FAQs & Helpful Links I understand that it’s generally best to first select a mentor from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and later a co-mentor from the Karolinska Institutet (KI). Where can I find a list of potential mentors at NIH? Can I contact them directly? The NIH has a large number of postdoctoral trainees but a relatively small number of graduate students. For this reason, scientists at the NIH are eager to hear from potential graduate students, and almost all are happy to provide advice and guidance. Feel free to contact them, probably initially by email. Before you contact them, review the websites from their laboratory and some recent publications. About 20% of the NIH faculty have identified themselves as neuroscientists and provide a brief description of their research at: http://neuroscience.nih.gov. Please email or call them with information about yourself, your interests, and whether they may be interested in being a mentor to you in this NIH-KI program. If they do not currently have space in their laboratory for a graduate student, ask them to recommend other mentors. Please refer them to this webpage for a complete description of the program. Finally, if the faculty member is clearly interested in the program, s/he must be aware of their obligations as a mentor. See “Guide for NIH Mentors and NIH Students” How can I identify a co-mentor from the KI? As a rule, it’s best to first identify a mentor at the NIH. Then, working with your NIH mentor, review potential co-mentors at the KI. However, this program is quite flexible and it may, at times, work well in reverse order. Faculty at the following four departments at the KI are the most likely to be co-mentors in neuroscience:
You can also consult the "List of Prior and Current NIH/KI mentors" here. How long is the PhD Program? The PhD should be completed in no more than five years. Some students have completed in four years, and one in three years. How much time should I spend at each institution? As a general goal, the student should spend approximately half of their time at each institution. As an upper limit, 75% is allowed at the NIH. This time could certainly include large blocks (e.g., 1-2 years to complete a major component of the work), as well as shorter visits to complete smaller experimental components at one institution or to take courses. How can I keep my mentor and co-mentor coordinated for the successful completion of my PhD dissertation? The NIH and KI co-mentors will agree to serve in this capacity after a specific research plan is proposed and both endorse the merit and utility of such a project as a joint collaboration between their laboratories. The research plan should outline which components of the project will be performed at each institution, along with a proposed timeline. To enhance communication, regular telephone conference calls and routine emails (with CCs to the mentor, co-mentor, and student) should be established. Is a stipend provided? A stipend paid by a predoctoral Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) is provided for four (or maximum of five) years. The first year stipend for graduate students at the NIH is ~$28,300 for the 2012 - 2013 academic year. Small increments are scheduled for subsequent years. The NIH mentor is responsible for the stipend, medical insurance via FAES (~$3,000), and travel (up to $3,000). Some Institutes pay these costs for the first one to two years. NIH mentors can ask their Scientific Director for their Institute-specific policy. As of 2010, the NIMH assumed the administrative management of this joint PhD program from the central Graduate Partnerships Program of the NIH. The NIMH charges no overhead for these administrative services; however, the mentor’s institute must arrange stipend, insurance, travel, and visa. Are funds provided to support travel? In addition to the stipend, a total of $3,000 per annum is provided for travel between the two institutions. These funds are available on an annual “use it or lose it” basis and do not carry forward. Travel arrangements between the institutes are arranged for students by the Administrative Officers of the student’s mentor’s Institute. Does the KI charge tuition or laboratory fees to students or their mentors? No. PhD training in Sweden is part of the public school system, and the KI does not charge tuition. How can I arrange housing in Bethesda and Stockholm? At the NIH, the Graduate Partnerships Program’s office is available to help you find housing in the Bethesda area. Housing at the KI is generally off campus. A graduate student office at the KI (comparable to the GPP at NIH) is available to help students find housing. Public transportation in Stockholm is excellent. Students frequently find housing from referrals from fellow students or via internet sites. For possible housing on campus or very close by email Rose McNeely at faes.student.housing@gmail.com. Does the NIH have a graduate student activities office? The graduate students at NIH (about 500 and growing) use the numerous workshops and activities for graduate students sponsored by the Graduate Partnerships Program and also have a Graduate Student Council to represent their academic interests and to foster social interactions. For example, the Graduate Partnerships Program sponsors an annual graduate student retreat, and all students are highly encouraged to attend. The Graduate Student Council plans social and professional development events, such as teaching classes through the Foundation of Advanced Education for the Sciences, planning and participating in community service events, organizing the annual Graduate Student Symposium, giving seminars to the NIH community, and visiting various historical sites and museums in Washington DC. What does a thesis look like? The KI posts All Accepted Theses at a public web site. Click the following to view the PhD theses of our graduates. What are the requirements for a PhD Degree? To receive a PhD degree from the KI, students must have completed 30 points of classroom work and a “substantial” body of research work. One point is defined as one full week of class: approximately 9 AM–5 PM, Monday through Friday or three US graduate credits. The KI requires 7.5-points (or 5-weeks) of core courses on topics like biostatistics, laboratory safety, research ethics, etc. Courses are available at NIH that can substitute for these core courses at KI. The remaining 22.5 points are electives that the student may take at the KI or elsewhere (after approval by the graduate advisor of the student’s department). The NIH also offers many courses, and students are encouraged to take them and to fulfill course requirements. Courses at NIH are available via FAES (Faculty for Advanced Education in the Sciences). In addition to this course work, students are required to complete a “substantial” body of research work. “Substantial” was often defined in the recent past as four first-authored papers. The definition is now in flux, and no strict limit has been set for the number of papers. One paper plus adequate documentation of research education could theoretically suffice. However, to be sure to meet expectations of all departments, we recommend that you seek to have three (but a minimum of two) first-authored papers, published or in press. Applicants should carefully review the KI website describing these general PhD requirements. The Rules for Doctoral Education are particularly helpful. Who can I contact for additional questions about this program? The KI-NIH Partnership Directors at the NIH are Robert Innis, MD, PhD (robert.innis@nih.gov) and Victor Pike, PhD (victor.pike@nih.gov). You may also contact the program staff at karolinska@mail.nih.gov. Helpful Links Program Information Resources
NIH Graduate Partnership Program Links General Interest NIH Web Sites
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