award of a generous Wellcome Trust grant to establish the UK’s National Student Association of Medical Research (NSAMR), which was launched in 2011. The NSAMR offers funding to a group of students at each UK medical school to form a local society (or support an existing one). Start-up advice includes tips on the logistics of running a society and suggestions for events focusing on raising awareness of academic medicine and careers, developing research-related skills and inspiring students through exposure to clinical academics. In addition, member societies are able to make competitive bids for a grant with which to host the annual NSAMR student research conference, which is to be organised by a different member society each year. What lessons were learned? Currently, 32 of the UK’s 34 medical schools have a local NSAMR society. Of these, 27 are new societies established with NSAMR support. During the 2011/2012 academic year, member societies held an average of two journal clubs, two workshops, two research presentations and one academic career session. On average, 37 students attended each event. Using Likert-type questions, we found that member societies agreed that the level of funding provided by the NSAMR would be difficult to find elsewhere in the current economic climate. Societies strongly agreed that the funding allowed them to hold more events. Importantly, they strongly agreed that the NSAMR has had a positive impact on raising awareness of undergraduate research in the UK. In March 2013, Edinburgh’s Atrium Society hosted the NSAMR annual conference, which was attended by 108 UK medical students representing 24 different UK medical schools. Based on responses to Likert-type questions (n = 63), we found that presenting delegates agreed that they felt more confident after the conference in presenting their research at a scientific meeting. Similarly, delegates agreed they had received helpful feedback on their presentation. The NSAMR is, to our knowledge, the first national, student-led project aimed at promoting research and academic medicine among medical students. Feedback from the association’s first year demonstrates its success in stimulating the start-up of research societies, enabling these societies to deliver well-attended events and funding a successful national student research conference. We suggest that medical students outside the UK would find similar initiatives rewarding. REFERENCE