Research Fellowships

Program Information

The Northwestern University CounterACT Summer Research Fellowship Program provides opportunities for promising high school and undergraduate students to experience focused research work, clinical observation, and informational sessions on toxicology, chemistry, immunology, nanotechnology, ophthalmology, and dermatology.

If you are interested in science and are looking for meaningful work and mentoring, we encourage you to spend the summer with us in the NU CounterACT Center for Excellence. Our summer research fellowship provides you with an opportunity to work at a premier academic medical center and to learn more about careers in research. The fellowship will involve research experiences on both the Evanston and Downtown Chicago Northwestern campuses, as well as virtual seminars. Our fellows participate in clinical observation, work on faculty-sponsored projects and engage in educational seminars from renowned leaders throughout our institution.

This eight-week, full-time, paid program runs Monday through Thursday and is open to students who are 16 years and older. Positions are available at the high school and undergraduate level. Candidates should be interested in science research with a minimum GPA of 3.0 

Our summer 2025 internship will tentatively run from June 16, 2025 through July 31, 2025.

Application Process for the CounterACT Summer Research Program:

Our application for our summer 2025 program will open November 1, 2024 through February 1, 2025. Online application link can be found here: https://redcap.link/NUCounterACTfellowship 

For more information about the summer fellowship, please email stephanie.rangel@northwestern.edu.  

Applications will be reviewed in February and the selection committee will invite qualified candidates to a zoom interview in March. Final decisions will be made by April 2025.

Predoctoral and MD Research Fellowships will be accepting applicants until 12/31/24. Any application received after 12/31/24 will only be considered on a rolling basis if fellowship positions become available. Fellowship applications will be reviewed in December followed by interviews and offer notifications by end of January 2025.

For MD Graduates

Clinical research MD fellowships are one to two years in duration (July 1 to June 30) under the mentorship of Dr. Amy Paller based at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago. Fellowships are offered preferentially to physicians with at least one year of internship training and to those who wish to pursue further training in pediatric dermatology. Candidates who are IL-license eligible physicians with at least 2 years of residency training and/or previous training in pediatrics are preferred. Applicants are expected to be highly motivated with strong organizational and writing skills. Research areas include investigator-initiated and industry-initiated studies in pediatric inflammatory skin disorders and genetic derm disorders.

These paid fellowships provide an opportunity for intense exposure to both investigator-initiated and sponsored research, interaction with patients and participation in didactic sessions in Dermatology at NMH and Lurie Children's. Travel support is provided for those presenting at dermatology conferences. 

Fellowship Location: Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine

Start Date: July 1, 2025

For Predoctoral Medical Students

Visiting predoctoral clinical research fellowships are one year in duration and are based at NMH and Lurie Children's. Fellowships are offered to medical students who have completed M3 year and wish to complete a year dedicated to research to further their training in dermatology.

These fellowships provide an opportunity for intense exposure to the field, interaction with patients and participation in didactic sessions in Dermatology at NMH and Lurie Children's. Applicants are expected to be highly motivated with strong organizational and writing skills. Dermatology research areas include: inflammatory skin diseases, melanoma, dermatologic surgery, medical dermatology, onccodermatology, pediatric dermatology, and skin of color. Qualified students are paired with a team of faculty/resident mentors to engage in investigator-initiated projects. Travel support is provided for those presenting at dermatology conferences. 

Fellowship Location: Northwestern University, Feinberg School of Medicine

Start Date: July 1, 2025

Duration: 11-12 months

How To Apply for the MD Graduate or Predoctoral Medical Student Research Fellowship:

To apply for either clinical research fellowship, please complete our Research Fellowship Application Form, linked below. Applicants should provide their CV (including USMLE scores), medical school transcript, personal statement and list of references. For references, please provide the names and corresponding contact information for 3 professional references. 

Click Here for the Research Fellowship Application Form

For additional information or assistance, please contact NUdermatologyCTU@northwestern.edu.

View our Current Research Fellows