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Applicants to the Committee on Neurobiology are admitted based on their academic record and research experience. All applications are accepted online, through the Biological Sciences Division. Please use these GRE codes: institution code: 1832. If applying for individual fellowships that require the subject test, use subject code 0299. Initial fellowship support which includes tuition, fees, and a stipend ($26,500 during 2008-2009) is provided by means of federal training grants and a limited amount of university funds; highly qualified students are encouraged to apply for individual funding through outside agencies such as NIH, HHMI, and NSF. Links to these organizations can be found at the end of this section. Advanced students are supported by laboratory funds when the dissertation research closely matches the specific aims of the lab advisor's research grants. During the first year, students generally rotate through different laboratories while they take course work although no set number of rotations is required. Students are expected to be associated with a laboratory at all times. At the end of the first year, an advisory committee which will supervise the progress of the student is formed. In subsequent years, as a student's interests change, the composition of the advisory committee may be modified. At the end of the second year, students write a critical essay on a particular research question which is followed by an oral defense before a committee of Neurobiology faculty who are not part of the advisory committee. Guidelines for writing the preliminary examination paper can be found here. By the end of the second year, students compose and meet with their advisory committee. During the third or fourth year, the student writes a thesis proposal and defends this before the advisory committee. Some evidence of the student's ability to make original laboratory observations should be available at this time. After the successful completion of these two steps, the student is admitted to candidacy for the Ph.D. Guidelines for the advisory committee thesis preparation can be found here. Students in the Biological Sciences Division are required to spend time in the classroom as a teaching assistant in one or two courses (depending on the responsibilities and size of the class). Although these teaching assistantships are without the benefit of pay, students find the experience beneficial and rewarding. After satisfying this requirement, the student may work as a teaching assistant for pay, as long as there is an adequate arrangement made with the lab advisor. The Dean of Students office maintains information on courses in BSD in need of a teaching assistant. Fellowship packages for students in the Committee on Neurobiology never include required teaching assistantships. The final report on the thesis is public, followed by a
private oral
examination by the advisory committee and by other members of the
University
faculties. The original observations included in the final Ph.D. thesis
should be judged suitable for publication. The University of Chicago welcomes applications from minority students who are members of groups underrepresented in science. For information on the BSD efforts to recruit and retain minority students, please see the webpage, Opportunities for Minority Graduate Students in the Biological Sciences Links to funding opportunities:Look for the link related to individual predoctoral or graduate fellowships at these agencies:Last updated, 06/25/2008 |
