NANOBIOLOGY TRAINING PROGRAM (NBTP) FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Applicants

1.      How do I apply for this training program?

Applications should be completed online at  Application Information and Forms. Prior to completing an application, an applicant MUST speak with his/her mentor and the GCC/Keck Center Institutional Training Representative specific to the applicant’s institution.

2.      When should I apply?

Future openings will be announced with a call for applications, and an application deadline will be given. Check the other GCC/Keck Center training programs for information about each program’s openings and application deadlines.

3.      Do I need to be affiliated with one of the six GCC member institutions to apply?

Yes.  Predoctoral trainees must already be enrolled in a graduate program in one of the GCC member institutions. Postdoctoral trainees must already be affiliated with the lab of a member of the Nanobiology Training Faculty.

4.      What other documents are needed for application?

Please refer to the Nanobiology Training Program for specific details of application materials. Application Information and Forms

5.      What institution, agency or organization supports this training program?

This training program is supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), whose policies govern many aspects of this program.

6.      How much is the stipend?

The NIH mandates stipend levels to all individuals receiving support through institutional research training grants or individual fellowships. Support for predoctoral trainees is $20,772 per year in FY08. Annual support for postdoctoral trainees varies from $36,996 upward, depending on years of experience since receipt of their doctorate.

7.      What other financial benefits are provided?

This training program follows NIH guidelines regarding support for tuition, health insurance and fees. Usually, a portion, but not all, of a trainee’s tuition, fees and health insurance are covered.

8.      Is there a citizenship requirement for this training program?

This training program is open to U.S citizens, Permanent Residents and Foreign Nationals (non-U.S. citizens). Other GCC/Keck Center training programs may have other citizenship requirements. 

9.      What is the length of the trainee appointment period?

All appointments are for one year, subject to the availability of funds. Trainees are eligible for additional years of funding based on progress and availability of funds as described below:

Predoctoral trainees (graduate students): Generally, predoctoral trainees are funded after having completed one year of training. Depending on the trainees’ progress and longevity in their graduate programs, the trainee may be funded for up to two years.

Postdoctoral trainees: Generally the total number of years of funding is up to two years.

Mentors

1.    How many mentors are trainees required to have?

Each trainee must have one primary and one secondary mentor, both of whom are members of the Nanobiology Training Faculty (Please note that membership in the Keck Center does not automatically make one a member of the Nanobiology Training Faculty: one must apply in advance for membership. Contact glueck@rice.edu for details.). It is preferable that the mentors are from two separate institutions in the GCC. This training program was designed to draw from the unique and complementary strengths of the GCC institutions and the program’s training faculty. Trainees may have a tertiary mentor;  that person does not need to be a member of this program’s training faculty.

2.    What is the expectation regarding the disciplines represented by the mentors?

Generally, the expectation is that one mentor will be from the biosciences and the other from the physical sciences, engineering or computer science.

3.    How do mentors submit their recommendations?

Both mentors must submit mentor recommendations online at Mentor Recommendation Form.

4.    Do both primary and secondary faculty mentors need to be members of the Nanobiology Training Program’s training faculty?

Yes.  Both mentors must be members of the Nanobiology Training Faculty. Please note that membership in the Keck Center does not automatically make one a member of the Nanobiology Training Faculty: one must apply in advance for membership. Contact glueck@rice.edu for details.

5.    Given the importance of collaborative projects, how much weight will be given to evidence of prior collaboration between mentors?

The emphasis is on the applicant’s proposed project and the interdisciplinary nature of the science. Prior collaboration is not a requirement. However, the mentoring plan must clearly describe how the mentors will collaborate to provide the trainees with an appropriate level of training in both disciplines and a model for collaborative interaction.

Faculty

1.  Who are the training faculty participating in this training program?

Please see Nanobiology Training Program Faculty Directory.

2.  Will new faculty be granted faculty status for this training program?

The Nanobiology Training Program will consider the addition of faculty to its training faculty roster in the future. Prospective faculty should first contact their Institutional Representative for this training program for discussion of research interests and how it relates to this training program. Information will then be forwarded to the Program Director, Monte Pettitt (pettitt@uh.edu), and the GCC/Keck Center Administrative Program Director, Melissa Glueck (glueck@rice.edu).

3.  How many trainees may a faculty member mentor?

Faculty may be a primary mentor for one predoctoral trainee, and for one postdoctoral trainee. Faculty may also be a secondary mentor for one predoctoral trainee, and for one postdoctoral trainee. 

What are the requirements of a Nanobiology Training Faculty member?

Keck Training Faculty are members of the Keck Center and of specific training grant communities and may be asked to:

1.  Serve on the training grant steering committee

• Review trainee applications
• Interview and select trainees
• Review applications and select additional training faculty not on original grant
• Plan trainee and/or faculty retreats
• Plan program activities 

2.  Be mentors or co-mentors

• Supervise and support trainee research
• Participate in progress reviews and interviews
• Participate in Friday Keck Seminars:  Speaker Selection, Attendance

3. Participate in annual Keck Annual Research Conference

• Attendance
• Assist with poster judging

4.  Participate in Keck Center Undergraduate Research Training Program (summer)

• Host a lab tour

5.  Participate in training program curriculum development and teaching of specialized courses

6.   Support the grant renewal and new training grant application

7.  Support recruitment efforts

Keck Center Resources

1.  What other resources are available to trainees in this training program?

Trainees will receive the designation of Keck Fellows in addition to being trainees in the Nanobiology Training Program. Keck Fellows participate in

                        Keck Seminars (weekly during academic year)
                        Keck Fellows meetings (monthly)
                        Keck Annual Research Conference (each fall)
                        Sealy Structural Biology Symposium (each Spring)
                        Journal Clubs

2.  As this is an inter-institutional, interdisciplinary training program, are trainees allowed to take classes at other GCC member institutions?

Yes. Check with the Registrar at the home institution or with GCC/Keck Center for specific guidelines.