Maryland

National Institutes of Health
Graduate Partnerships Program

Contacts:

Mary J. DeLong, Ph.D.
National Institutes of Health
Graduate Partnerships Program
2 Center Drive, 2/2E06
Bethesda, MD 20892-0234

Telephone: (301) 594-9604
Fax: (301) 496-9606

E-Mail: delongm@od.nih.gov
WWW: http://gpp.nih.gov

Program Established: 2000

Number of Faculty: 190
Number of Students: 68

U.S. Citizens: 85%
Female: 64%
U.S. Underrepresented Minorities: 22%
Native American: 12%
Black (not Hispanic): 8%
Hispanic: 4%

Number of Graduates in the Last Five Years:
Faculty Supervising Graduate Student Theses: 40
Average Number of Years to Complete the Program: 5.5

Program Description: The Graduate Partnerships Program (GPP) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is a whole new approach to graduate education. NIH has long been recognized as the world’s premier biomedical research institution with a magnitude of technical and human resources not replicated anywhere else. These same resources are now open to graduate students through partnerships with several highly respected universities. For neuroscience students, the GPP has partnerships with the neuroscience programs at Brown University and the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. Neuroscience research options are also plentiful in the broad biomedical partnerships with PhD programs at Cambridge and Oxford universities in England. Students accepted into any of the GPP partnerships do their coursework at the home university, if required, and then do all or most of their dissertation research on one of the NIH campuses (primarily the campuses in Bethesda or Baltimore, Maryland, for neuroscience research). There are close to 200 neuroscientist Principle Investigators on the NIH campuses to choose from for dissertation research http://neuroscience.nih.gov. Additionally, the GPP is pioneering a totally new concept in which PhD students do a collaborative dissertation project which includes both an NIH and a university scientist. Students who do a collaborative dissertation can acquire higher level research skills that usually are not achieved until advanced postdoctoral training. The NIH GPP is for neuroscientists who want to develop their skills in a research setting built on collaboration among scientists, with the wealth of dedicated resources that allow you to follow the question wherever it leads you to uncover new knowledge. All of the research at NIH is dedicated to eventually making a difference in health and well-being.

Admission Requirements: The application should demonstrate the following: 1) an academic preparation that demonstrates the ability to excel in a scientific discipline; 2) sufficient prior research experience such that reviewers will be confident a student fully understands what it takes to discover new knowledge through research; 3)letters of recommendation that specifically address why the reviewers believes the applicant will succeed as a scientist; 4) a personal statement which demonstrates an applicants commitment to and potential capabilities as a research scientist.

How, or Where to Apply: Students must complete the online GPP application http://gpp.nih.gov and for any of the U.S. university partners must also complete the appropriate university application. There is not GPP application fee beyond any fee for the university application.

Annual Tuition and Fees Costs: Varies among partnerships, but full covered by the programs.

Approximate Cost of Living Per Year: Varies by studnet preferends but met by stiepend

Housing Availability and Costs Per Year: No formal housing available except to faciliate short-term housing for students doing collaborative research between NIH and university mentors outside the Washington, D.C. area - other house varies by amenities and location.

Day-Care Facilities Availability and Costs Per Month:

Stipend/Assistantships and Financial Assistance: $24,000/year (2005/2006) plus health insurance - international programs also provide annual travel allowance

How. if Necessary, to Apply: Automatically provided upon acceptance

Last revised April, 2005
http://www.andp.org/programs/graduate/unitedstates/maryland/nih.htm

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