Pediatrics / Research / Summer Training Program
2024 Summer Program
Welcome to the website for the Strong Children’s Research Center Summer Program. We offer a competitive 10-week summer training program for students who have completed their junior or senior years of undergraduate college or first year of medical school. The goal of the program is to exposed students to an academic pediatric environment and to encourage them to choose careers in research, pediatrics, and academic medicine. For 32 years, we have paired students with mentors in clinical, basic, and translational research from a variety of pediatric disciplines. Students will also attend classes on various academic topics and actively participate in journal clubs on contemporary pediatric issues. At the end of the summer, students present their results at a poster session for the whole Department of Pediatrics at the University of Rochester Medical Center. Many students become co-authors on manuscripts incorporating their research and create lasting relationships with their mentors. I encourage you to explore our website and apply for our program if you are considering a career in academic medicine, pediatrics, or clinical/basic/translational research.
George A. Porter, Jr., M.D., Ph.D.
Professor of Pediatrics and of Medicine
Director of Strong Children’s Research Center Summer Training Program
About the Summer Program
In 2024, the Strong Children's Research Center (SCRC) will support the Summer Program for the 34th year. This summer research training program is the ideal opportunity for outstanding medical, graduate and undergraduate students who plan to pursue a career in biomedical or clinical research. This program is created to develop fundamental skills in various research methodologies in a defined project, leading to an end-of-summer poster presentation.
The program provides trainees with extensive contact with research mentors, their staffs of investigators and supporting personnel who guide the research project and serve as role models and provide career direction. Faculty members are either from the Department of Pediatrics or partners who are engaged in research relevant to childhood diseases and developmental biology.
The 2024 program is expected to run from May 28, 2024 through August 1, 2024, but may be subject to change.
Student trainees participate in research seminars where emphasis is placed on scientific material appropriate to their level of understanding. Seminars are informative sessions providing participants with an overview of the types of research, career options in research and discussions involving the individual career paths of successful investigators.
The primary focus of the Summer Program is to connect outstanding students with research opportunities and research mentorship. In addition, the program will try to accommodate students who are interested in limited clinical shadowing experiences, as time and availability allows. However, clinical shadowing is not a specific mission of the program and shadowing is not a guaranteed element of each student’s experience.
At the completion of the program, students are required to produce an abstract and present the results of their research at the Annual Poster Session held on the final day of the program. View a list of recent research topics.
Participating students are paid a stipend of $3000 for the ten-week program. In addition, the program provides housing, free of charge, to out-of-area program participants at a residential life facility with full bath and kitchen. Students living on campus could incur nominal expenses to cover fees such as mailbox rental and parking. Travel costs are to be paid by the student.
Program details may be subject to change.
The 2024 SCRC Summer Training Program Application is now live!
To begin the application process, please visit How to Apply.
Contact Us
Joseph LaPenna, Administrative Assistant
Strong Children's Research Center
University of Rochester Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics
601 Elmwood Avenue, PO Box 850
Rochester, New York 14642
Phone: (585) 275-4053
Email: scrc@urmc.rochester.edu