Graduate Student Support Program
Center for Integrated BioSystems Research
(CIBR Students)
2008-09
The Center for Integrated BioSystems is tasked to build biotechnology capacity at USU. One method we are using is encouragement of research collaborations across campus at various levels of experience. In addition to the uCIBR Undergraduate Student Grant Program, we are proud to offer financial support to graduate students who are conducting biotechnology research as part of their M.S. or Ph.D. programs. This is the second year of an on-going program to support graduate students who demonstrate exceptional promise. The funds will be awarded to students who are:
a) top scholars; b) students of lower scholarship who show unusual promise in research; or c) outstanding research scholars with special needs. Applicants may request $5,000 to 7,000 to offset the cost of research for their degree program. Funding from this program may not be used to offset an existing research assistantship/fellowship or other salary sources or be used for course work associated with their Program of Study. The money will be available for the 2008/2009 fiscal year.
Examples of fundable activities are:
a) supplies that support the student’s biotechnology-related research,
b) travel to conferences, workshops, or other short-term educational opportunities that support the student’s research or provide a venue for presenting research results,
c) short-term visits to laboratories at other universities and institutions for the purpose of gaining specific skills needed to complete the research,
d) graduate student salary when no other funds are available. (The lack of available salary funds must be addressed on the Mentor Recommendation Form.)
CIBR Student Program Description
The CIB’s Faculty Advisory Board identified on-going needs to augment financial support in order to better prepare students for a competitive research world. In addition to providing student support, there are monthly research meetings of CIBR and uCIBR students, mentors, and CIB scientists. These meetings foster scientific collaborations across campus, sharing ideas, building camaraderie, and honing presentation skills. CIBR Students are expected to attend and participate in all meetings as a condition of support. Students will also have the opportunity to select a capstone speaker and work with the CIB to bring him or her to USU to meet with them. Last year’s speaker was Dr. Mario Capecchi, a 2007 Nobel Prize winner. Workshops designed to help students improve their thesis and grant writing skills will be offered to all awardees.
Application packets are due June 30, 2008 by 5 p.m. No late applications will be accepted. Selections will be announced by July 18, 2008. Applications must be submitted electronically as a PDF document to CIBresearch@usu.edu, along with a signed application form (scanned and submitted electronically). Each submission will receive an acknowledgement email. Contact Ken White at ken.white@usu.edu with questions.