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Four Directions Summer Research Program

Brigham and Women's Hospital

Overview

The Four Directions Summer Research Program is a unique summer research opportunity at Mass General Brigham for undergraduate rising sophomores, juniors and seniors and first-year medical students, with a commitment to the health of Native American communities. Students engage in a basic science research project under the direction of a faculty mentor. Additional activities include clinical shadowing, career development seminars, talking circles, networking events and more. Upon completion of the program, students leave Mass General Brigham with new skills, experiences and knowledge that can be used to empower themselves, their communities and future generations of Native peoples from all Four Directions.

Our history

The Four Directions Summer Research Program was founded by Native American students attending Harvard Medical School (HMS). These students shared a common vision of increasing educational and career opportunities for promising Native American students. With the help of a few devoted medical school faculty, the program was launched in 1994 with the successful enrollment of 6 students for the first summer. The Four Directions Summer Research Program is now in its 31st year, has brought over 200 students to Brigham and Women's Hospital and HMS, and will now expand to Mass General Brigham.

Our mission

The mission of the Four Directions Summer Research Program is to train the next generation of leaders in Native American health care. With the support of our research administration and under the guidance of Mass General Brigham faculty, the Four Directions Summer Research Program is able to prepare students with mentoring, networking, and hands on research experience under the guidance of Mass General Brigham faculty.

Our goals

To provide students with tools, information and opportunities on their journey to becoming physicians, researchers and public health professionals; as well as role models and teachers in the academic community
To create an extensive network of health professionals dedicated to Indigenous health care that will serve as a venue for knowledge sharing, nationwide mentoring and advocacy
To cultivate students’ understanding and awareness of Native American health issues and associated health issues more broadly.

Application instructions

We are looking for students who have the following qualities:

Students who follow and comply with all the application requirements and eligibility criteria. Please review these closely.
Mature students who are looking for an opportunity to show that they have what it takes to succeed in high-level research.
Students who are professional, punctual, and who can participate fully in all aspects of the program.
Students who are assets to the program and the other participating students.

Please only apply if:

Your expectations align with ours! Four Directions is an exciting and demanding program, which will require your full-time attention and dedication. We have high expectations of our students, and we encourage you to have high expectations of the program.
You can attend the mandatory 8-week programming period. Exceptions may be made if you have extenuating circumstances, such as conflicts with medical school dates.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

While specific internal mechanisms have their own criteria, successful applications at BWH tend to share the following features:

✅ 1. Alignment With Institutional Priorities

Internal awards often target institutional strategic themes:

Innovation with translational or commercial potential

Early signals pointing toward high impact

Cross-disciplinary and collaborative science

Tailoring your application to the explicit goals of the specific internal program (e.g., career development vs pilot data vs innovation commercialization) increases competitiveness. discoverbrigham.org

✅ 2. Clear Scientific Rationale and Innovation

Both internal and external reviewers prioritize strong scientific questions with potential impact. Whether pilot funding or innovation seed grants, clear identification of the problem and proposed advances drives fundability.

✅ 3. Feasible Plan Within Resources

A realistic project plan with achievable milestones and demonstrable feasibility (especially for pilot or early stage awards that may feed into external proposals) is critical. This includes realistic timelines and resource use.

✅ 4. Preliminary Data or Strong Rationale for Data Generation

For internal pilot awards and external mechanisms alike, having even limited preliminary data or a strong, logical rationale for your experimental approach improves readability and reviewer confidence.

✅ 5. Collaborative Strength and Institutional Support

Brigham encourages cross-departmental collaboration — applications that show complementary expertise across teams or institutions can stand out. Institutional support (letters of support, statement of resource access) signals readiness.

✅ 6. Professional, Clear Communication

Clarity in the narrative and in articulating impact helps both internal committees and external reviewers assess merit. Good writing helps reviewers quickly understand significance and feasibility.

✅ 7. Translation & Clinical Relevance (Where Applicable)

For innovation or translational funding (such as Brigham Ignite), proposals that articulate a clear path toward clinical or commercial impact — beyond academic publication — tend to perform better. Brigham Ignite

🛠 Practical Tips When Applying Within BWH

📌 Match the Award Goals: Carefully read the specific award description and tailor each section (aims, impact, budget, timeline) to that mechanism. discoverbrigham.org

📌 Leverage Institutional Resources: Use internal grant writing resources, seminars, and consultation services often offered through the Brigham Research Institute or departmental research offices. discoverbrigham.org

📌 Build Strategic Collaborations: Partner with colleagues across departments or within Mass General Brigham to strengthen scientific depth and institutional buy-in.

📌 Demonstrate Progression Path: Especially for pilot or microgrant proposals, explain how this work will lead to external funding or larger projects.

📌 Justify Budget Realistically: Align project costs tightly with the proposed milestones.

📌 Summary: Success Predictors in BWH Funding

Predictor	Applies To
Alignment with specific award goals	Internal awards & innovation programs discoverbrigham.org
Strong scientific rationale	All mechanisms
Feasible design & achievable milestones	Pilot & innovation awards
Preliminary data or clear data strategy	Pilot & external grants
Collaborative team & institutional support	All awards
Clear, professional communication	All awards
Translational/clinical relevance	Innovation/translation funding

Specialties

Others

Eligibility Requirements

Undergraduate rising sophomores, juniors and seniors and 1st year medical students, with a commitment to the health of Native American communities
U.S. Citizen or permanent resident
Strong interest in pursuing advanced careers as research scientists, physician and/or health care professionals
Priority will be given to those from disadvantaged backgrounds

Eligible Countries:

United States

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Brigham and Women's Hospital

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA 02115

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