Academic Resources

• Neuroscience Graduate Program
• UVM
• Other Academic Resources

Community Resources

• Neuroscience
• UVM
• Burlington

Predoctoral Fellowships

Information about fellowships available from UVM and the greater scientific community.

Academic Resources

Neuroscience Graduate Program:

• Neuroscience Graduate Program Guidelines (PDF)
• NGP Timeline (PDF)
• NGP Qualifying Examination guidelines (for students PDF and committees PDF)
• NGP Dissertation Proposal guidelines (for students PDF and committees PDF)
• NGP Dissertation Defense Checklist (PDF)
• NGP Teaching Guidelines (PDF)
• NGP Student Vacation Policy (PDF)
• NGP logo - high resolution JPEG for research posters
  (UVM net id and password protected)
• UVM logo - multiple high resolution images.

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University of Vermont:

• University of Vermont 2012-13 Online Catalogue
• Pawbook: The Unofficial UVM Graduate Student Guide (PDF) written for graduate students by graduate students--your very own Graduate Student Senate.
• University of Vermont Graduate College with links to graduate support personnel, the registrar, and academic policies, procedures and forms that you will use throughout your graduate career. Looking for Dissertation guidelines and timelines? Scroll down to "Dissertation/Thesis Information on the Graduate College Policies and Procedures page.
• GRADNET, a listserv where graduate students, faculty, and staff post announcements.
• The indispensable Dana Medical Library with PubMed access and other UVM libraries.
• The UVM Center for Teaching & Learning offers great workshops for GTAs.

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Other helpful academic resources:

• HHMI lab managment guide: Making the Right Moves: A practical guide for scientific management for postdocs and new faculty.
• Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL) - a formidable assortment of writing resources
• University of Houston Victoria Academic Center - great handouts and practice exercises for grammar, punctuation, and style
• A Writer's Reference by Diana Hacker - a companion to the book we have in the grad office
• UVM Writing Center
• Grant proposal writing workshop (PDF), presented by Dr. Rae Nishi, June 20, 2008

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Community Resources

Neuroscience:

• News and events in UVM Neuroscience and all-campus news and events.
• The Society for Neuroscience
• The Vermont Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience
• National Institutes of Health, Office of Intramural Training & Eduation, Career Services. Finding the right fit after Grad School; Exploring Careers in Academia; Exploring Careers Beyond Academia.

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University of Vermont:

• Student and Community Relations, committed to creating a safe and socially just environment for off-campus students and neighbors, providing resources and education to our students so that they have successful experiences living off campus.
• Apartments and Family Housing and a UVM off-campus housing search resource.
• Student Health/Medical Clinic, which offers a host of health and wellbeing resources on campus and administers your student health insurance.
• CATcard office – www.uvm.edu/~catcard/
• Registrar – www.uvm.edu/~rgweb/
• Our amazing Recreation Facilities.
• Athletics – www.uvm.edu/~sportspr/
• University of Vermont, Career Services - Imagine, Explore, Prepare.
• Environmental Safety – www.uvm.edu/~esf/
• Religious Group Resources – www.uvm.edu/~spirit/
• Center for Cultural Pluralism - http://www.uvm.edu/~ccpuvm/
• ALANA Student Center - http://www.uvm.edu/~asc/
• Graduate Student Senate – www.uvm.edu/~gss/
• Office of Animal Care website - http://www.uvm.edu/~oacm/
• Phone/Email Directory – www.uvm.edu/directory/
• Police Services (for a safe walk or to report threatening behavior/ criminal activity)  656-3473 or 911.

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Burlington:

• Directions: Burlington is close to Montreal (100 miles), Boston (200 miles) and New York City (300 miles). Interactive campus maps to help you find your way around.

• Seven Days, Burlington's hip local newspaper, with the lowdown on community resources, classifieds, live music, art, film, food and fun.

• City Market/Onion River Coop, selling wholesome food while building a vibrant, empowered community, all in a sustainable manner. Check out their "Eat Well on a Budget" events.
• Higher Ground (concerts) - http://www.highergroundmusic.com/
  
• Craigslist - Burlington
• UVMBored (on campus) – www.uvm.edu/%7Ebored/

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Predoctoral Fellowships in the Neurosciences

Please visit the funding web pages for more information and to confirm application due dates.

Jeffords Graduate Fellowship Program - The Jeffords Center for Policy Research at the University of Vermont is pleased to invite nominations and applications for the James M. Jeffords Graduate Fellowship Program for the academic year 2011-2012.

The Jeffords Center Graduate Fellowship Program provides funding for graduate students conducting high-quality policy research related to education, health care, the environment, and effective government. Students may not apply directly, but must be nominated by their Department Chair, Program Director, or faculty advisor. For more information visit www.uvm.edu/jeffordscenter

Aging Research Dissertation Awards to Increase Diversity - U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals that have completed all non-dissertation requirements for your Ph.D. degree by the anticipated start date of the award. Application Deadline: Various - see http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/submissionschedule.htm

American Cancer Association - Various open applications and deadlines.

American Heart Association Award (New England affiliate and National affiliate) - To help students initiate careers in cardiovascular research by providing research assistance and training. Research broadly related to cardiovascular function and disease, stroke or to related clinical, basic science, bioengineering or biotechnology, and public health problems. Full-time students working towards their degrees. Application Deadlines: See individual affiliates for information.

American Parkinson Disease Association - Medical Students Summer Fellowships Provides a stipend to enable medical students to perform supervised laboratory or clinical research designed to clarify our understanding of Parkinson’s disease, its nature, manifestations, etiology or treatment. It is hoped this experience will stimulate a student’s interest in future research in the field of Parkinson’s disease and related disorders. This is a Fellowship of $4,000 for a three(3) month summer commitment. Application Deadlines: See individual association for information.

American Physiological Society Awards Program - Demonstrates the Society’s dedication to its members and biomedical research by recognizing the research efforts of outstanding APS members. Awards are offered by the Society and the various APS Sections. Application Deadline: Various award opportunities and corresponding deadlines.

Cancer Education and Career Development Program (R25T) - A listing of NCI-supported fellowships, research career development awards, and training/education research programs categorized by educational and experience requirements (i.e., postdoctoral, new faculty, midcareer, and established investigator levels) at universities and institutions across the country. Application Deadlines: See individual fund information.

Epilepsy Foundation Predoctoral Research Training Fellowship - Supports pre-doctoral students with dissertation research related to epilepsy. Graduate students pursuing a Ph.D. degree in neuroscience, physiology, pharmacology, psychology, biochemistry, genetics, nursing, or pharmacy may apply. Application Deadline: Not Yet Announced...

Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowships for Minorities - In 2012, the Ford Fellowship program will award approximately 60 predoctoral fellowships. The predoctoral fellowships provide three years of support  for individuals engaged in graduate study leading to a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) or Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) degree.

Predoctoral fellowships will be awarded in a national competition administered by the National Research Council (NRC) on behalf of the Ford Foundation. The awards will be made to individuals who, in the judgment of the review panels, have demonstrated superior academic achievement, are committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level, show promise of future achievement as scholars and teachers, and are well prepared to use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students. 

Predoctoral Eligibility
In addition to the general eligibility requirements, eligibility to apply for a predoctoral fellowship is limited to:

• All citizens or nationals* of the United States regardless of race, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, or sexual orientation (must have become a U.S. citizen by November 14, 2011),
• Individuals with evidence of superior academic achievement (such as grade point average, class rank, honors or other designations,
• Individuals committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level,
• Individuals enrolled in or planning to enroll in an eligible research-based program leading to a Ph.D. or Sc.D. degree at a U.S. educational institution, and
• Individuals who have not earned a doctoral degree at any time, in any field.

*The term “national of the United States” designates a citizen of the United States or a native resident of a possession of the United States. It does not refer to a U.S. permanent resident who is a citizen of another country.

Click on the links below to learn more about each aspect of the Predoctoral Ford Foundation Fellowship

• Predoctoral Eligibility 
• Criteria for Selection 
• Eligible Fields of Study 
• Fellowship Institution 
• Previous Graduate Study 
• Stipends and Benefits 
• Tenure 
• Evaluation and Selection of Fellows 
• Conditions of the Fellowship

For more information: http://sites.nationalacademies.org/PGA/FordFellowships/PGA_047958

Fulbright Fellowships

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program will fund an academic year of research, intellectual and cultural exchange in one of over 150 countries. The application process for grants for the 2013-2014 academic year will begin on May 1 and UVM has a campus deadline on September 14. Students can find more information on their research options through the Fulbright U.S. Program website, and they can also get information on the UVM application process on the UVM Fulbright website (both are linked below):

http://us.fulbrightonline.org/home.html

http://www.uvm.edu/~honcoll/?Page=fellowFulbright.html&SM=oppmenu.html

Students who are interested in applying for the Fulbright should make an appointment with Brit Chase before May 25 so they can get a run-down of the application process.

Grass Foundation Fellowship - The Grass Foundation seeks to encourage independent research at the Marine Biological Laboratory by investigators early in their career and to increase research opportunities for persons trained for careers in neurobiological investigation. The normal tenure is fourteen weeks. The number of fellowships awarded varies annually. Application Deadline: See individual fellowship for information..

Hertz Foundation Fellowships - Fellowships for graduate students pursuing a PhD in the physical sciences. Fellowships may be continued for up to five years total. Biological fields supported include bioengineering, biophysics/bio-imaging, computational neuroscience, structure analysis and synthesis, advanced instrumentation, biostatistics, and biotechnology. Application Deadline: October 29, 2010.

Howard Hughes Medical Institute - Graduate Science Education and Medical Research Training Program - Through its Graduate Science Education and Medical Research Training Program, HHMI seeks to expand the nation's pool of medically trained researchers; promote interdisciplinary, graduate-level research training; and integrate medicine into biomedical research training. The program also seeks to provide graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and newly independent scientists with courses and other resources that will help them succeed in their research careers. Application Deadline: Various award opportunities and corresponding deadlines.

Huntington’s Disease Society of America - Don King Student Fellowship - The objective of the Donald A. King Student Research Fellowships is to sponsor HD investigations that can be conducted over a 10-week period. Fellowship recipients, working under the supervision of senior HD scientists, will undertake a project that will be helpful in future HD research and also nurture a continuing interest in HD research. The student fellowships are designed to attract the brightest future scientists into a career in brain disorder research, especially Huntington’s Disease. Application deadline: The deadline for Grants and Fellowships has been postponed. Please watch website for new application deadline.

National Alliance for Research on Schizophrenia and Depression Young Investigator Award Program - Offers up to $30,000 a year for up to two (2) years to enable promising investigators to either extend their research fellowship training or to begin careers as independent research faculty. The program is intended to facilitate innovative research opportunities and supports basic and/or clinical investigators, however, research must be relevant to our understanding, treatment and prevention of serious psychiatric disorders such as schizophrenia, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, or child and adolescent psychiatric disorders.

National Defense Science and Engineering Predoctoral Fellowship - As a means of increasing the number of U.S. citizens and nationals trained in science and engineering disciplines of military importance, the Department of Defense (DoD) offers fellowships to individuals who have demonstrated ability and special aptitude for advanced training in science and engineering. National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowships are awarded to applicants who will pursue a graduate degree in, or closely related to, an area of DoD interest within a variety of disciplines, including Biosciences, Cognitive, Neural, and Behavioral Sciences.

National Institute of General Medical Sciences - NRSA Institutional Predoctoral Training Grants - NIGMS accepts predoctoral research training grant applications from eligible institutions for support of promising students who seek research training in the basic biomedical sciences and related behavioral and clinical fields. The overall goal of these programs is to promote interdisciplinary, collaborative, and innovative research training in areas relevant to the mission of NIGMS. Application Deadline: Various award opportunities and corresponding deadlines.

National Institutes of Health - Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA) Research Training Grants and Fellowships - Lists NRSA fellowships. Application Deadlines: Various award opportunities and corresponding deadlines.

Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research (SIP) Summer programs at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) provide an opportunity to spend a summer working at the NIH side-by-side with some of the leading scientists in the world, in an environment devoted exclusively to biomedical research. Awards cover a minimum of eight weeks, with students generally arriving at the NIH in May or June. The NIH Institutes and the Office of Intramural Training & Education sponsor a wide range of summer activities including lectures featuring distinguished NIH investigators, career/professional development workshops, and Summer Poster Day.

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke– Offers predoctoral training grants: F30 - NINDS Medical Student Dual -Degree MD/PhD Fellowships; F31 - National Research Service Awards for Individual Predoctoral Fellows; F31 - NIH Predoctoral Fellowship Awards to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research. Application Deadlines: Various award opportunities and corresponding deadlines.

National Science Foundation - Graduate Research Fellowships - Application Deadlines: Various award opportunities and corresponding deadlines.

National Science Foundation's Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) - WHAT IT FUNDS: Fellows benefit from a three-year annual stipend of $30,000 along with a $10,500 cost of education allowance for tuition and fees, and a one-time $1,000 travel allowance.

WHO IT’S FOR: All seniors and recent graduates who are applying to attend graduate school in the U.S. Graduate students who have completed less than 12 months of graduate study (this includes first and second-year graduate students) are also eligible.

DEADLINE: Varies by discipline; all deadlines are around mid-November.

The National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program offers three-year graduate research fellowships in science, mathematics, and engineering. Fellowships are awarded for graduate study leading to research-based master's or doctoral degrees in the mathematical, physical, biological, behavioral and social sciences; engineering; the history of science and the philosophy of science; and to research-based Ph.D. degrees in science education.

For eligible fields of study and more information, visit the NSF-GRFP website. Institutional nomination is not required to apply, however all applicants are strongly and enthusiastically encouraged to meet with Student Fellowships Advisor Brit Chase (britten.chase@uvm.edu) to get the latest information on the competition.

Society for Neuroscience – National Scholars Program fellowship and International Fellowships to Marine Biological/Cold Spring Harbor Laboratories. Application Deadlines: Various award opportunities and corresponding deadlines.

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