UM Scholars Program

My favorite part was learning about the study and creating a virtual poster that I presented to my peers. Research is fundamental in nursing because health care is constantly changing. Thus, research will help future nurses, like me, to improve patient care and better practices. Amy Zhao, Project: Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias
Matriculation to UMSON Spring 2022
It was great being exposed to various aspects of research, from data collection and analysis to participant intake and study design. As a future nurse, this experience will help me gain a new perspective on best practices and advancements in patient care. Kira Mazel, Project: Pain
Matriculation to UMSON Fall 2022
I was able to learn about geriatric care along with the essentials to make residents’ experience exceptional in nursing home facilities. Nia Kooiman, Project: Palliative Care
Matriculation to UMSON Fall 2021
The UM Scholars program was a great opportunity to learn about the practices involved in nursing research. I will definitely take the skills I developed and the knowledge I gained to nursing school and beyond! Michelle Soltz, Project: Pain
Matriculation to UMSON Spring 2022

Mission

To offer mentored research training that allows students to expand their knowledge and enlighten their career choices.

University of Maryland Strategic Partnership Mpowering the State LogoThe UM Scholars program is a competitive paid summer internship program that connects students from the University of Maryland College Park (UMCP) with faculty from the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) to collaborate on research projects. Funding is provided by the University of Maryland Strategic Partnership: MPowering the State (or MPower).

Faculty members mentor students during the 10-week summer program with the hopes of expanding their knowledge about specific topics in nursing research and exposing them to various research careers available to doctoral-prepared nurses.

Program Details

  • Commences the Tuesday following Memorial Day, ending in early August.
  • Specific times are to be mutually defined and agreed upon by the student and mentor.
  • Work is expected to occur during typical business hours; Monday through Friday, 9am-5pm.
  • Students receive $5,500 in two installments.
  • All research is designed to be conducted at the University of Maryland, School of Nursing.
  • Work may be offered via a hybrid capacity that involves 4 in-person days and 1-Remote. · Travel to and parking at UMB is the responsibility of the student.
  • At the end of the internship, students are required to participate in an oral presentation or a poster presentation on their completed project.
  • Students and mentors are asked to complete evaluation materials on the experience.
  • This is a competitive program. Applicants are not guaranteed a placement or an interview.
  • All applicants should be in good academic standing in his/her respective school/program. (Information will be verified with your school before awarding a position in the program.)
  • Students must be enrolled in the Spring 2025 semester full-time at the University of Maryland, College Park with a declared academic interest in nursing to be considered.

What You'll Do

  • You'll be exposed to each element of the research process, including lab skills, data skills, and data collection.
  • Tasks will vary by project and faculty member.
  • This experience takes place in-person at the UMB campus.

Application Process

In preparation to complete the application, please note that you will be asked to:

  • Upload your resume
  • Upload a copy of your unofficial transcripts
  • Identify your top two choices of projects*
  • Upload a Statement of Interest**
  • Upload 1 Letter of Recommendation***

* See catalog of projects below.

** The statement should be no longer than 1.5 pages in APA Format. While there is not a specific prompt, we encourage you to tell us more about your research interests and why you wish to engage in this research opportunity. You should address the projects you are interested in working on (please state a first and second choice), and how you feel that this experience will advance your academic interests.

For example: why you want to do summer research; the career goal(s) you have in mind; what traits make you a good fit for a potential career in research; any past research experience (hypothesis? what you did/did it work? what you learned about this topic or yourself)

*** For the letter of recommendation, please tell the faculty member or employer what program you are applying to and request that they provide a short letter to attest to your scholarship, character, and professional promise. They should state how long they have known you and in what capacity. The letter does not need to be lengthy or detailed. Consider tackling this assignment first since it has a longer lead time.

Eligibility

Students must be enrolled full-time in the Spring 2025 semester at the University of Maryland, College Park with a declared academic interest in nursing to be considered. The ideal candidate would be interested in developing academic research skills in advancing original nursing knowledge. Candidate will have demonstrated academic success in science coursework with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher. If you are a full-time UMCP undergraduate student on a pre-nursing track, you are eligible and encouraged to apply.

Application Deadline

Feb. 7, 2025

Apply Now


Explore Our Project Offerings

Dive into the diverse projects led by distinguished faculty members at the UMSON. Below are titles and brief descriptions of some of the projects:

Neural correlates of hypoalgesia driven by observation

Luana Collaca headshotPrinciple Investigator:

Luana Colloca, MD, PhD, MS 
Professor, University of Maryland School of Nursing
Adjunct Professor, University of Maryland School of Medicine

Project Description:

Explore placebo-induced pain relief mechanisms using neuroimaging to develop novel nonpharmacological pain therapies.

Virtual reality therapy for cancer-treatment associated symptoms

Luana Collaca headshotPrinciple Investigator:

Luana Colloca, MD, PhD, MS 
Professor, University of Maryland School of Nursing
Adjunct Professor, University of Maryland School of Medicine

Project Description:

Evaluate a 4-week virtual reality therapy program designed to alleviate chronic symptoms like pain, anxiety, and fatigue in cancer survivors.

Neural mechanisms of immersive virtual reality in chronic pain

Luana Collaca headshotPrinciple Investigator:

Luana Colloca, MD, PhD, MS 
Professor, University of Maryland School of Nursing
Adjunct Professor, University of Maryland School of Medicine

Project Description:

Investigate immersive virtual reality's opioid-based mechanisms for chronic pain management to create low-risk therapeutic interventions.

COVID-19 research project

Principle Investigator:

Pei-Ying Chuang, EMBA, PhD, MSN, RN
Assistant Professor

Project Description:

Investigate the link between brain-immune function and long COVID-19 symptoms, utilizing public datasets for systematic reviews and academic publications.

Dementia/Alzheimer's disease research projects

Principle Investigator:

Pei-Ying Chuang, EMBA, PhD, MSN, RN
Assistant Professor

Project Description:

Study Alzheimer's disease at the single-cell level, integrating AI and public datasets to explore clinical predispositions and societal impacts.

Time-restricted eating to address cancer-related fatigue

Kleckner, AmberPrincipal Investigator:

Amber Kleckner, PhD
Assistant Professor

Project Description:

Investigate the relationship between circadian rhythm and persistent cancer-related fatigue.

A measure for shared decision making in maternity care

Rachel BremanPrincipal Investigator:

Rachel Blankstein Breman, PhD, MPH, RN
Assistant Professor

Project Description:

Develop a metric for measuring Shared Decision Making during prenatal and intrapartum hospital care.

Family partnership and community engagement

Kim Mooney-DoylePrinciple Investigator:

Kim Mooney-Doyle, PhD, RN, CPNP-AC
Assistant Professor

Project Description:

Collaborate on understanding the impact of serious pediatric illness on families and developing interventions.

Studying pain, neuropathy, distress, and related symptoms in patients with cancer

Principle Investigator:

Ian Kleckner, PhD, MPH
Associate Professor

Project Description:

Analyze data from patients with cancer to develop biopsychosocial models of symptoms.

Palliative care and nursing education research activities

Hannah BucPrinciple Investigator:

Hannah Murphy Buc, PhD, RN
Assistant Professor

Project Description:

Design and implement an educational research study to evaluate the impact of primary palliative care education for BSN and MSN students.