Office of Graduate and Advanced Degree

Education in Medicine

Max Rady College of Medicine

354-3 Chown Building

753 McDermot Avenue

Winnipeg, MB Canada, R3E 0W3

Telephone (204) 789-3558 http://umanitoba.ca/medicine/research/grad_undergrad/

Allison.birch@umanitoba.ca

Rady Faculty of Health Science

Dear Colleagues, RE: Call for 2019 Undergraduate Medical Research Program Abstracts (BSc(Med) I am contacting you with regards to the Undergraduate Medical Research Programs (UGMRP) at the University of Manitoba which oversees both the BSc(Med) programme and the Med 2 research programme. This is the formal call for abstracts with the deadline for abstract submission being August 27, 2018. Please see additional information programme information below:

1. What is the (BSc(Med)Programme? This programs consist of the following:

First year medical students enroll in this program that provides salary support of $7500 per summer for the research to be conducted during the summers between first and second year (12 weeks) and second and third year (12 weeks) of undergraduate medical studies.

At the end of the second summer the students submit a thesis summarizing their findings and then present their findings at the Undergraduate Medical Student Research Symposium

2. What is the Med 2 research programme? This programme consists of the following:

Second year medical students enroll in this program that provides salary support of $7500 for the research to be conducted during the summers between second and third (12 weeks) and second and third year (12 weeks) of undergraduate medical studies

At the end of the summer the students submit a thesis summarizing their findings and then present their findings at the Undergraduate Medical Student Research Symposium

3. Who is eligible to be a supervisor?

All student projects require a primary supervisor and a co- supervisor.

All supervisors must hold a minimum appointment of Assistant Professor.

The primary supervisor must hold an appointment within the Max Rady College of Medicine whereas the co-supervisor must hold an appointment within the University of Manitoba. This is to ensure that if the primary supervisor is unavailable, the co-supervisor can provide support for the trainee.

4. What are the timelines and deadlines for the Undergraduate Medical Research Programme?

Below are listed the timelines and deadlines for the Undergraduate Medical Research Programs. The deadlines and not flexible due to issues pertaining to approvals (3rd party ethics, and others), and deadlines for funding support from the University of Manitoba. Because of deadlines the Undergraduate programme itself faces, the timelines have become somewhat compressed, and are therefore as follows:

August 27, 2018: Deadline for abstract submission for the 2018 BSc(Med) programme. Call for abstracts sent by email to members of the Max Rady College of Medicine at the University of Manitoba in May, 2018. Link to online submission form is

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ADVDEGMED

Mid-September: Abstracts posted on Undergraduate Medical Research Programs website for prospective student review.

Months of October and November: Students and supervisors meet to select projects and draft proposals for submission (complete application form)

pg. 2

December 1,2018: Application Deadline – all applications for both the BSc(Med), and Med 2 research programmes must be submitted to Undergraduate Medical Research Program. Projects submitted after this date cannot be considered. Research proposal materials will be uploaded within the application form/process.

Mid to late December 2018: Application materials (submissions) are reviewed by the Selection Committee. Feedback is provided to students and supervisors on research proposals, specifically, whether the project is:

o Fully approved (provided ethics and other administrative approvals are submitted to the UGMRP office)

o Neither approved nor rejected (questions that that are raised by the project reviewers must satisfactoriarly answered by the investigators prior to approval being granted)

o Rejected (project not appropriate for Undergraduate Medical Research Programs, and can not be revised or resubmitted this year).

January, 2019: Submission of amendments/revisions to research proposals requested by Undergraduate Medical Research Program Research Committee for review and tentative approval

April 1st, 2019: Deadline for all ethics approvals, CORE certificates and third party approvals must be received by the Undergraduate Medical Research Program’s office. Please note that it is imperative that the ethics approvals be received by this date, otherwise, funding cannot be released for research projects. We appreciate that this is a “tight” timeline, however, there have been innumerable students who have not been able to start their undergraduate medical research on time as the appropriate approvals have been pending.

August 4th, 2019: Thesis (final report) for the 2018-2019, BSc(Med) and 2019 Med 2 research programmes submitted to UGMRP office

August 22nd, 2019: Undergraduate Medical Research Symposium: All students present their research on this day. Students unable to present on this day will be asked to submit a formal request to defer their presentation to 2019. Approval is at the discretion of the program director. Deferred submissions/presentations are not eligible for any awards.

5. How Are the Abstracts submitted?

An online abstract form is to be completed and submitted. Link to the form with be sent with the ‘call for abstracts’ email. Abstracts will be collated and posted on the website. Students will then be advised to review the abstracts and contact a project supervisor. Please familiarize yourself with the UGMRP website.

5. What are third party approvals? Third party approvals include those from agencies that would allow

access to data from sources external to the University of Manitoba, such as First Nations and Inuit branch (FNIB), Health Information Privacy Committee (HIPC). It is imperative that any project requiring a 3rd party have the approval submitted with the initial research proposal, unless the approval is imminent in its arrival . Regrettably, there have been very significant delays in the past in receiving approvals, and some students have not actually been able to perform their desired research projects because approvals have not been granted in a timely fashion. If a project requires 3rd party approval and the approval is not submitted with the proposal, the project cannot be reviewed by the Undergraduate Medical Research Committee and, therefore, will be rejected, and a request will be made of the supervisor to submit the proposal when the approvals are available (subject to deadline given by program office).

6. What are the Core Principles of the Undergraduate Medical Research Programs? The answers to any questions pertaining to the Undergraduate Medical Research Programs can be found on our website. Please review the attached document entitled, “Program Core Elements”. It is imperative that both student and supervisor read the contents of the website and if there are still questions, please do not hesitate in contacting Allison Birch, Undergraduate Medical Research Program Administrator, (allison.birch@umanitoba.ca) or John Embil, Program Director (jembil@exchange@hsc.mb.ca).

We thank you for your ongoing support of this program and we look forward to your participation as a supervisor.

pg. 3

Sincerely, John M. Embil, BSc (Hon), MD, FRCPC, FACP Consultant, Infectious Diseases Director, BSc(Med) Program, University of Manitoba Director, Infection Prevention and Control Program, Winnipeg Regional Health Authority, and Health Sciences Centre Professor, Departments of Internal Medicine, (Section of Infectious Diseases), and Medical Microbiology, University of Manitoba

JE/ab

Purpose, Core Elements and Policies of the

Undergraduate Medical Research Programs University of Manitoba

The Office of Advanced Degrees Education in Medicine offers 2 Undergraduate Medical Research Programs: 1) The BSc(Med) Program and; 2) MED II Summer Research Program

The BSc(Med) Program is a 2 year sponsored research course that allows undergraduate trainees from the University of Manitoba to participate in research with a supervisor at the University of Manitoba. The BSc(Med) Program has a long history of excellence at the University of Manitoba. The projects that are available for trainees are either in the basic sciences or in clinical medicine. As part of the BSc(Med) Program, trainees the opportunity to experience both research and clinical medicine over the first and second summers of their undergraduate training. The goal of the BSc(Med) Program is to allow trainees to experience research and all aspects pertaining to research including participating in the online course http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/medicine/ethics/ethics_tutorial.html, participate in the actual research project, present the data at the Undergraduate Medical Student Research Symposium (UGMSRS) held during the 3rd week of August of the 2nd year of the research program, and ideally prepare a manuscript and abstracts suitable for publication at a national or international meeting.

The MED II Summer Research Program gives medical students an opportunity to engage in original research, either basic or clinical, under the supervision of a Faculty supervisor who is based at the University of Manitoba. The specific aim of the program is to develop within the student skills at experimental design, hypothesis testing, critical evaluation of data and effective communication of results. No B. Sc. (Med) or other degree will be

awarded. With a maximum of 10 positions for 2018-2019, not every project will be approved. degree will be awarded. With a maximum of 20 positions, not every project will be approved

The Program provides a unique opportunity for trainees in the first and second year of their Undergraduate medical education. The goal of the BSc(Med) Program is to provide trainees with an experience in all aspects of research. The supervisor and student (once matched) work in conjunction formulating the experimental protocol (submission of the protocol to the Research Ethics Committee of the Bannatyne Campus is the sole responsibility of the Supervisor and then undertake the project. Once the project is completed, the trainee will present their findings at the UGMSRS (Undergraduate Medical Student Research Symposium). If the data is of sufficient quality and quantity, it is anticipated that the trainee will work with the supervisor to complete a formal manuscript for submission to a peer reviewed journal. The Degree Program is a long standing and unique program at the University of Manitoba and is formally acknowledged on the University transcript. Participation in the project and any presentations, prizes and manuscripts that arise from this participation, should be appropriately acknowledged in the trainee’s Curriculum vitae.

It is the goal of the undergraduate research experience (BScMed Program) to ensure that the projects that are submitted meet suitable scientific rigor and are of sufficient caliber to ensure that trainees have an optimal research experience. All projects will be submitted to two external reviewers for evaluation and commentary. Based upon the reviewers’ comments, a project will be deemed acceptable as submitted, acceptable once clarification has been provided which means that there may be outstanding questions that need to be addressed and resubmitted to the committee for review and if the concerns/questions are adequately addressed, the project will be approved. The final category, unacceptable, means that the project even with significant revision will not meet the criteria for an undergraduate research project at the University of Manitoba. For projects that are rejected, it would be prudent for the investigators to carefully evaluate the commentary of the reviewers and consider addressing the concerns, and resubmitting the project for a subsequent year. We appreciate that rejection of a project may be disappointing for investigators and students, but the goal of the undergraduate medical research program is to ensure that all trainees have an optimal experience.

Pro

gra

m

Ove

rvie

w

Pa

rtic

ipa

tio

n

Ap

plic

ati

on

an

d

Sele

ctio

n P

roce

ss

Purpose, Core Elements and Policies of the

Undergraduate Medical Research Programs University of Manitoba

Expectations of the trainee and supervisor

The expectation of the trainee and the supervisor are summarized in the document ‘Statement of Responsibilities for Students and Supervisors located on the website HERE. The expectations of the trainee and the supervisor are to collaborate directly, strategize and proactively map out the project timeline and deliverables. Supervision, guidance and mentorship is accomplished through joint interaction. The expectation of the trainee and the supervisor are to work collaboratively to select and draft a research protocol that is of appropriate scope and breadth for completion over the 2 terms of the trainee’s research program. The project allows for the trainee to experience all aspects of biomedical research. It is expected that the trainee will participate in all aspects of the research project from helping to formulate and draft the research protocol to drafting the final project summary and manuscript. The trainee and supervisor will work closely in a collaborative fashion to ensure completion of the project. There is no defined minimum number of hours that are required other than what is needed to ensure a high quality experience for the student and the successful completion of the program. Students, if they choose, are entitled to participate in 48 hours of clinical exposure of which the supervisor will help to arrange and ensure the quality of the experience matches the goal of the project, program or student future goals. The supervisor will manage placement and student in-clinic hours (and make record of such). If the supervisor is a basic scientist, the BSc(Med) program director will assist with clinical placements.

Medical Record retrieval fee’s waived

All charges for medical record retrieval are waived for BSc(Med) projects by the WRHA. A formal request must be made of Medical Records Departments where the project is being undertaken. Fees for retrieval of more than 100 medical records are the responsibility of the supervisor. If there are any questions as to the protocol, the Director of the Medical Records Department must be contacted and a formal discussion undertaken by the trainees/supervisor about the project and the appropriate forms that must be completed to ensure that records can be retrieved. Please make your application under the ‘BSc(Med) Program’.

Available Awards

Students are eligible for awards based on their dissertation/final report. The awards ceremony is held in September at the Celebration of the BScMed Program and Joe Doupe Lecture Series Event. There are a number of awards for which trainees are eligible, specifically there are interim awards for 1st term BScMed s and awards for 2nd year BscMed based upon dissertation/final reports. These awards are duly acknowledged on the trainee’s transcript. Awards are based upon merit of the project. Award selection process follows the Undergraduate Medical Student Research Symposium (Research Symposium in August).

Application format

The format for both the initial and final submission are outlined in the documents found within the ‘document library’ on the Undergraduate Research Training Programs website.

Application process

Research proposals (abstracts) will posted on the BSc(Med) and MED II Program website and the student can either contact the supervisor(s) directly OR students may also find a suitable project and supervisor on their own. The primary supervisor must have a minimum appointment of Assistant Professor within the Max Rady College of Medicine and the co-supervisor must hold a minimum appointment of Assistant Professor within any college or faculty at the University of Manitoba. Once matched, the student and supervisor jointly complete the online application prior to the deadline.

Purpose, Core Elements and Policies of the

Undergraduate Medical Research Programs University of Manitoba

Timelines Each year the term will have a different start and end date but generally starts the first week after the end of the medicine class in May/June and ends late August (2 weeks paid vacation included). The program consists of 2 terms over 2 summers. Please note the MED II program consists of 1 summer research term in the student’s second year of medicine. Each year the timelines will vary slightly but generally will follow this outline: *Please note the timelines for the MED II Summer Research Program students is similar; however, the admission is capped at 10 students and they complete the research program in one summer research term. Finally, MED II students are not eligible for the MMSF interim awards and will not receive the notation of BSc(Med). MED II students are required to present at the Undergraduate Medical Student Research Symposium in August. Application Process: • May – End of August Call for abstracts from potential researcher supervisors. • September: Abstracts posted on website. • October/November: trainees and supervisors meet to discuss projects and formulate

committee as required. • December: UGMSR Committee meets to review applications; provides feedback to trainees and

supervisors and recommends acceptance if applicable. • January: Ongoing committee review. Some trainee/supervisors will need to respond to the

Committee commentary and provide a summary of necessary changes and a revised protocol if needed. Project approval provided in principle pending ethics approval.

• March-April: Program documentation completed (i.e. payroll, ethics approval, etc.) • May/June: Initiation of project 1st term.

End of 1st term evaluation report due (TBA) after the first term has been completed. Evaluation is completed by the supervisor with input and review by the student. Deadline will be announced. Additionally, an end of term evaluation is to be completed by the student.

• August: Attend the Undergraduate Medical Student Research Symposium. This will help you prepare for your dissertation at the end of the next term.

2nd Year: • January: Call for applications for the Interim Award competition sponsored by the Manitoba

Medical Service Foundation awards for BSc(Med) students who have completed their 1st year. Applications will be reviewed and specific projects awarded based on the award application. Award winners will be announced at the Joe Doupe Memorial Lecture Series event held each September.

• Summer: Trainee and supervisor should strive to finish research in June and complete project report/manuscript in July for submission by the posted date in August. Planning your vacation between the completion of the final report and the oral presentation is advantageous.

• 3rd week of August: trainee presentation at Undergraduate Medical Student Research Symposium.

• Final evaluation form due in September. Completed by supervisor with input and review by student. Program and supervision evaluation form completed by student due in September.

• Upon successful completion of the BSc(Med) program, degree convocation will take place at the time of the MD degree convocation. The degree is tied to the MD degree. This must be achieved to receive the BSc(Med) degree.

• August: End of program. Start into 3rd year Medicine

Purpose, Core Elements and Policies of the

Undergraduate Medical Research Programs University of Manitoba

Ethics approvals

All projects must clearly state whether Ethics approval has been received, applied for or not necessary. Details surrounding Ethics approval can be found on the University of Manitoba Bannatyne Campus Ethics Committee website at http://umanitoba.ca/faculties/medicine/ethics/ If the trainee or supervisor are uncertain whether their project requires either committee approval, please contact the ethics committee directly (bannatynereb@umanitoba.ca OR 204-789-3255). All students [BSc(Med) and MED II Summer Research Program students] must submit their certificate of completion of the Ethics course (CORE) to the program office by the advertised deadline. If students have previously completed the CORE ethics course, then a copy of the dated certificate is acceptable. Supervisors are entirely responsible for the application, submission and approval process of the project. The project must have full approvals in place by the advertised deadline. Students will not be permitted to start their programs nor will payroll be initiated until ethics and other necessary approvals are in place. Please see the ethics section of the website for more information concerning ethics approval processes.

Evaluation Process

• The programs [BSc(Med) & MED II] are graded as pass/fail. The requirements for passing are determined by successful and timely completion of the written report, oral presentation and program evaluation forms . Students are given the specific oral presentation and written report guidelines which must be followed and submitted by the posted deadline.

• Ethics approval documents must be submitted to the program office. As well, failure to provide evaluation forms by the posted deadlines will result in a failing grade. Evaluation forms must be submitted electronically to the program office by the advertised deadline or the project will not be approved for continuance. Payroll for the student will not be initiated without ethics approval. Exception for the need of ethics approval must be in place if this is applicable.

Project Funding The answer to this question is broken down as follows: • Student: The BSc(Med) Program will provide summer support for the student over the

course of their 2 summers of research while in their respective research program. The BSc(Med) Program will provide stipendiary summer support for the 1 summer for the MED II summer research program students. The stipendiary allotment is currently, $7,500 per research term.

• Supervisor: The BSc(Med) Program does not provide any support for the supervisor or to support the supervisor’s research. Any support for the supervisor, or the research project itself, must be secured by the supervisor. We have had unique circumstances where project funding has been contingent upon grant support, but unfortunately the supervisor has not received the grant. It is then the responsibility of the supervisor to find an alternative funding source. These sources include departmental funds, or society funds. Regrettably, the BSc(Med) Program cannot support the supervisor or the supervisor’s research as the program only has funds to support the student. It is therefore, that in the BSc(Med) application, a specific question exists about the source of funding and whether the supervisor has adequate funds to support the research project. If a supervisor does not have funds to support the research project, the project cannot be approved.

BScMed and MED II Summer Research - Call for Abstracts from prospective BScMed and MED II supervisors

Date: Program DD MM YYYY Abstract maximum character limit is 2000. Please structure your submission in the following way: Background, Methods (Materials/Statistical Methods and Sample Size), Anticipated Results, and Role of the student.

All projects require a Primary and Co-Supervisor. The form may not be submitted without these fields completed. Please select the following to continue;

I affirm that the primary supervisor has a minimum appointment of Assistant Professor with the Rady College of Medicine, University of Manitoba I will appoint a co-supervisor who has a minimum appointment of Assistant Professor within a College or Faculty at the University of Manitoba. Who Should the Student Contact? Name: Address: Phone: Email:

I understand that my project will not be permitted to proceed without appropriate approvals (eg: ethics committee, and approvals from all stakeholders). I agree to ensure that the required ethics compliance's will be in place by the advertised

deadline; Yes, I understand and agree to the terms