Currently in its second year, the CGHE mentor matching program connects students with an interest in global health and/ or infectious disease to faculty mentors and faculty-mentored research projects.
Run in collaboration with the Emerging Infectious Disease and HIV Scholar Program (HEIDS) and the Division of Global Emergency Medicine (GEM), the goals of the CGHE / HEIDS faculty mentor matching program are as follows:
- Connect students to strong faculty mentors and faculty-mentored research projects (both short- and long-term) that match their geographic and disciplinary interests and skills.
- Encourage students to find faculty mentors and develop research projects earlier in the academic year, leading to stronger, longer-term mentor-mentee relationships and a more productive research experience.
- Assist students to identify the most appropriate intramural and extramural funding sources for projects (see our Opportunities page), with the guidance of faculty mentors.
While the CGHE/HEIDS Research Mentor-Mentee Matching Program does not provide funding, the purpose of the program is to match students and faculty mentors with the ultimate goal of developing successful research proposals for internal and external funding opportunities, including the HEIDS Summer Research Program and the Global Health Scholars Supplemental Travel Grant. The matching program is a service that CGHE / HEIDS provides to faculty and students, but faculty and students are also free to find their own mentors and mentees and to apply to appropriate internal and external research opportunities. Students do not need to participate in the research matching program to be eligible for CGHE or HEIDS summer funding.
For Students
Eligibility:
The CGHE / HEIDS Research Mentor-Mentee Matching Program is open to all Brown students and also to students from international institutions outside of the US.
For students from international locations outside of the US, if accepted to the program, you will be matched with a mentor, and will work together with a Brown student to collaborate on research.
Prior skills including experience conducting literature and systematic reviews, experience writing research papers or grant applications, knowledge of statistical or data management programs, and fluency in foreign languages are favorable among mentor matching applicants.
Application and Deadline:
Interested students should submit the Student Interest Form. The deadline for student interest forms is September 26, 2025. The student application asks about skills, preferences, and requires a current CV and brief personal statement. Mentor-mentee matches will be made and communicated in early October.
Please note: Student applicants will have the opportunity to review the list of eligible faculty mentors and possible research projects, and will rank their preferences taking into account their skills and experience. Matches will be made based on a variety of factors. While we will do our best to match you with a preferred mentor, we cannot guarantee matches with a specific faculty member, geographic region, or research topic.
The matching program usually maintains a waitlist of qualified applicants, as student interest often exceeds the capacity of faculty and mentors. However, there are often new research projects that open up for student engagement throughout the year.
For Faculty
Faculty members who wish to mentor students in global health or infectious disease research should submit a Faculty Interest Form. Student applicants, whose deadline is September 26, 2025, can review your proposed projects while they complete their applications. Faculty may continue to submit new projects at any time after this date, and the program will use these opportunities to connect with students on the waitlist.
Please note that in addition to 1-2 Brown student(s), you will be given the opportunity to be matched with an international student, with the goal of the international student collaborating with the Brown student together on a project.
Faculty will also be given a chance to review student applications during the matching process, to ensure a productive match.
Process and Timeline
| July - August | Faculty Interest forms go live |
|---|---|
| September | Faculty Interest forms due on September 5, 2025 |
Student Interest forms go live on September 8, 2025 Students are able to view of list of active faculty-mentored projects and rank preferences. | |
| Student Interest forms due on September 26, 2025 | |
| October | Students and faculty mentors are matched by CGHE / HEIDS staff. Faculty are matched with multiple students and are given option to review CVs and/or interview students to determine best fit. |
| November - January | Students and mentors develop proposal for summer research funding (through SRA, HEIDS, etc). Students pulled off the waitlist, as needed. |
| February | Students submit proposals for funded summer opportunities. (If the project is not funded, students can still work on the project in a non-funded capacity.) |
| March - May | Some students may work with faculty on unpaid research projects throughout the spring semester. |