Undergraduate Research Initiative (Summer Program)

The goal of the summer research program is to provide the opportunity for students enrolled in a doctor of dental surgery (DDS) and dental hygiene (DH) program at the school of dentistry to participate in research activities with the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry. This program aims to instill in students the importance of research for the professions of DDS and DH and to allow students to participate in the process of discovery and its application to evidence-informed decision-making.

1. To engage all students in the DDS and DH curriculum with an interest in scholarship, and allow them access to the scholarship conducted by the faculty of the school of dentistry.

2. To establish a mentoring relationship between students and faculty to enhance the student experience in education and scholarship.

3. To provide students the opportunity to conduct a well-defined project with stated goals and objectives, which employ scientific methodology and which results in the production of new knowledge.

4. To promote student/faculty interactions and the culture of scholarship at the school of dentistry through student presentations of their research project at discover dental sciences seminar series.

5. To increase the matriculation of participating students to research-oriented graduate programs or residencies in dental or scientific specialties.

6. To enhance the visibility of the research and scholarship conducted at the school of dentistry through student presentations at national and international meetings, through the publication of student research in peer-reviewed journals, and the enhancement of student competitiveness for local, national, and international awards in research and scholarship.

1. Student researchers are expected to have completed the appropriate safety and ethics training required for their project before starting their project. The time required to complete this training will not be paid for by the school.

2. Summer students will be required to present their research as a poster presentation on the day of dentistry. Students are also encouraged to participate in the faculty of medicine and dentistry's research day to be eligible for funding from the school of dentistry to present their work at a national or international meeting. Faculty from dentistry will be evaluating these presentations. Winners from these presentations will be selected for travel funding to national or international meetings.

3. Student researchers are also expected to provide a closing report at the end of the summer research program and to attend the monthly noon-hour research meetings over the summer.