# Descriptive Characteristics of Undergraduate Research Associate Programs in the United States: Findings from a National Registry

## TL;DR

This paper describes the structure and activities of undergraduate research associate programs in US medical education, based on data from a national registry.

## Contribution

The paper presents the first collective description of US undergraduate research associate programs using data from a national registry.

## Key findings

- Most programs involve students in investigator-initiated projects, prospective research, and informed consent processes.
- Training in HIPAA and research ethics is nearly universal among these programs.
- The average program includes about 24 undergraduate associates, with significant variation in size and activities.

## Abstract

University undergraduate students often seek opportunities to gain exposure to clinical research. Physician residency training programs must engage in scholarly activities and publish their findings. “Research associate programs” (RAPs) can aid with Graduate Medical Education (GME) research. This is the first collective description of these US programs, using data from the Registry of American Research Associates Programs.

The American Research Associates Program Registry (ARAPR) was started in 2014 and developed through Medline, direct familiarity, comprehensive online search, and chain-referral sampling. Data fields were selected based on a literature review and an expert panel, and included leadership, funding, research types, training, associates’ activities, university affiliation, and the selection process. Results were analyzed using descriptive statistics.

Responses were from 40 of 50 RAPs (80.0%) with a mean of 24 undergraduate associates (SD = 16, range 5-70) in each program. Associates worked on investigator-initiated projects (34/40, 85.0%), prospective research (35/40, 87.5%), retrospective reviews (25/40, 62.5%), and informed consent (38/40, 95.0%). Some also involved associates with data abstraction, protocol development, abstract writing, manuscript preparation, and quality improvement. Most required college course enrollment (25/40, 62.5%). Training included patient confidentiality (HIPAA) and research ethics (39/40, 97.5%).

This survey provides the first collective descriptive insight into the structures, training, and activities of RAPs. These findings serve as a foundation for institutions considering establishing such programs and highlight the need for future research on measurable outcomes such as student trajectories, publication rates, and program impact.