Research Opportunities

To sign up for a research elective, please follow the simple steps below:

Find a research mentor

UCLA research mentors must have a UCLA faculty appointment. Away research mentors must hold a faculty appointment at their respective sites. Away research will count as part of the 12 weeks allowed for AWAY electives.

Faculty mentors will be sent an evaluation request. The expectation is that you are in close contact with your faculty mentor and they are aware of your activities. If you are doing two blocks of time with the same mentor, even if the two blocks are discontinuous, your mentor will be asked to complete one summative evaluation. If you do two blocks with two different faculty mentors, each mentor will be asked to fill out an evaluation.

Find a time in your 4th year to schedule your research

Research can either be one block of six consecutive weeks or split into two blocks of time (3-week block + 3-week block, 2 + 4, or 1 + 5).  You may also not schedule your research electives during any mandatory week, such as Foundations for Fourth Year or Match week. We realize that research time often involves writing, data analysis, and other tasks that can be included during a time when you are also doing other things, like participating in residency interviews. Please feel free to schedule research blocks during the times you will be interviewing.

Fill out the Research Elective Proposal and submit it early

If you are working at a site other than UCLA, please submit the research proposal survey two weeks from your desired start date. Retroactive requests for credit will not be approved.

Research Elective Proposal Survey

Notice: Due to the impending fiscal closure, we are unable to approve any additional travel funding requests for the academic year 2024-25. Applications for AY2025-26 will open on June 1, for conferences occurring on or after July 1.

For the Academic Year 2025-2026, we are able to offer up to $500 in support to DGSOM students who have had their Discovery research project abstract accepted to a journal, meeting, or conference. Students are eligible to receive funding once in their academic career at DGSOM. This support is designated to offset your expenses for registration for a virtual conference or an in-person conference, abstract submission, or conference-related costs. Travel-related costs will be approved and reimbursed providing all COVID-related guidelines are followed as it pertains to travel. Students may not seek any duplicate reimbursement for travel from any other funding sources per University Policy.

Travel Approval Process

Please submit travel funding requests at least 4 weeks before the conference or meeting to ensure we can reimbursement certain items and expenses. Late/ After-the-Fact submissions will not be accepted.

• Ensure you meet the Funding Requirements.
  • Must be accepted to present at a conference or meeting (provide a copy of the email notice or letter stating you have been accepted to present)
  • Must be 1st author on abstract to receive funding (the exception to this will be if 1st author on abstract is unable to present and you are presenting in their place in which an email is required from the PI giving their approval)
  • Provide a copy of your abstract
  • Provide a copy of the conference registration
  • Please wait to receive funding approval before seeking reimbursement for conference-related expenses
  • Documentation and proof of payment for conference registration and all conference-related expenses are required
  • **You are allowed funding once per your DGSOM academic career**
  • **Please note that reimbursements take a minimum of 3 weeks before funds are sent out**
  • UCLA Accounting is now asking for students to have a Zelle Account set-up for funds to be sent once reimbursements are finalized
• Submit your Funding Request by completing the DGSOM Research Conference Funding Request Form.
• You will receive a response regarding your funding request within 3 business days.

 Travel Booking Process

• Students are responsible for booking their own individual flight/hotel/registration.
• We can reimburse you for conference registration, airline tickets, ground transportation such as taxi, train, Uber or Lyft, shuttles, etc.
• Please Note: for hotels, UCLA has a $333 per night room rate cap before taxes. Please try to stay below or near this amount.

Travel Reimbursement Process

• Submit the following in 1 PDF file within 14 days of travel:
  • Invoices/itemized receipts
  • Credit/debit card image or statement that reflects these charges (last 4 numbers of credit card must match those reflected on itemized receipts/invoices)
  • Travel Reimbursement Worksheet (in Excel format)
  • If you have Zelle, we recommend this option over having a check cut and mailed to you. If you have Zelle, please share your email and phone number tied to your Zelle account. If Zelle payments do not go through, a paper check will be mailed the address we have on file so please be sure to have the most updated mailing address on file.
  • You can expect payments between 2-4 weeks. Expect delays during the Annual Fiscal Close (June-July).

Important information for students seeking independent grant funding: 

Extramural grant proposals submitted without a research faculty mentor, the Dean's Office, and the UCLA Office of Contract and Grant Administration (OCGA) approval, cannot be accepted or processed by the Dean's Office for funds management and disbursement.

If you are thinking of applying to an external research summer opportunity or yearlong research opportunity that requires a formal grant proposal application or the university receiving and administrating grant funds, please discuss with your faculty research mentor, assistant dean, or program director before you begin the proposal application process so they can determine if you will need approval from the UCLA Office of Contract and Grant Administration (OCGA) before submitting.

All outgoing grants must follow strict university guidelines and protocols and must be approved by OCGA before submitting. All grants processed through OCGA require multiple signatures by leadership prior to submission (UCLA clinical department chair/division, medical school Dean, etc). Only OCGA has the authority for agreements with the government, non-profit, and higher education organizations.

All UCLA grants must be approved by OCGA before they are submitted to outside funders. OCGA assists the campus research community in reviewing, approving, and submitting proposal applications and negotiating and executing contracts and grants from government and non-profit sponsors.