Apply for the ASH Minority Medical Student Award Program
The ASH Minority Medical Student Award Program (MMSAP) is designed to introduce minority medical students to hematology and hematology research through one of the following research options.
- Summer project: for students in their first or second year of medical school, to be conducted during the summer break (over a span of eight to 12 weeks)
- Flexible project: for students in their first, second, or third year of medical school, to be completed over the course of a year (must commit approximately 320 to 480 hours)
- Yearlong project: students must take a year off from medical school during what would otherwise be their second, third, or fourth year of medical school
MMSAP participants may apply for a second research experience and are encouraged to remain involved with ASH throughout medical school and residency to continue on the path to a career in hematology.
Program Benefits
Program participants receive the guidance of a research mentor and a career-development mentor, $1,000 for travel to the ASH annual meeting, $1,000 after the meeting for presenting their research at the Promoting Minorities in Hematology event, and complimentary ASH membership throughout medical school and residency, in addition to:
| Summer & Flex Projects | Yearlong Project |
| $5,000 stipend | $32,000 stipend, plus additional allowances |
| $2,000 for research supplies | $4,000 for research supplies |
Please be aware that if you choose to conduct your research at an institution other than your home institution, your project may be subject to a "visiting researcher fee." Please discuss this potential fee with your research mentor so that you are informed and to ensure that an agreed upon plan is in place to cover this potential fee.
Eligibility Requirements
At the time of application, the applicant must:
- Identify as being a member of a community that is underserved and underrepresented in hematology. Applicants are asked to self-identify, and participants for the award are drawn from this pool.
- Be enrolled in a MD, DO, or MD-PhD medical school program.
- If applying for a summer project, be within his/her first or second year of medical school; or, if applying for a flexible or yearlong project, be within his/her first, second, or third year of medical school.
- Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or Canada, J1 Visa holders, or have Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) status. To be eligible for consideration, an applicant must be planning and committed to conducting the relevant research project in the contiguous United States or Canada with an ASH member mentor.
- Have a research mentor who is an ASH member in good standing. To request assistance in identifying a research mentor, please submit a Request a Mentor form in the online awards system by the October 15 deadline.
Program Mentorship
Each MMSAP applicant must have a research mentor who is an ASH member in good standing. Once accepted to the program, participants are paired with a career-development mentor by the ASH Committee on Promoting Diversity.
To request assistance in identifying a research mentor, submit a Request a Mentor form in the online awards system by the October 15 deadline. Once the form is received, you will be contacted by a member of the ASH Committee on Promoting Diversity to discuss research interests. In order to receive assistance identifying potential research mentors, you must provide your CV or NIH Biographical Sketch as well as your personal statement to the ASH member who will assist with the matching process.
Research Mentors
MMSAP research mentors are ASH members who assume the responsibilities of overseeing a participant's work and progress. The research mentor's responsibilities are primarily to:
- Assist the applicant with the completion of the program application
- Aid the participant in the establishment of his/her research experience following award disbursement
- Complete and submit an evaluation form describing the research experience and providing suggestions regarding program enhancements
- Assist in the preparation of a short presentation of the participant's research which the participant will present at the Promoting Minorities in Hematology event at the ASH annual meeting
- Attend the ASH annual meeting and the Promoting Minorities in Hematology event in the year of the participant's research experience
- Encourage the student to continue to explore hematology as a career option
Research mentors receive an allowance for research supplies ($2,000 for summer and flex projects; $4,000 for yearlong projects) and a $1,000 travel stipend to attend the ASH annual meeting with the student.
Career-Development Mentors
MMSAP career-development mentors are ASH members who are available to provide professional guidance, career development, and positive role modeling to participants for the duration of the program.
Career-development mentors receive a $1,000 travel stipend to attend the ASH annual meeting with the student. The mentor receives this stipend each year that he/she travels to the ASH annual meeting with the student during the student's remaining years of medical school and residency.
Volunteer to Be an MMSAP Mentor
ASH is seeking members to serve as research and career-development mentors for the ASH Minority Medical Student Award Program. Volunteer to be a mentor and help shape the future minds of hematology.
Application Process
Please use the following resources to help guide you through the application process.
- MMSAP Application Guidance for Students
- MMSAP Application Guidance for Mentors
- Frequently Asked Questions
The MMSAP application, as well as all supporting documents outlined below, must be submitted through the ASH online awards system. Applicants must identify a research mentor on their application, and the research mentor must be an ASH member in good standing.
All applications must include the following:
- NIH Biographical Sketch
- Applicant Research Proposal (maximum three pages; one additional page of references optional)
- Applicant Personal Statement
- Mentor NIH Biographical Sketch
- Letters of recommendation on official letterhead, including:
- One (1) letter from an advisor or medical school instructor articulating how participation in MMSAP would benefit the applicant’s career development
- One (1) letter of endorsement from the applicant's research mentor, which should state the support the applicant will receive from the mentor
- Required only for flexible option applicants: a 12-month timeline/research schedule that shows how the applicant plants to integrate the research project with his/her coursework/clinical rotations over the course of the year
- Returning recipients can easily reapply for a second year of support with our streamlined Renewal Application feature
Evaluation, Selection, and Notification
Applications submitted by the deadline will be reviewed by the Committee on Promoting Diversity and will be evaluated on the following criteria.
- Applicant: interest in hematology and commitment to research and/or health disparities
- Mentor: prior mentoring experience, general record of funding, mentoring plan (proposed project), and NIH biosketch
- Research Project: feasibility, quality of project description, and evidence of applicant’s understanding of proposed project and its relevance
Accepted applicants and their mentors will receive official notification of acceptance by mid-March.
Related Content
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Learn about Tolulope Rosanwo, a 2015 ASH Minority Medical Student Award Program participant whose research project focused on sickle cell disease, the most common inherited blood disorder in the United States.