To take advantage of the unique intellectual and scientific resources available at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), a cooperative graduate program was established between the Department of Biology at Johns Hopkins University (JHU) and the NIH through the NIH Graduate Partnerships Program (GPP). The program combines Johns Hopkins' educational excellence in the biological sciences with the tremendous variety of research possibilities available at the NIH, bringing students the benefits of working with leading researchers in the biomedical life sciences. The Graduate Program in Cell, Molecular, and Developmental Biology and Biophysics at JHU offers training in the areas of biochemistry, biophysics, cell biology, developmental biology, genetics, and molecular biology. Students can enter the graduate program from a variety of backgrounds including biology, chemistry, and physics.
The program curriculum includes a set of four core courses taken by all students during their first year at JHU, and four elective courses that are taken during the first and second year. Core courses include advanced molecular biology, graduate biophysical chemistry, advanced cell biology, and advanced developmental biology and genetics; electives can include graduate-level courses offered at JHU, at JHU Medical School, and at the NIH. During the first year, students do a total of four laboratory rotations between JHU and NIH. At the end of the first year, students choose their research advisors at NIH and begin their dissertation research. At the end of the second year, students take examinations that qualify them to continue toward a Ph.D. dissertation. Research is done in the second through fifth years within the NIH laboratories with frequent visits to JHU.
In addition to formal course work, while students are at JHU, they actively participate in a weekly seminar series with faculty members and invited speakers. While at NIH, they can take advantage of the large number of seminars given weekly (see http://calendar.nih.gov for a current list), and are invited to have lunch with nationally renowned speakers at the weekly NIH Lecture Series. Students also obtain teaching experience, serving as teaching assistants for two undergraduate courses at JHU during the first two years.
Research Facilities
The NIH is the world’s premier biomedical research location. As the federal government’s primary agency for the support and conduct of biomedical research, the NIH’s many institutes and centers employ nearly 1,200 tenured or tenure-track investigators and as many as 3,700 postdoctoral scientists with either medical, dental, or graduate degrees. The NIH intramural research program, located on a 300-acre campus in Bethesda, Maryland, 10 miles from downtown Washington, D.C., has been the scene of many exciting scientific advances. It includes more than thirty biomedical research buildings that house a broad spectrum of biomedical and related scientific research. Four Nobel Laureates made their prize-winning discoveries in NIH laboratories and more than 100 received training at NIH. Basic research in the biomedical sciences at the NIH is complemented by an active clinical research program at the unique 250-bed research hospital and laboratory complex, the Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center. The NIH campus is also home to the National Library of Medicine, the world’s largest medical library.
The laboratories and teaching space of the Johns Hopkins Department of Biology are located in Seeley G. Mudd Hall on the JHU Homewood campus. The Milton S. Eisenhower Library, which has a superb integrated science collection, is nearby. All equipment and instrumentation relevant to contemporary biology is available to graduate students through the facilities of the Homewood Campus, the Carnegie Institution, the School of Medicine, and the School of Hygiene and Public Health.
Financial Support
All JHU/NIH graduate students are supported through NIH Intramural Research Training Awards and by Johns Hopkins and receive support for stipend, tuition, and medical insurance throughout their years of training. Stipends for first-year students are $26,500 (2008-2009) and increase yearly.
Tuition
Tuition is funded during the entire period students are in the program.
Living and Housing Costs
Affordable apartments, houses, and rooms in private residences are available for rent near the NIH campus and elsewhere in Washington within easy commuting distance. For information on available housing, prospective students should visit the Web sites of local newspapers or review the Graduate Student Council (GSC) Housing Website. Near JHU in the Baltimore area, rates for rooms and apartments vary from $600 to $800 per month. The Housing Office on campus assists students in finding rooms and apartments.
Student Group
Johns Hopkins has approximately 3,300 undergraduate and 1,300 graduate students. Up to 5 new students are admitted each year into the JHU/NIH program and are members of a larger class totaling from 15-20 students who enter the CMDB Graduate Program each year. The CMDB Graduate Program has about 120 graduate students and 50 postdoctoral fellows. While at the NIH, students join more than 700 other graduate students from more than 100 universities who are doing their research in NIH laboratories. The Graduate Partnerships Program and the Office of Intramural Training & Education at the NIH sponsor graduate student services and activities similar to those at a university to ensure student success and create a strong graduate student community.
Location
The 300-acre campus of NIH in Bethesda, Maryland, is close to Washington, D.C. and easily accessed by public transportation, affording a spectacular cultural and community environment as well as pleasant outdoor activities all year round. Johns Hopkins University is in Baltimore, Maryland, just a short distance north of the NIH campus. Maryland is a small state bounded by the Atlantic Ocean and the Allegheny and Appalachian mountains, providing the opportunity for pleasurable outdoor activities. The cultural and academic environments of Baltimore and Washington also enhance opportunities for many recreational experiences.
The University and the National Institutes of Health
The concept of graduate study in America originated with the founding of Johns Hopkins in 1876. The objective of the University has been to enrich young men and women, not merely through acquired knowledge but also in the spirit of inquiry, through independent and creative research. The NIH has a long history of independent and creative training of scientists and physicians. Many NIH-trained scientists have received international recognition for their work. The NIH environment is rich in scientific exchange and it provides opportunities for a broad biomedical research experience. Many graduate students have received their graduate training at the NIH through arrangements between the NIH and universities such as Johns Hopkins.
Applying
To apply, prospective students must be U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents. An entering class typically includes a variety of undergraduate majors in the biological, chemical, or physical sciences. Information on submitting an application to the JHU/NIH Graduate Partnerships Program in biology or joining an NIH laboratory for dissertation research can be found on the Application Information for Institutional Partnership website.
Students wishing to be considered for admission into JHU-NIH partnership need to submit ONLY the GPP application by the specified deadline.
Students wishing to be considered for both the JHU-NIH partnership and JHU program must submit BOTH the GPP application and JHU application by the specified deadline.
Additional Information: