Getting Started

Ready to get involved with research at the UMKC School of Medicine? Learn more about matching with a research mentor and explore critical information for starting your research journey.

Applying for Research Projects

Medical students from every year who are interested in conducting research at the School of Medicine will be assisted by the Student Research Committee. Two mechanisms are in place to help students find mentored research projects:

  • Independent Research: Students can independently use their own resources and the School of Medicines Canvas site to find a mentor.  Students must submit the following to Miyako Rauls for record keeping.
  • Guided Research: Students that need help finding a mentor, please send the following materials to Miyako Rauls, Research Assistant, Biomedical Sciences.

A one-on-one meeting will be scheduled with the Associate Dean for Research, Dr. Monaghan-Nichols, or a member of the Student Research Committee (SRC) to discuss options, help the student identify a suitable mentor, and make initial contact with that mentor.  The student and SRC member will continue to work together until a mentor accepts the student onto their research team.

A new School of Medicine Canvas Site – Introduction to Student Research, is being updated to

  • Introduce student to the Student Research Committee Faculty and student representatives
  • Help student find mentors in specific topic areas
  • Provide training videos on research methodologies
  • Provide weekly updates on research activities and announcements

CITI Training Course Requirements

All research investigators and others listed on the project that will conduct research shall complete relevant educational courses through the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) program.  Before beginning a research project students must speak with their mentor about their institutes and research required CITI trainings. A list of potential required trainings are listed below. Responsibility for maintaining compliance with national regulations will rest with the student and their mentor, as dictated by the clinical or laboratory setting in which the research is conducted. If you or your mentor need assistance accessing the CITI site or have questions about which module to complete, please contact Ms Tina Kayhill to schedule a meeting with Dr. Monaghan-Nichols.

Courses for students participating in laboratory research

All students participating in laboratory research, whether clinical or basic science/translational research, must complete the following modules:

  • Basic Introduction to Biosafety
  • Training for Investigators, Staff and Student Handling Biohazards
  • Laboratory Chemical Safety
  • OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens
  • Emergency and Incident Response to Biohazard Spills and Releases

Courses for students conducting clinical research

Individuals conducting clinical research activities may have to complete the following courses depending on the project:

  • Health Information Privacy and Security Course (HIPS course)
  • Conflict of Interest
  • Biomedical Responsible Conduct of Research
  • Human Subjects Research (Biomedical-Group 1)
  • Good Clinical Practice Course, US FDA focus

Other courses

Other UMKC compliance committees such as the Institutional Animal Use and Care Committee (IACUC) and Radiation Safety committee may need to review the addition of a student to a project depending on circumstances. These groups may assign additional CITI courses, such as:

  • Animal Biosafety
  • Working with mice in research
  • Working with rats in research
  • NIH Recombinant DNA (rDNA) Guideline
  • Group 2 – Social and Behavioral Investigator

Conducting Clinical Research with Hospital Affiliates

Students interested in conducting research with School of Medicine hospital affiliates will have to adhere to additional requirements, including institutional review board (IRB) review of their participation in research activities.

Other requirements include hospital compliance training, signing confidentiality agreements, and participating in a vaccination status check and a TB skin test.

Learn more about the research processes at our affiliate hospitals:

Research mentors may also ask you to sign a Confidentiality Agreement (PDF) and/or a Mentor/Mentee Agreement (Word doc).