Grants and Writing Resources for Morehouse School of Medicine

The 38th Curtis L. Parker Research Symposium on February 11, 2026 drew more than 100 poster presentations from MSM's MD, PhD, master's, MPH, physician assistant, undergraduate and postdoctoral researchers. In June an MD/MBA student preparing for an obstetrics and gynecology residency was named to the 2026-2027 ElevateMeD Scholars Program, a national network that offers scholarships and mentorship to future physician leaders.

Research Day Prizes

The Dr. Curtis L. Parker Student Research Symposium is an annual showcase of student research. Residents, medical students and graduate students present alongside undergraduates from the Atlanta University Center and other Georgia colleges and universities, and a guest scientist gives the keynote.

In 2026 faculty judges discussed each project with its presenter and evaluated the work, and prizes went out by category. The awards included the Curtis L. Parker Award for PhD students, the Graduate Education in Biomedical Science Award for master's students, the Graduate Education in Public Health Award, the Honorable Louis B. Stokes Research Award for undergraduates and the Jay Romans Medical Student Research Award. The day also includes a Three Minute Thesis competition with a first prize and a People's Choice Award.

Funded Research Training

MSM has trained student biomedical researchers since 1987, and its MBRS/RISE program is funded by the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. Trainees at the undergraduate, graduate and medical levels do mentor-directed research, attend seminars and journal clubs, and present their findings at Student Research Day, the RISE peer seminar or a scientific society meeting. Predoctoral and master's students with RISE support join the graduate research training track, which pays a salary plus travel and tuition support.

Scholarships

The financial aid office lists its scholarships and grants on one page. The George and Pearl Strickland Scholarship goes to Georgia residents enrolled or accepted at MSM on the basis of financial need, and the amount changes from year to year. Merit Scholarships normally go to entering MD students on the Admissions Committee's recommendation. The National Health Service Corps Scholarship pays tuition, required fees and a monthly stipend in exchange for primary care service in a shortage area.

Writing Support and the Dissertation

The Writing Collaborative, part of the Office of Student Learning and Educational Resources, runs Student Writing Services for every MSM student. Consultations are face to face or online. Writers bring APA citations, topic development, abstracts and posters, personal statements, theses and dissertations, and class assignments. Students can also request a TWC workshop.

The PhD curriculum in biomedical sciences places Preparing a Research Proposal in the second year and requires at least 25 credit hours of dissertation research after candidacy; the dissertation committee decides when the research is complete. Students in the MS in Biomedical Research choose a specialty and carry out mentored thesis research. For the literature search, the library teaches hands-on classes in PubMed, Ovid, Scopus and Journal Citation Reports.

An MSM dissertation, thesis or personal statement in its last draft is ready for a final edit for grammar, consistency and format from our editors. See our Morehouse School of Medicine dissertation and thesis editing and Morehouse School of Medicine essay editing pages, or write to editors@editorsforstudents.com.

From Our Writing Guides

• Treating the Personal Statement as a Scholarly Defense
• The Results Chapter: Presenting Data with Forensic Clarity
• How to Write a Cause and Effect Essay: Mapping the Causal Chain