Research Frequently Asked Questions

Please email the details of your research assignment to  COMStudentAffairs@health.fau.edu. Medical students may be asked to complete an Extra-Curricular Student Activity (ECSA) form.

Professional liability (medical) protection is available in an amount of up to $1,000,000 per occurrence for FAU Medical Students* when they are not subject to individual immunity under Florida law (Fla. Stat. § 768.28(9)) and when participating in the College of Medicine pre-approved extra-curricular activity (i.e., non-practicum activity) involving the delivery of Professional Health Care Services to patients (e.g., clinical, shadowing, research). In order to obtain this protection, and if requested by the hosting facility, students are required to complete and submit for consideration and approval an Extra-Curricular Student Activity (ECSA) form in advance of the activity.

Requests must be submitted at least ten days prior to the research start date.  Once your ECSA Form has been approved, the Office of Student Affairs will provide FAU’s certificate of liability insurance.

 No, the College of Medicine does not currently provide student funding. Always consult with your mentor about research plans before taking action as they may be aware of both internal and/or external resources and opportunities depending on your research specifics. 

The  FAU Graduate Professional Student Association (GPSA)  provides limited funding for conference travel.  Medical Students can submit a ‘Graduate Student Travel Application’ through  Owl Central. 

1. Search: FAU Owl Central- Click on 1^ST  Result  https://fau.campuslabs.com/engage   /
2. Click on Organizations
3. Click on: “Activity and Service, Accounting and Budget Office (ASAB)”
4. Scroll down and look for “FORMS"
5. Click on “Graduate Student Travel Application”
6. Review application requirements and submit form.

Funds will be given to eligible students on a first-come, first-served basis.  If you have additional questions, please email  gpsatravel@fau.edu. 

Medical students must receive prior permission to miss curricular activities. If you think you might miss class, submit an absence request once you get a tentative schedule.

Review the citations of the papers you have read in your research area and discuss them with your faculty research mentor.

You may also use a  manuscript matching search tool. The  Directory of Open Access Journals (DOAJ)  is also a useful resource. 

Once you identify a few potential journals, review the journal websites (author section for the scope of the journal, journal audience, type of papers journal accepts, peer-review process, the timeline from submission to review, submission or publication costs, etc.), and  determine journal quality.

You may also consult with the  medical librarians.

Yes, there are a few options available. Reference management software helps you by electronically collecting, storing, formatting and citing references while you write your manuscript.

For more information visit the Medical Library Reference Management webpage.

Yes, SPSS is available for free to all FAU faculty and students. The site license is renewed annually (July) and will require a new authorization code.

FAU Office of Information Technology (OIT) also provides access to other software from the  FAU virtual apps site.