Summer Studentships at the University of Otago, Wellington
Welcome to the Summer Studentship Programme at the University of Otago, Wellington
Each year the University of Otago, Wellington hosts the Summer Studentship Programme which is made up of 10 weeks of student research projects. Participating students will get an introduction to research methods in a field of interest to them, such as public health, clinical or laboratory-based research.
Each individual project in the Summer Studentship programme is generously sponsored by a charitable or business organisation. An educational grant of $5,000 is paid as a non-taxable educational grant during the studentship and with the aim of encouraging students to take up a research career in New Zealand. The programme is open to any undergraduate student of any New Zealand tertiary academic institute.
The Process
Supervisors from UOW and CCDHB propose projects that will be suited for a 10-week summer studentship. Submitted projects that fit the summer studentship programme criteria and have the required paperwork (ethics if needed) will be released in the first week of August on this web page and notice boards around the University of Otago, Wellington campus and other New Zealand Universities. Students then apply directly to the project’s supervisor with a 1 page CV. The student is selected by the Supervisor. Once the Research Office is notified of the successful student, the usual administration paperwork will begin.
The Research Office will start approaching funders with proposed projects in need of funding as early June. Once a student is selected for the project, and the funding is secured the Research Office will let all parties know that the project can go ahead.
Timing of the Summer Studentship programme is from November to February. The judging of the final reports is done in mid-late February.
Students must have submitted their final reporting (lay & scientific) to the Research Office by Monday 10 February 2014.
The Wellington Medical Research Foundation (Inc.) and The University of Otago, Wellington kindly donate a prize of up to $1,000 for the best presented report. Finalists will be invited to undertake an oral presentation in early March.
PLEASE NOTE: It will only be a couple of months before a request for proposals comes out for 2013/2014 Summer Studentship projects! It is not too soon to begin thinking about what these projects could be. The Research Office strongly encourages you to consider the interests of possible funders of Summer Studentship project when developing these ideas – this makes securing funding for the student much easier!
Information for Supervisors
Supervisors are invited to submit projects for the 2013/2014 Summer Studentship Programme to the Research Office. Projects must be in a health-related field. If Ethics is required for a project, supervisors should seek ethics approval when they submit their project application. Full ethical approval must be obtained before the project can be advertised to any students and a copy of the current letter of ethical approval (i.e. dated within the last year) must be provided to the Research Office.
Application forms can be requested from tina.uiese@otago.ac.nz and are to be submitted electronically to tina.uiese@otago.ac.nz. A fully signed hard copy needs to be sent to the Research Office, School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago, Wellington, PO Box 7343 Wellington. Supervisors must read the Summer Studentship Handbook to ascertain the rules of the studentship programme and supervisor's obligations under the scheme.
This year deadline for project applications is Thursday, 20 June 2013
IMPORTANT NOTICE: Project applications from Supervisors who are external to the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Otago, Wellington (UOW) and Capital Coast District Health Board (CCDHB) will only be accepted where they represent a genuine collaboration in a joint supervisor capacity between external staff and staff of the UOW or CCDHB.
Information for Students
Students must read the Summer Studentship Handbook and agree to the terms and conditions.
The list of Summer Studentship Projects will be made available in August.
Who can apply for the Summer Studentship Programme?
The Summer Studentship is open to any under-graduate student who is enrolled at a New Zealand tertiary academic institution.
When applying to an advertisement; applications are to be sent directly to the named supervisor with an application letter and a 1 page CV.
Once the supervisor has chosen the student, the supervisor will notify the Research Office and an appointment form will be sent to the student.
The selected student will need to complete the appointment form, attach an electronic self image, supply proof of bank account and send the form electronically to tina.uiese@otago.ac.nz.
A hardcopy of the form is also required (which will need to be signed by both supervisor and student).
Research Office Contact Details
Tina Uiese, Research Administrator
Research Office, Level C, UOW
Tel : +64 4 918 6552
email : tina.uiese@otago.ac.nz