Inquiry Funding Office Policies
The following policies pertain to SOM Inquiry Funded Student Researchers.
If you are participating in research activities outside of the Inquiry program, please consult directly with your faculty advisor or program leadership to ensure the activity complies with program expectations and institutional policies.
Liability Insurance Coverage While on LOA
Medical students on LOA are not covered by the University of California’s professional liability insurance program while on leave. As a result, while you are on LOA, you may not participate in patient-facing activities or clinical care of any kind, including as part of a research experience.
This means that during your LOA, you should not provide or assist with patient care, perform clinical examinations or take clinical histories, participate in procedures or surgeries, or otherwise engage in clinical activities that would ordinarily rely on UCSF student professional liability coverage. This clarification does not prevent you from continuing appropriate research activities that do not constitute clinical care. If your research involves patients or takes place in a clinical setting, please work with your faculty mentor and program leadership to ensure that your activities remain within the appropriate scope for a student on LOA.
Shadowing and Observation While on LOA
Purely observational shadowing may be permitted in some departments under their established policies and procedures, which may include acknowledgment or waiver of liability insurance coverage. If you are interested in shadowing while on LOA, please inquire with the relevant department before participating to determine whether it is permitted and what approvals or documentation are required.
Health Insurance Coverage While on LOA
The SOM Yearlong Fellowship includes the option of health insurance paid for by the Inquiry Funding Office. The coverage period will be commensurate with your research fellowship OR up to the academic quarter in which you re-register as a UCSF student (which-ever is earlier). As an alternative, explore external coverage options such as Covered California and reach out to the county in which you reside if Medi-Cal eligible.
Policies Supporting Alternative Yearlong Funding
Definition of Alternative Funding
Each year the Inquiry Funding Office (IFO) must decline a number of yearlong funding applications due to limited programmatic resources. In addition to our limited intramural sources, multiple other extramural and intramural sources exist for yearlong funding which can be combined to achieve an alternatively-funded fellowship package. The Inquiry Funding Office administratively supports medical student research packages with the goal of ensuring equity in funding packages, policy, and process. Inquiry Funding Office can provide the following services:
- Competitive review committees for all available sources
- Equitable and streamlined stipend and fellowship package distribution
- Health insurance counseling and enrollment
- Loan interest calculation and offset
- Tracking and follow-up on student deliverables
Mentor or Departmental Funding
Project mentors who are interested in supporting a student directly are encouraged to reach out to the Inquiry Funding Office (IFO) for guidance prior to the start of the students research year in July. IFO can help acclimate Faculty and/or their administrators with the processes used for Yearlong Research Fellows. If mentors and/or their administrators need direction in coordinating their students research term, please reach out to the Inquiry Funding Coordinator.
If mentors would like to align their budget, below are the offerings under the SOM Yearlong Fellowship:
Annual Stipend $37,440 - annually adjusted by Financial Aid
Student Health Insurance (if applicable) $7,325 AVG - cost UC SHIP
Loan Interest Offset (average, if applicable) $5,475 AVG - variable based on loan burden
TOTAL: $50,240 Approx.
Optional Fellowship benefits such as tuition and education expenses, travel and dissemination, or supplies, can be included.
