HSR Summer Student Fellowship & Internship - Student Requirements & Application Process

Fellowship/internship students must work on their project for 25-40 hours per week for 10 weeks between May-August. 

Eligibility Requirements

• Student Eligibility: Undergraduate, master and doctoral level students (i.e., Ph.D., Pharm.D., D.D.S., M.D., etc.) enrolled at the University of Michigan during the summer of 2026. Students graduating in spring 2026 and starting a U-M graduate or doctoral program in fall 2026, are also eligible for the program.
• International Students: S&J Students sponsored by the University of Michigan must have on-campus employment eligibility. Please consult the International Center ([email protected]) if you have questions about your status.
• Doctoral Students: applying to the IHPI/HSR Fellowship Program must comply with Rackham's Additional Funding in Excess of Stipend Policy (Section IV). Please review all the funding guidelines on Rackham's website. Doctoral students applying to the IHPI/HSR Fellowship program should have their department complete the following IHPI/HSR Fellowship Program – Department Authorization Form (to be submitted by DGS, Academic Advisory, or Graduate Coordinator). This form should be completed before the student applies to the program.
• Students apply to either the Fellowship or Internship based on their current program of study:
  - Fellowship: Doctoral-level students (i.e., Ph.D., Pharm.D., D.D.S., M.D., etc.)  apply to the 10-week summer fellowship program.
  - Internship: Undergraduate and master-level students will apply to the 10-week summer internship program.
• Students who have previously participated in the program are not eligible to apply to the 2026 program.
   

Project Selection and Development Requirements

Students must identify an IHPI member from a different school, college, or institute than the student's degree-granting program. For example, a student from the School of Public Health cannot work with an IHPI member from School of Public Health; they must partner with an IHPI member from a different U-M school/college (such as the Medical School or Social Work). The IHPI member and student, should jointly, agree on a research project, either from the list submitted by the faculty or of their own determination. Dual degree M.D. students may partner with a medical school faculty member if the student is working on their secondary degree during the project. For instance, M.D./M.P.H. students may work with a medical school faculty member if they are working on their M.P.H. degree during the duration of the project. 

Application Process

Applications are available in Competition Space between January 19 and February 27. You can use this link to access the application. If the link doesn’t take you to the application, use the search bar to find the application for the 2026 IHPI/HSR Summer Student Fellowship and Internship Program.

Step 1: A list of faculty summer projects will be available on the IHPI website for students to review from January 19 – February 27.
Step 2: Students contact an IHPI member with whom they would like to work with, either an IHPI member who has submitted a project or an IHPI member with whom they will develop a project together.

Suggested Application Timeline:

• January 19 – January 31: Students should contact faculty to discuss their interest in their posted project. When contacting a faculty member, students should email their resume and their interest in the project. Faculty or their designated staff member should interview the student(s) to determine their fit for the project.
• February 1 - February 27: Faculty should finish interviewing students, and finalize the student’s participation on the project, the details of the project, and the student’s personal statement and application. Students must have the IHPI member sign their personal statement, indicating that they agree to the scope of the project. 

Step 3: Students submit the Fellowship/Internship application form by February 27, 2026, at 11:59 pm. 
Step 4: The IHPI Education & Career Development Advisory Group will review applications and notify students by March 31, 2026. 
 

Applications must include:

1. Student resume or CV.
2. A personal statement (500 – 1,000 words) about the student’s interest in the program. The statement should follow the format below:
   ​​​​​
   Education and Experience: Please describe your education and experiences (job, internship, or personal experiences) that have contributed to your interest in public health, health policy, or health services research.
   
   Interests and Goals: Please describe your educational and career goals, and how the IHPI/HSR program and your proposed project will help you pursue these goals.
   
   Project Proposal and Timeline: Please describe the project, the aspects of the project you will be working on, the goals of the project, the project's HSR or health policy relevance, and the 10-week timeframe that you will be working on the project.
    
3. Sign-off from the IHPI member confirming that the student and IHPI member mutually agree on the proposed project, indicated by the faculty member’s electronic signature on the student’s personal statement.
    

Criteria for selection

Applications will be evaluated based on a demonstrated commitment to improving healthcare delivery and value, a demonstrated interest in health services research or health policy, and a clear relationship between the proposed project and the student’s professional interests and career goals.

Contact

If you have questions, contact Jason Wolfe, Program Manager, at [email protected].