Rusyniak Memorial Medical Student Research Fellowships 

Stay tuned for the 2026-2027 application cycle.

Welcome! The Rusyniak Memorial Medical Student Research Fellowships are designed to allow medical students to engage in clinical or translational research with mentorship by a UR Neurosurgery faculty member. The Rusyniak Research Fellowship awards are funded by an endowment established within the Department of Neurosurgery, and recognize the commitment of Dr. W. George Rusyniak to the education and inspiration of medical students with interests in neurological surgery.

Eligibility

Eligible medical students should have completed one or more years of medical school either at the University of Rochester or at an accredited program in the United States or Canada. Non-UR medical students are encouraged to contact Wendy Saetta and Dr. Melissa LoPresti for information regarding research opportunities within the University of Rochester Department of Neurosurgery. Eligible medical students should be current first through third year medical students either at the University of Rochester or at an accredited medical school in the United States or Canada. Applicants are encouraged to contact Wendy Saetta and Dr. Melissa LoPresti to express intent to apply, explore research opportunities within the University of Rochester Department of Neurosurgery, and discuss next steps.

2026-27 Summer Fellowship

Award Amount: $6,000 

Summer fellowship awards of $6000 will be awarded to interested medical students who have completed one or more years of medical school. Research projects will be pursued under the mentorship of a UR Neurosurgery faculty member, and interested applicants are encouraged to connect with faculty mentors in advance of submission of the application. Award stipends are meant to support research fellows while conducting the research here at UR.

2026-27 Year-Long Fellowship

Award Amount: up to $30,000

Year-long fellowships of up to $30,000 are also available to interested medical students with a demonstrated record of productive research in Neurosurgery who plan to spend a “year out” of medical school pursuing a research project with a UR Neurosurgery faculty mentor. Award stipends are meant to support research fellows while conducting the research here at UR.

Application Deadlines

2026 Summer Fellowship

2026 Year-Long Fellowship

Application Requirements

The application for summer fellowships should include:

1. A personal statement/why this is important to you; 
2. A 1–2 page scientific proposal crafted with guidance from your UR Neurosurgery mentor addressing title/topic, hypothesis, research methods, data analysis, and expected outcomes; 
3. Your mentor’s letter of intent to provide mentorship and support of your research; and 
4. A letter of recommendation from a party outside of your mentorship pairing.

Applications for the year-long fellowships should include:

1. A personal statement/why this is important to you; 
2. A detailed research proposal including specific aims, background & significance with preliminary data, research design & strategy, itemized budget, discussion of available resources and the available research environment;
3. Your mentor’s detailed letter of intent addressing mentorship and support and an evaluation of your detailed research proposal; and
4. A letter of recommendation from a party outside of your mentorship pairing.

Contact Us

If you have any questions or need assistance with submitting your application, please contact Wendy Saetta and Dr. Melissa LoPresti, Department Coordinator at the University of Rochester Department of Neurosurgery.

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