Non-U.S. citizens or non-U.S. permanent residents interested in coming to the KU Medical Center campus for research should know about the International Research Skills Development Program (IRSD).

The IRSD is your opportunity to engage in an educational research experience for your own benefit, including your professional development. Opportunities to participate in this program are limited. 

Program participants must be approved by the following:

• Sponsoring supervisor
• Department chair
• Office of International Programs
• Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs
• Vice Chancellor of Research

The IRSD is overseen by the Office of International Programs (OIP). The program duration is limited to four (4) months.

INTERNATIONAL RESEARCH SKILLS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM INQUIRIES AND PLACEMENTS FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2025

Thank you for your interest in our programs!

OIP manages the programs and the communication between the international enquirer and the department.

It is not permitted to contact clinicians, researchers, and department personnel with requests.

Contacting clinicians, researchers, and department on your own outside of this process may result in your ineligibility for observerships.

• Due to laboratory capacity, placements are extremely limited in availability.
• While we cannot guarantee a placement, we can collect information from you that will help us potentially facilitate an opportunity for you. To assist you with your request, we need our online survey completed.
• The annual inquiry submission window is 15 October-15 December. Requests after 15 December will not be processed.
• If you decide to continue with the application process despite no guarantee of placement in a program, note that a fee of $50 USD will be assessed for each program inquiry received. This fee is mandatory and non-refundable and doesn't guarantee a host.  However, program inquiries will not be reviewed until payment is received.

• IMPORTANT:  The International Research Skills Development Program is a fee-based program. The International applicant is responsible for paying the fees to participate. The standard fees charged for the program are
  
  • Biomedical Research $1,000 per month.
  • Clinical Research $2,000 per month.

Contact Us

To receive the link to the online survey, email: iirpobserve@kumc.edu
When inquiring for the online survey, please do not attach any documents.
Requests for the survey after 15 December will not be accepted, no exceptions.