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SUMR Overview

In 1999, the Leonard Davis Institute at the University of Pennsylvania created the Summer Undergraduate Research Minority Program (SUMR) as a way to address the underrepresentation of minorities in fields that inform the direction of health care practice and policy. Now in its 20th year, it is one of LDI’s flagship programs. It started with 3 students and a small, three-year grant from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Policy (AHRQ), as an “innovation initiative” supplement to a T-32 health services research training grant. The goal of the program is to increase the number of health science researchers who understand the political, social, economic and environmental realities that create disparities in health and health care. Annually, this program exposes around 20 underrepresented minorities and first generation college students from all over the country to health services research through an immersive 12-week summer internship. The success of SUMR is the integration of the young scholars into the daily life of the Penn health services research community. The program engages the students in hands-on research activities rather than in classroom simulations.

Since its beginning, the SUMR program has supported 255 scholars (128 Penn undergraduates, and 127 students from other universities.) While we are proud of all of our graduates, over 90% of whom go on to successful careers in health care, we are particularly proud of the fact that nearly 20% end up getting a PhD and pursuing a research career that they would not have pursued had they not been exposed to research as undergraduates.

Sponsorship Opportunities

Coming up on its 20th Anniversary, our effort for the coming year is to celebrate SUMR’s successes with alumni and friends and to provide sustainability for the future. We hope to bring many of the 255 alumni of SUMR back to campus to celebrate the achievements of alumni and of SUMR, to strengthen the network among the alumni, students, faculty and friends and to begin to focus on SUMR’s future.

We are hosting a dinner on July 29, 2019 and a one-day conference on July 30, 2019. The conference will feature national experts and alumni addressing minority health care issues and solutions specific to increasing diversity within the field. José Escarce, PhD, Distiguished Professor, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA will be the Keynote Speaker.

We are seeking sponsors for the conference and to provide discretionary funding for the 2019 SUMR program. Below are sponsorship opportunities for the celebration. We would welcome any support and involvement.

$50,000
SUMR Anniversary Champion
Provides prominent signage/display of your organization at dinner and networking events and participate in a special session with LDI Leadership, SUMR Program Founding Director and a small group of SUMR Anniversary Steering Committee members to discuss challenging health care issues of the day.

  • Celebration dinner: VIP sitting for up to 6 people
  • Special private briefing with LDI leadership and SUMR Anniversary Steering Committee members and keynote speaker
  • Opportunity to meet with select group of SUMR scholars
  • Logo/name recognition in the Conference invitation, advertisement space in program book and premier placement on sponsor recognition signage at event
  • Special acknowledgement at event opening and closing
  • Explicit recognition in LDI Annual Report and event media coverage

$25,000
SUMR Anniversary Partner

  • Celebration dinner: VIP sitting for up to 4 people
  • Special private briefing with LDI leadership and SUMR Anniversary Steering Committee members
  • Opportunity to sponsor Conference dinner
  • Opportunity to meet with select group of SUMR scholars
  • Logo/name recognition in the Conference invitation, advertisement space in program book and premier placement on sponsor recognition signage at event
  • Explicit recognition in LDI Annual Report and event media coverage

$10,000
SUMR Anniversary Supporter

  • Celebration dinner: VIP sitting for up to 2 people
  • Opportunity to sponsor Conference breakfast and/or lunch or other networking activity with prominent signage
  • Logo/name recognition in the Conference invitation, advertisement space in program book and placement on sponsor recognition signage at event
  • Special acknowledgement at breakfast/lunch/networking activity
  • Explicit recognition on LDI website
  • Opportunity to meet with SUMR scholars

$5,000
SUMR Alumni Policy-Research Grants Sponsor

$2,500 - $5,000
SUMR Alumni Travel Sponsor

 

Questions/Contact

Joanne Levy, Founding Program Director