Program Description
Each year the Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences’ Office of Research and Scholarly Activities invites submissions for the Student Summer Research Award (SSRA). The aims of the SSRA program are to promote student engagement in research and scholarly activities, to encourage mentoring relationships between students and faculty in a research or scholarly environment, and to provide students with the opportunity to gain practical research skills and experience.
Applications may focus on a discrete research project or be part of an ongoing faculty research project. The program is open to all eligible ACPHS B.S. and Pharm.D. students interested in pursuing laboratory, clinical, or other research projects and scholarly activities under the guidance of a faculty mentor.
The research experience will occur over the course of the summer (May through August) with the student’s schedule to be determined at the discretion of the mentor and the student. The Program provides research awards to students, each in the amount of $3,000 plus $500 (managed by the faculty mentor) to offset the cost of the student’s research supplies.
Eligibility Criteria
Students
Full-time Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences bachelor's and Pharm.D. students, who are in good academic standing and have a minimum GPA of 2.5 may apply. Students are encouraged to review the list of available faculty research mentors provided each year and contact the faculty member with whom they wish to work.
Faculty Mentors
Faculty research mentors must be full-time ACPHS faculty members. Faculty may reach out to students they think may be good candidates for the program and encourage them to apply. Students may also contact faculty directly.
Review and Selection Process
Review and selection of funded applications is conducted by the Research Committee. The Committee evaluates the proposals based on a demonstration of student understanding of the overall project as well as the clarity of the explanation of the approaches and methods that will be employed to test the hypothesis.
Other Considerations
- When the award is made, the recipient will be required to complete a W-9 (Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification). Research Awards are considered reportable income under IRS guidelines; therefore, award recipients will also receive an IRS Miscellaneous Income Form (IRS Form 1099-MISC) to complete at the end of the calendar year in which the award is received.
- Awardees will be required to present a poster detailing their research experience at the annual Honors and Awards Ceremony held each fall at the College. Mentors are also required to attend the ceremony (cost of the poster presented at the ceremony is to be paid for out of the research supply funds).
- In the event the submitted application does not result in an award, the student may pursue their project at the mentor’s prerogative.