School of Medicine

SOAR - Student Opportunities for Advancement in Research

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SOAR Office

The Office of Student Opportunities for Advancement in Research (SOAR) educates and supports BCM medical students in pursuing research opportunities. The SOAR database helps faculty and students find matching research projects. We provide information on how to complete the NICER attestation form, participate in Scientific Conferences, and learn from the Student Research Educational Resources. We also provide SOAR Travel Awards to support student research presentations at scientific and medical conferences.

SOAR Database 

The searchable SOAR database helps medical students to identify projects in their area of interest and to connect with faculty willing to serve as research mentors. Projects include basic, translational, clinical, health services, medical education, quality improvement/patient safety, and community medicine research.

Students: Learn how to search the database for specific terms or filter it by department, type of research, or keywords. You can also generate alerts for future projects that match your interests. After identifying a project, you must complete the NICER Authorization for Research Activities Form. Learn how here. If you cannot find a project that meets your needs or interests, you may search the VIICTR profiles website, or email the SOAR Director Mabel Perez-Oquendo, Ph.D. (SOARoffice@bcm.edu).

BCM Faculty: Learn how to list projects in SOAR or start here. A staff member in your group can submit projects on your behalf. The projects will be reviewed by the SOAR office before they are made public. After identifying a student, please guide them to specific training resources associated with your research (safety training, IRB, etc.). Email the SOAR Director Mabel Perez-Oquendo, Ph.D. (SOARoffice@bcm.edu) for assistance.

Quality Improvement Project Registry

The QI Project Registry is a separate resource specialized in quality improvement (QI) and patient safety initiatives. Visit the QI Project Registry website for registration and project viewing instructions.

Travel Awards and Presentation Opportunities

Presenting your work to others is an integral part of the scientific process. Learn how to find opportunities to present your work and obtain funding for your travel.

Need Help with Research Skills?

The SOAR office provides resources aimed at helping medical students develop research skills in various areas including poster presentations, IRB, survey design, and writing abstracts for scientific conference. Each topic is presented by a BCM expert in the field. Visit the Student Educational Resources page to view presentations.
 

Contact Information

Should you want to discuss any topics, opportunities or questions related to research, you may email the SOAR Director Mabel Perez-Oquendo, Ph.D. (SOARoffice@bcm.edu).