STAR Program Funding Opportunities
Application Receipt Date: FEBRUARY 14th, 2025 by 11:59 pm PST
The STAR Program competitively awards funds in the form of an approximately $8,000 stipend fellowship. The entire award will be allocated directly to the recipients as a living stipend to successful veterinary student applicants.
The STAR Program funds broadly support an array of veterinary and biomedical research areas. Because the funding sources are often directed towards specific research interests or qualifications, they are awarded with some specific expectations. All STAR Program participants are expected to make an oral presentation about their research in the latter part of summer and present posters in the STARs in Science day.
School of Veterinary Medicine Research Fellowships
These awards are funded through endowment earnings. Some are species specific.
Center for Companion Animal Health
The CCAH is committed to advancing the school’s educational missions for our residents, professional DVM students and graduate students. Future advancements in animal health depend upon a qualified cadre of new veterinarians, veterinary specialists and veterinary scientists.
NIH T35 Summer Biomedical Research Fellowship
Fosters research in animal models of human disease. This summer training program offers opportunities in a broad array of laboratories engaged in biomedical research.
Boehringer Ingelheim Veterinary Scholars Research Program
Provides a supportive environment to explore and experience research in an established laboratory along with seminars and discussion groups on careers in science, in the hope that the students will gain an informed insight into a career in research. Fellows are expected to attend the summer symposium hosted by Boehringer Ingelheim where they must present a research poster and also present their poster at the STARs in Science Day. (NOTE: Each BI fellow is expected to stay in touch with the Office of Research and Graduate Education [svmstarprogram@ucdavis.edu] in the School of Veterinary Medicine once he/she graduates in order to maintain continuity in terms of their current position, location and future career goals). Please visit the BIVSP national website for more information.
USDA Scholars Program
This program is made possible by funding provided by the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF), Boehringer Ingelheim and USDA ARS. They entered into a 5-year agreement (2021-2026) to provide training opportunities to 12 veterinary students per year to conduct summer research in one of nine USDA ARS animal health research facilities.
The goals of this program are to:
- Provide students with opportunities to conduct research in livestock infectious diseases
- Raise awareness of federal research careers for veterinarians
- Increase partnerships with veterinary schools
- Approximate start dates of the research experience are between May 15 - June 1, 2025. Programs will last 10 to 12 weeks.
- Applications for the USDA Scholars Program are due November 15, 2024. Please reach out to svmstarprogram@ucdavis.edu if you are interested in applying.
- For more information, please visit the Boehringer Ingelheim USDA Scholars Program website.
AVMA/AVMF Second Opportunity Summer Research Scholarship Program
Now accepting applications! All applications are due to the SVM Office of Research & Graduate Education no later than January 10th, 2025.
The AVMA/AVMF 2nd Opportunity Summer Research Scholarship is intended to provide support for students who have previously conducted a summer research project and are seeking to gain a second summer of research experience. Ideally, student applicants would be continuing their prior research project but that is not an absolute requirement. Students are expected to submit an abstract of their results for presentation at the NIH Veterinary Scholars Symposium. Nominations are limited to 1 (one) per school. There will be five scholarships awarded in 2024. Students will receive a $6,500 scholarship and an additional $1,000 to supplement travel expenses to the National Veterinary Scholars Symposium.
To be eligible for this opportunity, students must have previously conducted a summer research project. They should be currently enrolled, and in good academic standing in the DVM program at UC Davis. Students must commit to attending all training opportunities, including the presentation of a scientific poster at Boehringer Ingelheim Veterinary Scholar Symposium (VSS).
Students applying for the 2nd Opportunity AVMA/AVMF scholarship will need to submit an AVMA-AVMF Summer Research Grant Application to the STAR Program to complete the application process. Students and mentors should reach out to the SVM Office of Research & Graduate Education for the current year’s application. Preference will be given to students continuing their previous research project. Applications for the AVMF/AVMA 2nd Opportunity scholarship will be reviewed and scored by a selection committee, but only one application will be forwarded electronically by the SVM Office of Research to the AVMF/AVMA for national competition. DO NOT SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION DIRECTLY TO AVMA.
All STAR related posters, talks and subsequent publishings must acknowledge the UC Davis STAR program and fund source. An example of how to acknowledge funding is "Financial support was provided by the Students Training in Advanced Research (STAR) Program through a UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine Endowment Fund (or Morris, BVI, NIH, etc.). Students funded by the NIH T35 grant will need to include the NIH grant number as well.
Please contact the STAR Program at svmstarprogram@ucdavis.edu with any questions or concerns.