Description

NSF Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship Program at The University of Texas at Austin

 

Curriculum for 2007- 2008

IGERT trainees must take 2 of the following 4 courses:

IGERT trainees must also register for the following two courses:

Advisory Structure

Students elect two advisers from different disciplinary areas within the Colleges of Engineering and Natural Sciences. Students have joint thesis advisors from different disciplines, designing their research experience so that they can appreciate their problem from the perspective of these two disciplines. Additionally, students must choose a clinical advisor from UTMDACC or the UTHSC-H who will provide a clinical perspective.  This clinical advisor will participate fully as a member of the student’s thesis committee. The three advisors provide a written evaluation of trainee performance each year.  The IGERT program director meets with all IGERT trainees each semester to evaluate progress and address concerns.

Internships

All IGERT students are required to complete at least one internship in order to see the application of their research in a different setting.

Students can select from one of three internships:

Clinical internships with UTMDACC or the UTHSC-H allow students to participate in translational, clinical research; At the conclusion of their coursework, students can elect to spend 3 months pursuing a clinical research internship at UTMDACC or UTHSC-H under the supervision of our clinical and basic science faculty collaborators. As they carry out a research project in this setting, they will see clinical problems that motivate their research, better appreciate where their research fits in the spectrum of technology development and will be exposed to a wide range of career opportunities.  We anticipate that some students will choose clinical research internships which are a natural extension of their thesis research, while others will choose to explore a new research area.  An important part of the clinical research internship will be to provide students with direct exposure to patient care experiences so that they feel comfortable in this environment and understand the constraints which new medical technologies must satisfy. Students will participate in clinical in-patient rounds, out-patient visits, the operating room, the emergency room and medical grand rounds as part of their clinical research internship. This experience will provide students with direct contact with the medical needs that can be addressed through interdisciplinary research in cell and molecular imaging.

Industrial internships enable students to participate in technology development; Internships with industry and the national laboratories give students an opportunity to approach their problem from an industrial perspective. This opportunity will give students a broader grasp of the context in which their results may be applied. While these structures are designed to ensure that the student receives the inter-disciplinary training needed to have a successful career in this emerging field, they are expected to result in new collaborations and further expansion of inter-disciplinary research.

International internships enable them to carry out research and development with a global perspective; Students will work and be trained in subjects that are distinct from those in which we have expertise here at the University of Texas at Austin. These students will have a truly unique education in that they will be exposed to the research procedures and regulations (and general culture) of the international community in cell and molecular imaging, diagnostics, and therapeutics.  The IGERT trainees will spend 1-4 months in one of the sites, being trained on new equipment and techniques related to imaging and therapeutic and diagnostic devices. The groups selected for training are some of the leading groups in the field in the world.

Summer Group Meetings

During the summer, instead of weekly seminars, there will be an IGERT Group meeting for IGERT faculty and students once a month. At these meetings, two students and a faculty member will conduct 15-20 minute presentations.

Outside Traineeship

IGERT students may accept supplemental traineeship during the period they are appointed as IGERT trainees.  A supplemental traineeship is one that is intended to supplement appointment as a GRA (e.g. Thrust Traineeship).  IGERT students may not accept traineeships designed to provide full time support during the period they are appointed as IGERT trainees.  Examples of such traineeships include Pre-Emptive Traineeships or NSF Graduate Traineeships.

Employment Outside the Program

IGERT students may accept supplemental TA appointments during the period they are appointed as IGERT trainees.  A supplemental TA is one that is 5 hours per week or less, provided the student's primary IGERT advisor approves it in advance.