Student Research Program

As a multi-faceted research program, we recognize the importance of research education and welcome opportunities to work with students. The following pages describe how students may become involved in various comprehensive educational experiences at Spectrum Health. 

The Student Research Program is available for actively enrolled undergraduate and graduate students in healthcare fields that are required to complete a component of research for their coursework. These mentored research projects typically last two to three months and focus on retrospective studies or quality improvement in clinical care.

To participate in the Student Research Program, students must complete the Spectrum Health Office of Research & Education (SHORE) Student Credentialing Registration Form (to be completed by the student, their mentor, and authorized representative from their school) as well as complete the Student Research Credentialing Training, that includes the following:

• Spectrum Health Conflict of Interest Questionnaire and Quiz
• Spectrum Health CITI Biomedical Research Basic Course
• Spectrum Health Protecting Patient Privacy in Research 

To request the required forms, reach out to Inta Mednis. The credentialing process is done on a quarterly basis as follows:

Once the student is credentialed for research, a confirmation will be sent by email. The Spectrum Health Institutional Review Board (IRB) will be notified of completion status. Upon receiving IRB approval for the student to participate in work on the desired research study, computer log-in and access information will be provided. The student may begin work on their research project once access has been granted.

Students must be currently enrolled in full-time education at a college or university with which Spectrum Health has an affiliation agreement. Minors (< 18 years old) are currently not eligible to participate in research at Spectrum Health.

Spectrum Health currently works with students from the following institutions:

No, students must be currently enrolled in full-time education at a college or university with which Spectrum Health has an affiliation agreement. We encourage you to review other career opportunities available at Spectrum Health.

The agreement outlines the expectations and commitments of both the school/university and Spectrum Health in creating a safe, enriching and rewarding student-research experience.

Your primary contact throughout your student research experience is your school/university representative. This individual is sponsoring and/or approving your involvement in research at Spectrum Health.

Spectrum Health must uphold the highest standards for data privacy and security. Remote access may be approved for those students that have successfully completed the Student Research Credentialing process on a case-by-case basis.

First speak with your research mentor to see if it is possible to decrease your hours. You may also want to contact your school/university representative. If you need to end your research project commitment early, it is important to notify both your mentor and your school/university representative immediately followed by an email to researchassist@spectrumhealth.org.