Summer Research Scholarships - information for students

The purpose of the University of Auckland - Summer Research Scholarship scheme is to give senior undergraduate students an inspiring first experience of research.

The Summer Research Scholarship gives students the opportunity to work within a research environment, mixing with researchers and postgraduate students who are working at the forefront of their fields.

Scholarship research projects are completed in a 10 week period over the University summer (December – February), under the supervision of biomedical, clinical and public health researchers from the faculty. The scholarships provide a generous tax-free stipend of $6,750 to undertake the 10-week project.

Find Summer Research Projects

Our faculty is fortunate to have a range of summer research projects supported both by the University of Auckland and by private funders.  

Our sponsors range from private benefactors to charities to businesses and these sponsors will often choose to sponsor projects which have special meaning to them. Previous sponsors include:

  • A+ Trust
  • New Zealand Pharmacy Education and Research Foundation
  • Australian and New Zealand Society for Geriatric Medicine
  • Cure Kids
  • Heart Foundation
  • Hope Foundation
  • Maurice and Phyllis Paykel Trust

Students should be aware the eligibility criteria and application process may vary between projects privately funded. Please contact the primary supervisor to discuss further.

Find Summer Research Projects

Externally-funded scholarships

In addition to the University programme, many external funding agencies including the Health Research Council, Heart Research Institute and Neurological Foundation offer summer research scholarships and internships. We have collated information on the available schemes and encourage students to apply for these too if they are eligible.

Find scholarships

Benefits of Summer Research Scholarships

  1. You'll gain and practice research skills under individual supervision and mentorship. Experiences gained in previous scholarships have included:

    • Exposure to authentic case studies
    • Participation in project meetings
    • Practice in data collection, analysis, literature reviews, reviewing techniques and mind mapping
    • Learning to use specialised software
    • Acquiring specialist laboratory and presentation skills
       
  2. The research experience adds significant value to your CV and will improve your career opportunities – in some cases even leading to a career in research.
  3. Previous summer students have found that the research experience improved their confidence about undertaking postgraduate studies and in many cases directed them to a potential supervisor.
  4. Some summer students have become co-authors of presentations at international conferences and articles for publication in academic journals.
  5. You'll gain great networking opportunities with students from other courses and enjoy extensive interactions with research staff and the international community of scholars.
  6. You'll receive a tax-free $6,750 scholarship stipend paid to your account in instalments as per the Scholarship Office's payment schedule.

Student eligibility criteria for FMHS Summer Research Scholarships

To meet the University's eligibility criteria to be considered for a scholarship you must:

  • Be an undergraduate student who has completed at least two years of an undergraduate degree by the start of the award in November/December.
  • MBChB students are only eligible for consideration for this Scholarship between years 2 and 3 of their degree enrolment. MBChB Year 3 students who have applied to enrol in the Bachelor of Medical Sciences (Honours) (BMedSci(Hons)) year for the following year are eligible for consideration. Students must have enrolled in the BMedSci(Hons) in order to take up and be paid the Scholarship.
  • MBChB students who have been admitted to the MBChB under the graduate entry programme may be eligible for consideration between Year 1 and Year 2 of their MBChB enrolment and should contact the faculty to discuss their eligibility before applying.
  • Be a postgraduate student who is currently undertaking a postgraduate bachelor (honours) or postgraduate diploma programme.
  • Have not commenced a masters or doctoral programme or some taught postgraduate programmes (check the regulations).
  • Are not completing a dissertation or thesis with an extension.
  • Be currently enrolled at a New Zealand university or are an international applicant who has enrolled to study.
  • Have a Scholarship GPA of 6.00 or above over the two most recent years of full-time graded study (or equivalent). A calculator, offered by the Scholarships Office, is available to staff and students to assist with checking GPA eligibility. Māori or Pacific students are required to have a GPA of 5.5 or above over the two most recent years of full-time study (or equivalent).
    Generally, you shouldn’t have held a Summer Research Scholarship previously (for exceptions, check the regulations).
  • For FMHS - Students who have previously been awarded a UoA Summer Research Scholarship will not be eligible to hold a second Summer Research Scholarship unless the second scholarship is funded by the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences or offered by an external funder.
  • Are not seeking employment as a tutor during Summer School or will not be in paid employment either inside or outside the University during the tenure of the Summer Research Scholarship.
  • The project undertaken as part of the scholarship must be clearly defined and have a suitable supervisor willing to supervise the project.

How to apply

Applications will be open from Monday 10 July to Sunday 10 August 2023.

  • Read the Summer Research Scholarships Regulations and check that you meet the eligibility conditions for FMHS.
  • Projects available within the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences and at the Liggins Institute will be advertised on the Summer Research Scholarship website. Take a look and shortlist those that interest you.
  • Complete an online scholarship application, please refer to the Summer Research Scholarship website for full instructions of how to apply and dont forget to submit the application!!

Details for successful students

Congratulations on being awarded a summer research scholarship! Please read through the instructions below to arrange payment of your scholarship stipend and the requirements for final reporting. Start dates and hours of work will be arranged directly with your supervisor and access to offices/labs through your host Department/School.

Summer Research Projects final reporting

Students are required to submit a final project report which signifies the completion of the scholarship. 

The deadline for submission of the report is 24 February. The reporting template and guidelines are available to download.

Please submit as one PDF document with the title 'LASTNAME, Firstname - SRS report [Year]' to your supervisor.