IGERT Program
IGERT Training Program The CNBC IGERT training program, funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation, is a two-year training option that offers more specialized and in-depth training than the regular CNBC training program. IGERT (Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training) allows students to work with mentors outside their home discipline to develop core competence in another field that complements the student's main research activities. Here are some examples of the kinds of cross-over training IGERT is intended support:
  • A computer science student modeling place cells in the rodent hippocampus can receive training in neurophysiological recording from cells in the hippocampus of behaving rats.
  • A neuroscience student recording from dopamine cells in the substantia nigra may receive training in computer modeling techniques relevant to that brain area, and work with a faculty mentor to implement a simulation of the basal ganglia.
  • A statistics student who develops tools for analyzing fMRI data may learn how to design and conduct imaging experiments, and participate in running an actual experiment.
  • A psychology student who works on computer models of language disorders could learn how to design a behavioral experiment, and then run that experiment on both normal subjects and clinical patients.

 

This year, IGERT fellowships are being awarded by the CNBC on a competitive basis. The proposal submission deadline is March 15, 2009.

 

Students seeking training under the IGERT program should begin by formulating a training objective in consultation with their research advisor, and putting together a four-person training committee. The committee's job is to work with the student to design a personalized training curriculum, oversee the student's progress through the program, review the results of their project work, and certify the successful completion of their training. The committee should consist of the student's research advisor, the faculty mentor in whose lab the student is proposing to obtain cross-over training, and two additional faculty members, at least one of which must be from the cross-over discipline.

Step-by-Step Instructions for IGERT Applicants

  1. Student meets with their advisor and identifies an area in which they wish to receive cross-over training.
  2. Student finds a mentor who can provide the desired cross-over training. The mentor should normally be a member of the CNBC training faculty; exceptions can be proposed to the IGERT Steering Committee.
  3. Student puts together a training committee consisting of their advisor, their cross-over mentor, and two additional faculty, at least one of whom must be from the cross-over discipline.
  4. The training committee meets with the student to assess the student's preparedness for the proposed cross-over training. Using the appropriate requirements list, the committee will identify gaps in the student's background and develop with the student a written plan for satisfying all background requirements by the end of the first IGERT year. This written plan may include modifications to the normal CNBC training program requirements, such as substitutions for some core courses. Advanced graduate students who have already acquired the necessary background knowledge may propose to do just the second (project) year of the IGERT program.
  5. The student submits a brief outline of their proposed cross-over research project and a copy of their written training plan to the IGERT Steering Committee. The steering committee can then accept the student to the IGERT program, or request changes to the training plan.
  6. During the first IGERT year, the student fufills the requirements of their training plan.
  7. At the second training committee meeting, normally held at the conclusion of the first IGERT year, the committee will verify that the background training requirements have been satisfied. The committee will then discuss with the student in detail the research project the student proposes to conduct in the cross-over lab. Once the committee has approved the proposal, the student can advance to the second IGERT year.
  8. During the second IGERT year, the student works half time in the mentor's lab on their research project.
  9. The third meeting of the training committee will occur at the conclusion of the research project. The student will submit a written report on their project work. Once this report has been received, the student will present an oral defense of the project and the committee will determine whether the full IGERT program requirements have been met.
  10. In addition,will publicly present their results. There will be at least one outside speaker as well. The symposium will be open to the entire academic community.

 

The IGERT training program is designed to be flexible, offering customized training experiences tailored to each particular student's educational goals. Students who think they might be interested in IGERT cross-over training are encouraged to contact Dave Touretzky to discuss the possibilities.

 

To learn more about the IGERT program, visit the IGERT.org web site, or the NSF's IGERT program page.