Independent Scholarly Project

One of the Important missions of the Georgetown University School of Medicine (GUSoM) is to promote and provide support for scientific inquiry and scholarly activity within the learning environment.

To that end, the Independent Scholarly Project (ISP) is a graduation requirement for all students at GUSoM, and provides a pathway and framework for our young investigators.

A student presents from next to a monitor displaying his presentation while other students sit in chairs before him

About the Independent Scholarly Project

The Independent Scholarly Project (ISP) is a requirement for all students at Georgetown University School of Medicine and must be completed prior to graduation. Each student pursues a scholarly project that answers (or seeks to answer) a research question under the supervision of a faculty mentor. Students may identify their own research question/project and then find the appropriate mentor or develop a research question/project under the guidance of a faculty mentor. View a more detailed explanation of the ISP process.

Many students begin to explore ISP opportunities during their M1 and M2 years at GUSOM. An ISP orientation session is part of the M1 curriculum. During this mandatory session, students are provided with information about the ISP process, including important benchmarks. Further guidance about the ISP is provided during Bridges 3 during the Principles of Research in Medicine (PRIM) course. The Office of Student Research is readily available to assist with all things related to the ISP. Other support for the ISP is provided by the Dahlgren Memorial Library (DML) and our partnership with the Student Research Advisory Committee if you are interested in research and ISP involvement during those years. The Resources page will also provide further information including all necessary forms that are needed to fulfill your ISP requirement.

Important Deadlines: M2027

October 9, 2026 (M4) – ISP Proposal Due Proposal

February 09, 2027 (M4) – Participant registration (for graduating class, participation is mandatory) – open from 01/04/2027 – 02/08/2027

Monday, April 12, 2027 (M4) – Mentor Evaluation Due ISP mentor evaluation

Monday, April 12, 2027 (M4) – ISP Completion Form Due ISP completion form

Friday, April 30, 2027 (M4) – 16^th Annual George M. Kober Student Research Day – ISP Research Presentations

(M4) – Presentation/Poster Template