Requirements

NIH-based training grants are becoming increasingly competitive, and thus it is critical that students appointed to them make a long-term commitment to carrying out research in the relevant subject area. All training grants have requirements which must be fulfilled to justify the financial support of the student (tuition, fees, and stipend).

For the Genomics training grant, these include the following:

Cognate: Trainees must complete their cognate in an area related to statistical genetics and genomics or computational biology. The specific courses and theme should be developed by the student along with their advisor and the Training Grant Director; all cognates must be approved as part of the final program by the Director of Graduate Studies.

Coursework: Trainees are required to take BST227(Statistical Genetics) and BST507(Genetic Epidemiology). Trainees are strongly recommended to complete one course in each of the following categories: Biostatistics, Computational Biology and Bioinformatics, Epidemiology and Genetic Epidemiology, Molecular Biology, Physiology, and Genetics, and Data Science and Big Data Computing. See the training grant website for details. These courses may also contribute towards the cognate or advanced biostatistics course requirements. In addition, trainees must complete three lab rotations under the course title BST 316 (each 2.5 credits), as described in greater detail below.

Completion of training or coursework in reproducible research is also required by NIH training grant requirements.

Summer Project: Trainees must complete a summer project after their first year in the PhD program that has clear ties to quantitative genomics. The summer project can be considered as one of the three required lab rotations by registering for BST316, and the summer project presentation will substitute for the required 2-page lab report. The Training Grant Director and other training grant mentors may help students identify appropriate summer projects.

Seminars/Working Groups/Retreat: Trainees should attend the Program in Quantitative Genomics (PQG)monthly seminars and working groups, as well as attending at the annual PQG conference and presenting a poster in the second year. Trainees are also required to attend the annual training grant retreat and give a presentation.

Individual Development Plan: The training program provides trainees with a wealth of career development support and opportunities, with the goal of helping trainees explore potential career paths that best meet their career objectives. To engage trainees in this planning process, we will require trainees to take responsibility for setting and tracking their individual goals and plans through the Individual Development Plan (IDP) on how to achieve core competencies. All trainees will develop the ICDP through discussions, input and review from their faculty mentors and the Program Directors, and update their IDP annually.

Lab Rotations: Trainees will be expected to complete three lab rotations involving genomics in the first two years, including one wet lab rotation and two dry lab rotations. Trainees will be required to complete each rotation by registering for BST316 and completing the Rotation form before starting a rotation, and then preparing a 2-page report summarizing his/her lab rotation activities. The lab director will be required to complete an evaluation report of the trainee on the Rotation Evaluation form after the rotation is completed. Trainees counting their first-year summer project as one of their dry labs should submit the required form, but should enroll in a section of BIO 316 in Fall 1 following the summer project to receive academic credit for the rotation. The Training Grant director can help identify appropriate rotations if needed, but potential lab rotation mentors may also be found at the Genomics training grant link noted below.

F31 and NSF Fellowship Grant Application: All trainees will be strongly encouraged to prepare and submit an NIH F31or NSF fellowship application. When possible, this grant application should ideally be submitted in the summer ofthe 2nd year in the program, but may also be submitted in the Fall of the 3rd year.

Dissertation: Trainees should have dissertation topics which relate to statistical and computational methodology in genetics and genomics. Proposals for incorporating genomics computational applications and making results reproducible in student dissertation work should be included as part of the oral qualifying exam. Even if students are no longer funded on this grant during the period of their dissertation research, it is expected that support over the previous years in the PhD program will be acknowledged by focusing on a statistical genetics and genomics or computational biology.

Progress Report: Trainees will be asked to provide an annual progress report including details on how their training relates to Quantitative Genomics, to be included in annual NIH progress reports for the training grant.

Funding Restrictions: Students can only be funded on this training grant in their first 2-3 years in the PhD program, and then are generally funded by their dissertation advisor’s research grant starting in their 3rd year. The Training Grant directors can assist in identifying appropriate faculty with research funding.