medical students interested in participating during other times of the year should submit their application two months prior to initiating their research experience.
All applications and inquiries:
Request selection criteria, an application, or other information by writing to Ernesto A. Guerra, Research Training Director, or by calling 1-800-852-1390 or 703-907-8622, e-mail: eguerra@psych.org.