NIGMS Predoctoral Training Program Guidelines
2008
NIGMS Predoctoral Research Training Program
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Major mission of NIGMS
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Predoctoral-only training grants
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11 pre- Ph.D. areas
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1 pre - M.D.- Ph.D. area
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Support for 3,200 trainees annually
Trainee-Based Program Features
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Support for early years of graduate training
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Students selected for quality from several academic units, umbrella program(s), or broad interdisciplinary program
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Provide maximum flexibility to trainees for selection of courses, rotations, research fields, and mentors
Training Goals
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Multidisciplinary and multi-departmental training
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Faculty from different academic units provide breadth of research opportunities
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Training to master a core scientific area in depth
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Acquire skills and knowledge of related fields
Program Activities
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Interdisciplinary training activities
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Broaden research skills and approaches
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Cutting-edge research opportunities
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Courses and seminars
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Laboratory rotations
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Retreats, journal clubs, annual meetings
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Opportunities for trainees to present their research progress
Program Responsibilities
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Monitor trainee progress throughout their training
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Ensure timely completion
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Develop methods for ongoing evaluations of quality
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Provide trainees and prospective applicants information on career outcomes of graduates; provide career guidance for trainees
Special NIH Requirements
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Recruitment and retention for diversity
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Students from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups
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Students with disabilities
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Students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds
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Training in the responsible conduct of research
NIGMS Predoctoral Training Programs
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Behavioral-Biomedical Sciences Interface
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Bioinformatics and Computational Biology
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Biostatistics
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Biotechnology
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Cellular, Biochemical and Molecular Biology
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Chemistry-Biology Interface
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Genetics
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Medical Scientist Training Program
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Molecular Biophysics
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Molecular Medicine
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Pharmacological Sciences
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Systems and Integrative Biology
Behavioral-Biomedical Sciences Interface (BBI)
Program Director: Alison Cole
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To develop basic behavioral scientists with rigorous training in biology/biomedical science
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Curriculum and activities reinforce training at this interface
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Significant participation of faculty and leadership from both sides of interface
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Students primarily from behavioral departments or with behavioral backgrounds
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Examples of behavioral depts: psychology, anthropology, demography, behavior, economics
Bioinformatics and Computational Biology (BI)
Program Director: Jerry Li
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To train a new class of scientists with a primary identity as computational biologist or bioinformatician who apply theoretical, mathematical, and computational approaches in biomedical research
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Training should include the use of theory and computer applications in hypothesis generation and project execution
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Students should be familiar with experimental methods and feel comfortable collaborating with bench scientists
Biostatistics (BS)
Program Directors: Jerry Li & Shawn Drew
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To ensure that a workforce of biostatisticians with a deep understanding of both statistical and biological theories and methodologies is available to biomedical, clinical, and behavioral research needs
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Training should integrate biostatistical theories and evolving methodologies with basic biomedical research including, but not limited to, bioinformatics, genetics, molecular biology, cell biology, and physiology, as well as epidemiological, clinical, and behavioral studies
Biotechnology (BT)
Program Director: Warren Jones
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Training to provide technical and intellectual skills in fields which utilize biotechnology (e.g., molecular biology, tissue engineering, bioengineering, biochemistry, metabolic engineering, biomaterials, and drug delivery)
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Trainees are expected to participate in seminar series, journal clubs, and retreats, which augment their training and promote interactions with students from differing disciplines
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Trainees are required to participate in an industrial internship to gain research experience in a biotechnology or pharmaceutical firm
Cellular, Biochemical and Molecular Sciences (CBMS)
Program Directors: Marion Zatz and Peter Preusch
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Broadest of interdisciplinary training programs
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May include: biochemistry, bioinformatics, biophysics, chemistry, cell biology, developmental biology, genetics, immunology, microbiology, molecular biology, molecular medicine, neurobiology, and pathology
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Wide range of numbers of appropriate trainees based on breadth of program
Chemistry Biology Interface (CBI)
Program Director: Michael Rogers
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Training focus is the use of synthetic and mechanistic chemistry to explore biological problems
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One requirement: chemistry students receive significant training in biology in addition to in depth training in chemistry, and biology students receive significant training in chemistry in addition to in depth training in biology
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Goal is to produce scientists that can work effectively at the interface, speaking the language of both disciplines
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Offer interested students industrial internships
Genetics (GN)
Program Director: Marc Rhoades
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Programs should provide dissertation opportunities and in-depth didactic training in all aspects of modern genetics
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Trainees should also be exposed to closely related fields and be able to apply genetic approaches to problems in other areas of biology
Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP)
Program Director: Bert Shapiro
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Program must integrate medical and scientific training
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There must be training compression so that duration is reasonable
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There should be MSTP-specific activities for specialized training and to create a strong group identity
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There should be career counseling at many points in the training
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The graduates should be going to strong academic residencies with a commitment to research careers
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The expectation is that a large majority of the graduates will become physician-scientists
Molecular Biophysics (MB)
Program Director: Paula Flicker
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Training should focus on the applications of physics, mathematics, chemistry and engineering to problems in cell and molecular biology
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Programs often bring together departments of chemistry, physics, or engineering and those departments offering training in the various areas of biology
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Students commonly work in a number of areas, including structural biology, the biophysical characterization of biological macromolecules, single molecule detection, and electron microscopy
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Programs typically bring in students with diverse educational backgrounds and need to provide appropriate training to each student such that all students understand quantitative biological sciences
Molecular Medicine (MM)
Program Director: Marion Zatz
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Training focus on basic biomedical sciences and concepts and knowledge of molecular basis of disease
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Didactic training in areas such as pathophysiology and molecular pathogenesis
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Program activities that provide students with understanding of disease mechanisms, e.g. seminar series, journal clubs, participation in grand rounds or autopsy internships, dual mentors in basic and clinical science
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Training program intended primarily for Ph.D. candidates
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Goal: prepare scientists to work at interface of basic biomedical and clinical research (translational research)
Pharmacological Sciences (PS)
Program Director: Richard Okita
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Provide exposure to cutting-edge research relevant to the discovery and development of therapeutic agents and to the basic understanding of drug targets and mechanisms of action
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Training in broad subject areas that include pharmacology, toxicology, pharmaceutical chemistry, medicinal chemistry, pharmaceutics, pharmacokinetics and related areas
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Programs are not expected to cover the entire range of PS research activities: some may have strength in molecular and cellular pharmacology, others in whole animal and human in vivo studies; some may emphasize toxicology, others may emphasize medicinal chemistry and pharmaceutics
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Administrative center may be in a school of medicine, pharmacy, veterinary medicine, or other appropriate academic unit
Systems and Integrative Biology (SIB)
Program Director: Alison Cole
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Broad research competence required to investigate integrative, regulatory, and/or developmental processes of higher organisms and their functional components
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Train in diverse experimental approaches- molecular and cellular to behavioral and computational- to explore integrated and complex biological problems
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Strong emphasis on systems/integrative biology through coursework, seminars or other programmatic activities. Research opportunities in multiple disciplines including, but not limited to, physiology, biomedical engineering, neuroscience, behavioral sciences, clinical sciences, and cell and developmental biology
NIGMS Special Requirements
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Describe the mission and objectives of the program to be supported by the training grant in relation to one or more of the identified NIGMS training grant program areas.
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Describe how the proposed training grant fits into the institution’s overall graduate training programs: how is it unique from other existing predoctoral training programs?
Special NIGMS Requirements
3. Describe collaborative and interdisciplinary features of the proposed training program. For ongoing programs, has training in any scientific disciplines or fields been added or deleted?
4. Describe any innovative features or activities that will be provided for trainees.
Special NIGMS Requirements
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Describe what the training program does to ensure that students have appropriate quantitative graduate training to pursue cutting-edge biomedical research.
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Describe how the training program provides opportunities for exposure to topics related to human health, physiology, and disease.
Suggested Features
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Programs may offer opportunities for experience in teaching
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Programs may recruit trainees from various backgrounds, including mathematics, engineering, and physical sciences
Common Review Questions
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How do you weight the value-added or impact of the T32 training program against other factors?
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How do you determine the number of recommended trainee positions?
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How do you evaluate the rationale for the use of trainee positions, i.e. number of years on grant and when supported?
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How do you weight the breadth of a program vs. its scientific focus?
Common Reviewer Questions
How do you weight the value-added or impact of the T32 training program against other factors?
Comments:
It depends on how the T32 program fits into the institution’s broader training efforts. In some cases the T32 program will be unique and have distinct value added or impact for its trainees. In other cases the special features of a T32 training program may have been incorporated into a broader training program so that T32 trainees are a subset of a larger program that meets NIGMS objectives. NIGMS recognizes the value of established programs that are providing effective interdisciplinary training and programmatic activities to their own trainees and including other students who may be part of a broader program. NIGMS also recognizes the impact that a T32 program has had by serving as a model for the development of an institutional training program. NIGMS strongly encourages innovation in its training programs and recognizes the value of established programs that are providing effective interdisciplinary training and programmatic activities to their own trainees and are serving as models for other predoctoral training programs in the institution. into in the institution’s overall graduate training programs. In some cases
Common Reviewer Questions
How do you determine the number of recommended trainee positions?
Comments:
The recommendation should depend on both the size and quality of the relevant pool (applicant and matriculant), and for renewals, on the recent outcomes. In general, the maximum recommendation should be no more than the number of incoming eligible students, considering other sources of training support for the pool.
Common Reviewer Questions
How do you evaluate the rationale for the use of trainee positions, i.e. number of years on grant and when supported?
Comments:
The number of years and timing of support is very variable from program to program. Each training program should provide its rationale. Earlier year support is emphasized to provide common training, cohesiveness, and time of greatest impact on training. It is common for programs to support students in years 1 and 2, or 2 and 3 but other options are allowed if well justified.
Common Reviewer Questions
How do you weight the breadth of a program vs. its scientific focus?
Comments:
This depends, to a large extent, on which of the NIGMS program areas is under consideration. The least specific and most general programs, e.g. CBMS, can be quite broad. Other programs, e.g. MB, CBI, Genetics, are more targeted and need to provide a focus responsive to the NIGMS guidelines for that program.
NIGMS Predoctoral Guidelines Including Expanded Descriptions of Specific Programs: