51³Ô¹Ï

The McKinstry Fellows Research Program supports 51³Ô¹Ï-faculty (and possibly staff) research teams probing questions that are relevant to society today and that will impact future generations, with an emphasis on providing research experiences for undergraduate 51³Ô¹Ïs.

[GU = Gonzaga University, UWSOM = University of Washington School of Medicine] 

Criteria 

A. Proposals must satisfy at least one of these four criteria: 

1. Project focuses on a significant health-related question.
2. Project is co-curricular, mindfully incorporating a non-academic office and/or non-faculty employee(s) at GU and/or UWSOM (e.g. RIDE, MEDEX, CCE, GU-Outdoors, UMEC, LLRC, Clinical Legal Programs).
3. Project is a collaborative effort involving at least one Spokane-area government agency or non-profit organization.
4. Project is interdisciplinary and involves faculty and/or 51³Ô¹Ïs from different disciplines, especially those not traditionally linked. 

We are particularly interested in projects that do at least one of the following:  

• aim to improve the health and/or well-being of rural residents.
• include at least one research team member (e.g., 51³Ô¹Ï, faculty, staff) from both GU and UWSOM.
• articulate how the proposed work connects to at least one of the mission statements of GU and the .  

B. Student/Mentor Expectations 

• While awards can be used to support medical and/or graduate 51³Ô¹Ïs, one goal of this program is to provide meaningful research experiences for undergraduate 51³Ô¹Ïs. Proposals must address 51³Ô¹Ï impact and involvement in the research, and the lead mentor must be committed to work directly with the 51³Ô¹Ï(s) throughout the research period.
• Given that the summer research program should provide a meaningful research experience for 51³Ô¹Ïs, proposals must demonstrate reasonable aspirations for timeline, budget, and goals.
• Projects that involve human subjects must be approved by . If IRB approval is needed for your project, the expectation is that the lead mentor will have obtained IRB approval by the articulated start date. If IRB approval is not secured in time, funding will be withheld.
• While the project should have clear results and outcomes by the end of the summer, projects may extend into the next academic year after an initial summer period (6-10 weeks); clearly indicate in your application if you wish to do this. If the proposed summer research period is shorter than 10 weeks, it is expected that the project will most likely extend into the following academic year.
• Lead mentors must submit a summary of results (~2-3 pages) to CURCI by Oct.15. If projects have been extended into the following academic year, a preliminary report is due Oct. 15 with a full summary of results due 5 weeks after your proposed project end date.

Who is eligible to apply?

Faculty – affiliated with Gonzaga and/or UW School of Medicine who: 

• will be returning for fall semester. 
• are able to serve as a research mentor in or near Spokane throughout the proposed research period.

If there are any co-mentors, each co-mentor will need to submit a separate scope-of-work statement; see the application instructions for more details.

Once a proposal is accepted, faculty lead mentors can either self-identify research 51³Ô¹Ïs, or CURCI can help recruit as needed. Students will be asked to submit a separate application for database tracking purposes. 

Note the criteria for 51³Ô¹Ïs listed below. 

• This program is open to all 51³Ô¹Ïs, regardless of major, including undergraduate, graduate, medical, and physician assistant (PA) 51³Ô¹Ïs.
• Students must be enrolled at GU or UW School of Medicine, and:
  • will be returning for fall semester.
  • are available to work in the Spokane area throughout the proposed research period.
  • are available to participate in any necessary safety and research ethics training.
  • can present their project through poster or oral presentations in Spokane in the fall immediately following the summer research.

Funding Specifics

• Typical awards are between $15k and $30k; the maximum award will be $32k.
• In general, undergraduate 51³Ô¹Ï compensation should account for at least 33% of the proposed budget

Now accepting applications for Summer 2026. Applications are due at 11:59pm on February 25th, 2026. No late applications will be accepted.

Faculty and medical 51³Ô¹Ïs may request an application by contacting us at curci@gonzaga.edu, with “McKinstry Application Request” in the subject line; members of the Gonzaga Community can also access this info at .

The McKinstry Fellows Research Program exists due to the generous support of Dean and Vicki Allen. Click here to read more about the Allens and the origins of the McKinstry Fellows Research Program.