Strategic Plan for UCI Pharmacy

The SRP presents the PharmD student with an opportunity to develop and design a research project with mentor guidance. The project will focus on pharmacy and healthcare related topics, providing an opportunity for students to interpret results and create a plan for dissemination and utilization of research results to contribute to new knowledge. 

Students are expected to invest approximately 200 hours of work over the course of the project (spanning 2 years). Hours include time spent in the classroom (PHMD 280A and 280B), evaluating background information, writing and submitting IRB proposals (as applicable), performing interventions, collecting and analyzing project data, drafting project updates, and developing a final poster suitable for public presentation.

This depends on the working style and preference of the preceptor and the scope of the project. Some mentors may choose to submit posters for national conferences or develop projects into manuscripts. Please refer to the Mentor-Student Agreement for the timelines and expectations. Note: It is not required that these projects result in abstract or manuscript submissions, but it is encouraged. 

Yes, under certain conditions, please email sppsofficeofresearch@uci.edu if you’d like to pursue this further. The intent of the scholarly research project is to allow the student to independently drive the development and completion of a research project. We want to ensure that the student is maintaining primary responsibility for steps leading to project completion. Data collection alone will not meet project requirements. Students may conduct follow-up analysis of resident project results, for example evaluation of long-term results from a resident-initiated program or protocol.

• Find guidelines for authorship here.

Preceptors interested in serving as a mentor on a scholarly project can submit research ideas at any time here.

The student-preceptor relationship may organically lead to project ideas during the course of work in various pharmacy settings. Preceptors may team up to co-mentor a project for an individual or small group of students (max 4 students per group and max 2 mentors per group/project).

Students may identify and select projects as early as PY1. Students are expected to submit a signed mentor-student agreement and project synopsis at the beginning Fall quarter of PY2 per course requirements (PHMD280A). Students will complete an update in spring PY2 to summarize work completed, with poster formulation completed by spring PY3 (PHMD 280B). Final research results will be presented at the UCI SPPS Poster Symposium at the end of spring PY3.

PharmD students are trained in the generation of research questions and writing of research proposals, with attention paid to technical writing skills, defining relevant terms, and types of IRB-based research. Students are taught basic statistical analysis using SPSS, with additional support provided by SPPS faculty throughout the project.