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Indiana University School of Medicine
Indiana University School of Medicine
Medical Student Portal

Faculty Mentors at IU School of Medicine

For Medical Students

The IU School of Medicine Faculty Mentor Directory is designed to help you discover research opportunities across all of our nine campuses. Whether you're located in Indianapolis or at a regional site, this searchable tool allows you to find faculty mentors by location, specialty or keyword. It’s a simple and effective way to identify potential collaborators whose research interests align with yours. From early exploration to focused scholarly projects, this resource supports your growth and helps you build meaningful connections with faculty across the state.

Search the Faculty Mentor Directory

Looking to be a mentor?

For Faculty Mentors

By completing the Prospective Faculty Mentor Form, you’ll be added to a statewide directory that connects you with medical students seeking research mentorship. Students will be able to search based on your location, research focus and keywords you provide, making it easier for them to reach out and initiate collaboration. Whether you're open to short-term student involvement or long-term research partnerships, this is a valuable opportunity to support student scholarship and contribute to the academic mission of IU School of Medicine.

Prospective Faculty Mentor Form

Student Research Participation FAQs for Faculty

Understanding the updated Policy on Student Research Participation

 

The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) is the foundation of U.S. labor law. It ensures individuals are properly classified as employees or non-employees. Compliance is essential because failing to pay an individual when they should be classified as an employee under FLSA can expose the university and faculty to legal and financial liability. Following FLSA protects both the student learning experience and the integrity of IU School of Medicine’s research programs.

Fact Sheet #71: Internship Programs Under The Fair Labor Standards Act

The Fair Labor Standards Act

Yes! IU policy allows IU School of Medicine students to participate research experiences that are unpaid or non-credit bearing when there is a clear and defensible connection between the research experience and the academic objectives of the student. This alignment may support the conclusion that the student is the primary beneficiary of the experience. When this standard is met, compensation or academic credit will not be required, and students may engage in research up to 10 hours per week.

This policy applies to student research that is not part of a formalized course or credit bearing activity. Experiences such as Indiana Medical Student Program for Research and Scholarship (IMPRS), Scholarly Concentrations and Research Electives have their own requirements.

Courts have used the “primary beneficiary test” to determine whether a student is, in fact, an employee under the FLSA, and therefore must be paid. In short, this test allows courts to examine the “economic reality” of the intern-employer relationship to determine which party is the “primary beneficiary” of the relationship. Courts have identified the following seven factors as part of the test:

  1. There is no expectation of compensation.
  2. The experience provides training similar to that which would be given in an educational environment
  3. The experience is tied to the student’s formal education program.
  4. Corresponds to the academic calendar and accommodates the student’s academic commitments. Typically, approximately five hours/week, not exceeding 10 hours/week during the academic year.
  5. Duration is limited to the period in which the experience provides the student with beneficial learning. Typically, will not exceed one academic year
  6. Student’s work complements, rather than displaces, the work of paid employees while providing significant educational benefits to the student.
  7. There is no entitlement to a paid job at the conclusion of the experience.

Key Takeaway: Students can absolutely participate in unpaid research if it can be established, under the law, that they are learners and not employees. To establish this, there must be evidence that the experience primarily benefits the student’s academic and professional development.

    1. Document the experience through the medical student research agreement form.
    2. Define learning objectives with the student.
    3. Limit hours to a maximum of 10 per week.

Contact: Anne Nguyen – annnguye@iu.edu

Return to the main medical student research page.