Overview

HEIDS Scholars participate in faculty-mentored infectious disease research, broadly focused on HIV and associated infections. Domestic and international clinical research topics can include mental health, substance use disorders, TB, Hepatitis, STI's, Bacterial infections, etc. Most HEIDS scholars participate in research experiences full-time over the summer months (8-10 weeks)

Eligibility

The HEIDS Scholars program is open to Brown PLME students (rising juniors and seniors) and medical students at the Warren Alpert Medical School. Because the HEIDS program is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), students who receive funding on the grant must be a US citizen or permanent resident.

Benefits

• Summer Research Stipends: HEIDS Scholars receive a summer stipend for 8-10 weeks of full-time research. Currently, stipends are set at the level of $5,000 for Summer 2026.
• Community of Scholars: Scholars are invited to participate in various lectures and networking opportunities as a Community of Scholars throughout the academic year. For more information about upcoming and past events, see our Events page.
• Research Training and Support: HEIDS Scholars are provided with opportunities for research training and support, including the Research RX summer research course, required Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training, and biostatistics office hours. See our Research Training and Support page for more information.
• Scholarly Products: All scholars are required to present a scholarly product based on their research experience at a Brown research forum or at a scientific conference (such as Global Health Research Day or the Warren Alpert Medical School Academic Symposium). For a list of selected HEIDS publications, view our Student Spotlight page.
• Publication and Conference Support: The HEIDS program supports conference travel in the years following the initial summer research experience for scholars with first or second-authored accepted abstracts and publication charges for related manuscripts. For more information, visit our For Current HEIDS Scholars and Fellows page.

Application and Selection

Interested applicants are first encouraged to find a faculty mentored research project on a HEIDS-related topic. Students may choose to participate in the HEIDS / CGHE Mentor Matching Program  or to identify a faculty mentor and research project on their own (more information and resources about finding a mentor are available on the CGHE Mentor Matching - Student FAQ - Resources page). Applicants may contact the HEIDS program as they are finalizing a project to ensure it aligns with the goals of the grant. 

To apply, all interested students must submit a completed application by:
     -  PLME Students: February 9, 2026 (11:59pm)
     -  MD Students and all other students: February 16, 2026 (11:59pm)  

Please note a complete application requires a letter of support and other materials from your faculty mentor, so please ensure that they have ample time to complete them before the deadline. 

For PLME students and AMS Medical Students: Submit the Summer Assistantship (PLME / Medical Student) Application in UFunds. See the MD SRA and PLME SRA websites for more information.

For all other students (including EIP and AMS PC-PM students):  Submit the HEIDS Student Application Form.

Overview

We are pleased to announce that the Emerging Infectious Disease and HIV Scholars (HEIDS) Program will be offering Brown medical students (including MD/PhD students) the opportunity to be supported by a long-term stipend (up to 11 months) for faculty-mentored scholarship and research broadly focused on HIV and other infectious diseases, including the underlying causes and consequences of these conditions such as substance use, sexual health, etc.

This program is available for the coming year, from approximately March 2026 through July 2027 (11 months maximum duration, exact dates vary by student). Fellows may choose to participate for one semester or for up to 11 months. If funded by the HEIDS Fellowship, you will be supported with a $4,349 taxable monthly stipend (prorated stipends for 50% or 75% time are also considered). Medical students considering a HEIDS Fellowship should concurrently apply to the Academic Scholars Program (ASP). Stipend rates are subject to change after July 31, 2026, dependent on federal grant funding. See additional information provided below.

HEIDS Fellows are accepted on a rolling basis. More information about the application process can be found below.

Eligibility

Medical students who are interested in taking a gap semester or year (through the Academic Scholars Program) to work on intensive, faculty-mentored infectious disease research, or current MD/PhD students, are invited to apply to receive a long-term paid fellowship. 

Potential research projects must be broadly related to infectious disease, and may include, but are not limited to:

• Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
• Tuberculosis
• Hepatitis
• Sexually Transmitted Infections
• Bacterial Infectious
• Mental Health
• Substance Use Disorders
• Global Health

Students will work full-time (approximately 30-40 hours per week on average) under the supervision and mentorship of a Brown-affiliated faculty member on an intensive, mentored research project(s).  Prorated stipends for 50% or 75% time are also considered. Work may be in-person, remote, or hybrid, depending on project requirements. You may have a second faculty mentor from an external institution, however you must have at least one mentor with a Brown faculty affiliation. Students must be in good academic standing to be eligible for this fellowship.  Fellows may not combine HEIDS funding with another Brown award or funding. There are up to three available fellowship positions for spring 2026 and the 2026-2027 year. 

Because the HEIDS program is funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), students who receive funding on the grant must be a US citizen or permanent resident. All Fellows must be enrolled in the eRA Commons Xtrain system.

Application and Deadlines

Please complete application instructions and submit your application form. HEIDS Fellows applications are accepted on a rolling basis.  

Complete applications must include the following:

1. Project proposal (<3 pages total not including citations): Project title, Abstract, Significance and Specific Aims, Research Strategy / Project Methodology, and References
2. Student Responsibilities, Learning Goals, Mentorship Plan (<300 words)
3. Ethical Approvals (<150 words)
4. Letter of Support from a Brown-affiliated faculty mentor
5. Personal Statement (250 words)
6. Curriculum Vitae

Review Process and Criteria

The HEIDS Executive Committee will review Fellow applications. The HEIDS Principal Investigator, Silvia Chiang, may reach out to candidates to schedule an in-person interview as an additional step in the application process.

Please note the following criteria that the committee emphasizes when reviewing applications:

• Readability: use language that can be understood by a general audience with basic scientific knowledge, but do not assume subspecialty knowledge. Write clearly and succinctly. Spell out acronyms and abbreviations on first reference. Spell out abbreviations on first reference.
• Feasibility and Timeline: Make your project goals realistic. The work should be substantial enough for a full-time research experience, but do not propose more work than can be reasonably done within a one-year period. If you plan to continue work beyond the year period, briefly describe your plans for this in your proposal.
• Quality of mentorship
• Educational value to the student and potential for scholarly productivity

Program Benefits and Expectations

• Community of Scholars: HEIDS Fellows are invited to participate in various lectures and networking opportunities as a Community of Scholars throughout the academic year. For more information about upcoming and past events, see our Events page.
• Research Training and Support: HEIDS Fellows are provided with opportunities for research training and support, including the Research Rx course, required Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training, and biostatistics office hours. See our Research Training and Support page for more information.
• Scholarly Products: All scholars are required to present a scholarly product based on their research experience at a Brown research forum or at a scientific conference (such as the Global Health and Equity Symposium or the Warren Alpert Medical School Academic Symposium). For a list of selected HEIDS publications, view our Student Spotlight page.
• Publication and Conference Support: The HEIDS program supports conference travel in the years following the initial summer research experience for scholars with first or second-authored accepted abstracts and publication charges for related manuscripts. Fellows must register in NIH’s XTrain reporting system, and must acknowledge the NIH grant in any publications and presentations. For more information, visit our For Current HEIDS Scholars and Fellows page.

Academic Scholars Program Information

Students considering a HEIDS Fellowship are highly encouraged to apply for the Academic Scholars Program (ASP). The application deadlines to pursue a gap semester / year in the 2026-2027 academic year is below. 

If on an approved ASP, Fellows must provide the HEIDS program with documentation of ASP approval, and will: 

1. Receive additional funds to cover health insurance, the health service fee, and ASP tuition fees.
2. Be registered as an active student and receive 1 elective credit per semester (in the form of an independent study course) for a maximum of 2 elective credits based on your final paper and a passing grade from your faculty mentor. These 2 credits count towards the 36 elective credits needed to fulfill graduation requirements. 

ASP Policies:

• The final grade is based on the submission of a final paper and a completed evaluation form from the student’s faculty mentor.
• During the project, the student must submit a progress report prior to the start of the spring term to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs.
• Request for enrollment in the ASP requires a signed application form, project proposal, and a letter of support from a Medical School faculty mentor who will supervise the student during the project and submit their final evaluation and grade. Roxanne Vrees reviews and approves all ASPs and final papers.

In Fall 2025, the HEIDS program is piloting a semester-long HEIDS PLME Mentored Group Research Project (MGRP), led by Dr. Ray Tanzer. The MGRP was developed in response to strong PLME student demand for introductory research experiences. 

The group project is designed to provide an introduction to clinical research – asking an answerable and clinically relevant question, querying existing databases, conducting analyses, interpreting analytic output, and reporting the findings. Dr. Tanzer will provide close supervision and guidance along each step of the project from conceptualization, research strategy, data acquisition, analysis, interpretation of study findings, and presentation and/or publication of final work. PLME students who complete this mentored group research project will be in a strong position to create an HEIDS summer research funding proposal in the years following their semester-long experience. 

Students have been selected for the Fall 2025 semester. If you are interested in future mentored group research projects, please contact Program Specialist, Laura Pleasants (laura_pleasants@brown.edu).