Underserved-focus Scholarly Project

If you complete your Independent Investigative Inquiry (III) project within the context of RUOP, GHIP, or the UW Medical Student Addiction Research (MedStAR) training program, no pre-approval of your project by the UP Team or proposal is necessary. The majority of UP scholars fulfill this requirement in this way.

If you do not complete your III through RUOP, GHIP, or MedStAR, the UP team must pre-approve your alternative underserved-focus scholarly project for UP credit via your proposal. The project should directly relate to underserved population(s) and/or the root causes of health disparities. If your III directly relates to underserved populations and/or root causes of health disparities, please submit your III proposal/outline as your proposal for pre-approval.

Before starting your project, submit your detailed proposal using your UP Tracker for pre-approval.

See relevant deadlines here — they’re earlier than you might think!

Your proposal should include the following:

1. Your research question
2. Why your research question is important
3. Which marginalized or under-resourced population(s) your research involves or affects and/or which root causes of health disparities your research will explore
4. How you will try to answer the research question
5. If you have a research mentor (faculty or otherwise), who is it? If you are working with a community partner, which one?
6. What your specific role in the project will be
7. What the final product of your project will be (paper? poster?)
8. If applicable (related to health equity advocacy projects described below):
– Evidence that you are working to fulfill an unmet need
– Plans to evaluate efficacy of your project
– Plans to help your project live on after you’ve left your Foundations campus

Final papers submitted for this requirement are of high academic quality: they are organized and well-edited and show adequate research to provide background information and support arguments. References are appropriately cited. Most papers include the usual research paper sections (Background, Methods, Results, Discussion).

If you aren’t participating in RUOP, GHIP, or MedSTAR, these are just a few ideas for what you could do for your alternative project:

1 – Write a 5-7 page paper that explores the health disparities impacts of your III research. If you name any possible solutions, the solutions are research-based, specific, and feasible for the community. Contextual support (finances/cost, infrastructure, staffing/employment) that would be needed are discussed. Email upath@uw.edu for an excellent example from a past student.

2 – Develop a health equity advocacy project in conjunction with a community partner and write an adjacent paper. The paper should include evidence that demonstrates a need for the project. Here’s an excellent example of one student’s paper on their project.

• Some examples of past UP health equity scholarly projects (all were submitted with an accompanying paper):
  • Development of harm reduction kit and its distribution at local hospital
    
  • Work with community clinic to determine new location based on patient needs surveys and accompanying write-up
  • Translations of health education materials for community organization
  • Adaptations of pre-med curriculum (Med for Ed) for indigenous school classroom to encourage students underrepresented in medicine to go into health professions
• Our always-growing list of community organizations throughout WWAMI that you might consider reaching out to and working with.

3 – Complete a thorough literature review of a topic of your choice. Here’s an excellent example of one student’s lit review.

4 – Participate in existing UW research and submit your team’s manuscript or an independent paper. For example, you may find an opportunity within the internationally-recognized Family Medicine research section. Other departments may also have opportunities for student involvement in research.

5 – Something else that calls to you. Do you have another idea for scholarly research related to under-resourced and marginalized people? Have you already done scholarly research in medical school that you believe fits the criteria? Let’s talk about how to explore your health equity curiosities through research and how we can help you. Reach out to UP Co-Director at gshimkin@uw.edu as soon as possible to set up a time to discuss your ideas.

Recorded Scholarly Project Q&A (12/7/23) (duration: 33 minutes 24 seconds) can help you understand the breadth of alternative projects that have been completed by UP scholars in the past and answer some of your questions!

Needs Assessments and Program Evaluations
If your project includes a needs assessment or program evaluation and you do not have a faculty mentor for your project, please meet with the UP Co-Director at gshimkin@uw.edu for guidance before you begin.

Help Finding Research Opportunities
The UP Team loves to help connect students with research opportunities and researchers across WWAMI related to their interests. Please reach out to the UP Program Manager at upath@uw.edu for help!

Help With Your Project and Paper
The UP Team is happy to help you at any stage in your project, including feedback on your project plans or drafts of papers/posters. Reach out to the UP Program Manager at upath@uw.edu. 

See relevant deadlines here — they’re earlier than you might think!

We’d love to talk with you!
Please meet with the UP Co-Director Genya Shimkin, MPH, at gshimkin@uw.edu to discuss your questions, your ideas, and what we are looking for in this project.

Help identifying research opportunities
The UP Team loves to help connect students with research opportunities and researchers across WWAMI related to their interests. Please reach out to the UP Program Manager at upath@uw.edu for help!

Help with your project/paper
The UP Team is happy to help you at any stage in your project, including feedback on your project plans or drafts of papers/posters. Reach out to the UP Program Manager at upath@uw.edu. 

See relevant deadlines here — they’re earlier than you might think!