Undergraduate Opportunities with CHHAIN
Paid Research Positions

Center for Humanities-based Health Artificial intelligence and Innovation (CHHAIN)

The Medical Humanities Research Institute (MHRI) will award up to four fellowships for the Spring 2026 semester to Rice University undergraduate students. Fellows will be active participants in the new Center for Humanities-based Health AI Innovation (CHHAIN), a joint center between Rice MHRI and Baylor College of Medicine Center for Medical Ethics and Health Policy.

Application deadline is Friday, October 24 at 11:59pm.

Fellows will participate as members of the research team and will research patient experiences with health technology to understand trust/trustworthiness in health AI innovation, including conducting literature reviews and analyzing interviews. In addition, fellows will attend events and have the opportunity to interact with invited speakers. They will also write social media posts and blogs on research topics, update the center’s website, take minutes, help with promotion, and share their work publicly. The research team will provide multidisciplinary mentoring opportunities to the students. Students will be expected to be present for meetings on a regular basis in MHRI space in TMC Helix Park.

Fellows will be paid $15/hour for up to 5 hours per week during the Spring semester. These activities are funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities grant program.

Learn more about CHHAIN from Rice News and the Thresher.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Students enrolled or auditing one of the following courses in the Fall 2025 semester, or completion from a previous semester:
    • MDHM 359 Responsible AI for Health
    • DSCI 305 Data, Ethics, and Society
    • COMP 301 Computer Ethics
  • Students with a declared minor in Medical Humanities
  • Students in their junior year, though extremely strong sophomore and senior applicants will be considered

Selection Criteria:

  • Coursework in literature, philosophy, history, and/or anthropology, with preference for students with coursework in medical humanities, science and technology studies (STS), and/or ethical engineering
  • Creativity, analytical ability, and clarity of writing in your cover letter and writing sample
  • Demonstrated interest in the research area
  • Experience conducting humanities research
  • The potential that the fellowship will contribute to their post-baccalaureate education and/or professional development
  • Ability to engage in center research as students for one semester

To apply, upload the following items as a single PDF at 12twenty (12twenty account needed) by October 24:

  • Student Application Form
  • Cover letter indicating your research experience and interest in the research topic and how your future career goals would benefit from participation in this research group
  • Resumé
  • Unofficial Transcript
  • Writing sample (5-15 double-spaced pages long). Writing can have been submitted for a course, but other writing is also accepted. Writing must be single-authored.

Please direct questions to: Melissa Bailar, Executive Director, Medical Humanities Research Institute