NL SUPPORT Undergraduate Training in Research Assistance (NUTRA)

NL SUPPORT offers opportunities for patient-oriented researchers and undergraduate residents of Newfoundland and Labrador to work together to create a new way of doing research. The NL SUPPORT Undergraduate Training in Research Assistance (NUTRA) program is designed to match undergraduate students with faculty supervisors who are conducting patient-oriented research, and provide them with stipend funding for up to 16 weeks to complete a summer project. This is an excellent opportunity for interested early-career researchers who are looking to develop their supervisory and mentorship skills, though all faculty are welcome to apply.

Please see application information below. Successful applicants will be notified in the week of May 8, 2023.

If you have any questions about the NUTRA program, please contact Chelsey McPhee at chelsey.mcphee@med.mun.ca.

Faculty Supervisor Identification Phase (Phase I Deadline: March 17, 2023)

• Faculty interested in having an undergraduate student participate in a research project will need to submit a Supervisor Identification Form.
• Please note this is a preliminary phase to identify supervisors and allocate funds for this program. Due to a possible funding constraint, we will be accepting applications from all faculty members seeking students, but preference will be given to full-time faculty if funds will not cover all research projects.
• In the Supervisor Identification Form, faculty applicants must briefly outline how their research area is patient-oriented, including how they engage patients/the public as partners in their research designs and/or processes.
• This program is open to any post-secondary student resident in Newfoundland and Labrador enrolled at Memorial University but not enrolled in a graduate program. Students will be permitted to submit one application with one faculty member.
• Students and supervisors will work together to prepare a NUTRA application form in Phase II.

Supervisor Identification Form

Student Application Phase (Phase II: April 3–April 28, 2023)

A list of potential supervisors and their research projects will be available above once the Faculty Supervisor Identification Phase is complete. It is the responsibility of the student to connect with a supervisor, and together prepare and submit a NUTRA application to NL SUPPORT. Each student will be permitted to submit only one application.

• The supervisor and the student must both be clearly identified on the application, including current email addresses. It is the responsibility of the student to contact potential supervisors directly.
• The application must include a title and description of the project, including details of how the project is patient-oriented and how patients/the public will be engaged in planning or conducting the research. There must also be a clear indication of the student’s role within the project.
• It is the responsibility of the supervisor to ensure ethics approval (HREA, ICEHR and/or IACC as appropriate) is in place by the start date of the research project.
• It is the responsibility of the supervisor to ensure that the project aligns with Memorial University’s Research Impacting Indigenous Groups (RIIG) policy, where applicable.
• Supervisors interested in more than one student will be contacted and will be asked to indicate their order of preference. Please note that students are only permitted to submit one application.

• Student requirements:

• • Minimum 2^nd class standing (average grade of B or above) in last 20 courses at the time of accepting the assistance.
  • A summary of research experience (e.g., degree program and year, prior research experience, skills, etc.).
  • An outline of your interest in the project, including why patient-oriented research interests you, and how it will benefit your career plans.

• Following completion of the project, students must submit a one-page report to NL SUPPORT outlining the experience and knowledge gained in patient engagement and patient-oriented research.
• Successful applicants are encouraged to reach out to NL SUPPORT patient engagement lead for support and guidance on patient engagement and knowledge translation throughout the duration of their project.
• All students working in laboratories at Memorial University are required to complete the Safety 1000 course. Safety 1000 is offered online through D2L at the beginning of each semester for undergraduate and graduate students and provides appropriate training in WHMIS and Laboratory safety. If you completed the course in a previous semester or have evidence that comparable training has been undertaken elsewhere, you do not need to register again. For more information please visit: www.mun.ca/health_safety/training/.

Student Application Form