G.E.R.M. Program

GRANTS FOR EMERGING RESEARCHERS/CLINICIANS MENTORSHIP PROGRAM

G.E.R.M. Program was developed to provide grants to medical students to support a longitudinal, mentored clinical learning and/or research project for up to a year on infectious diseases-related topics, including HIV, under the mentorship of an IDSA or HIVMA member. This program replaced the IDSA Medical Scholars and HIVMA Medical Students Programs.

The goals of the G.E.R.M. Program are to:

• Increase interest among undergraduate medical students, particularly among populations underrepresented in medicine, in pursuing ID fellowship post-graduate training or a career in HIV medicine by:
  
  • Providing medical students with a mentor-based program to encourage and facilitate the pursuit of a career in the field of infectious diseases;
  • Increasing the number and diversity of ID and HIV research and clinical learning opportunities available to medical students, including through a diverse range of geographic settings, program sizes and academic foci; and
  • Providing ID and HIV research and clinical learning opportunities and mentorship and support to a diverse population of medical students, with a focus on those currently underrepresented in the field.
    
• Support medical students in increasing analytical, research and clinical skills that will impact their future career trajectory.

Projects must focus on pediatric or adult infectious diseases, including HIV, and may involve either clinical or research activities. Eligible project categories include basic science, epidemiology/clinical research, medical education, structured clinical experiences and quality improvement/program evaluation. Awardees receive a $4,000 stipend to complete their project. 

ELIGIBILITY

Applicants must be medical students (first-, second- or third-year and those in combined degree programs, including MD/MPH and MD/PhD) from an accredited allopathic or osteopathic medical school in the U.S.

U.S. citizens and permanent residents pursuing medical school outside of the U.S. (including Caribbean and off-shore institutions) are also eligible to apply. These students should be interested in pursuing specialty training in the U.S.

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2022 CALL FOR G.E.R.M. Program APPLICATIONS

Applications for the 2022 G.E.R.M. Program are open now through Feb. 7, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. ET.

To learn more, or for proposal writing tips, please register for the G.E.R.M. Program Proposal Writing Workshop taking place at 3:30 p.m. ET on Dec. 10.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

For Medical Students

• Preview the application before completing it online, and have a current CV ready for uploading as part of the application
• Complete the online application, including uploading a current CV
• Identify a mentor (contact info@hivma.org for help identifying a mentor)

FOR MentorS

Applicants should coordinate with their mentor to ensure the following are submitted before the application deadline:

• Letter of support from an IDSA/HIVMA member agreeing to serve as a mentor for the duration of the project. Letters should not exceed two pages in length.
• An NIH biosketch or CV (5-page limit) for the mentor.

Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• Relevance and novelty of the project topic
• Structure of the mentorship plan
• Interest in infectious diseases or HIV
• Contributions to diversity, defined broadly to include populations underrepresented in medicine, geography, program size and academic foci
• Strength of the project plan as it relates to increasing the applicant’s analytical, research and clinical skills