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Kresge Hearing Research Institute

Department of Otolaryngology

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Post-Doctoral Training Program Admission

GUIDELINES FOR APPLICANTS FOR POSTDOCTORAL TRAINEESHIPS

Hearing, Balance, and Chemical Senses Training Grant

Quick jump:

• New Applicants
• Renewing Applicants

The purpose of postdoctoral traineeships on the Hearing, Balance and Chemical Senses training grant is to support Ph.D.s or M.D.s (or persons with equivalent degrees) in training that will lead to a productive research career in the hearing, balance, and chemosensory biomedical and behavioral sciences.

Postdoctoral fellows from a variety of disciplines are accepted provided their previous training has been adequate for the pursuit of advanced research in hearing, balance and/or chemical senses. Primary criteria are an excellent academic background and commitment to research in the area of hearing, balance and chemical senses.

1. Eligibility: NIH training grants will only support U.S. citizens or permanent residents holding a green card. Postdoctoral trainees must have received, as of the beginning date of the NRSA appointment, a Ph.D., M.D., D.D.S., or comparable doctoral degree from an accredited domestic or foreign institution. Documentation by an authorized official of the degree-granting institution certifying all degree requirements have been met prior to the beginning date of training is required. Trainees may receive no more than three years of total NRSA support at the postdoctoral level, including any combination of support from institutional training grants and individual fellowship awards.
2. Duration: Postdoctoral traineeships are awarded for a one-year period, with the option of renewal for a second year. Appointment for the second year, however, is dependent on demonstration of progress during the first year and a clear plan for continued work in the area of hearing, balance and chemical senses. Postdoctoral trainees are also expected to apply for F32 individual fellowship training support. NIH studies indicate that individuals receiving less than two years of postdoctoral training have a much lower probability of continuing in a successful research career. The two years of fellowship training should be contiguous and focus on one research area.
3. Payback agreement: A two-year research obligation begins at the onset of appointment to the HBCS training grant. Completion of a second year of research training funded by the HBCS fellowship, or by a T32 individual fellowship, fulfills the NIH payback agreement. Postdoctoral trainees who end their research careers before two years of postdoctoral training are completed, and who do not fulfill this obligation, are required to pay back the portion of their stipend received up to the time they leave the program. For additional details, see the December 2003 NIH Grants Policy Statement.
4. The University of Michigan Medical School policy limits the duration of postdoctoral appointments, including previous postdoctoral experience, to five (5) years.
5. Application deadlines and traineeship start dates: Applications for postdoctoral positions will be considered two times a year. Applications will be due on the 1st working day of March or September. Applicants will be evaluated and given a priority score by the HBCS Admissions Committee. Final decisions will be made by the HBCS Executive Committee approximately four to six weeks following the application deadlines. Traineeships can generally begin at any time within 12 months following the final approval by the Executive Committee. Applicants should specify the desired start date in their application.

New Applicants

Graduate students applying for a first year of training grant support should submit to the director of the HBCS program (David Kohrman, Kresge Hearing Research Institute, 1150 W. Medical Center Drive, Room 4605 Med Sci II, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5626) the following:

1. Background Information:
   • Your name and contact information. Include mailing address, phone number(s) and e-mail address(es) where we can reach you reliably while the application is being evaluated
   • Citizenship. If you are not a U.S. Citizen, please include a copy of your Green Card that certifies 'permanent resident' status.
   • Proposed mentor for the HBCS postdoctoral traineeship
   • Desired start date for the HBCS postdoctoral traineeship
   • Number of months of previous postdoctoral training (up to the time of the proposed HBCS start date)
   • Number of months of total previous NRSA postdoctoral training support (up to the time of the proposed HBCS start date)
   • Graduate or medical school transcripts indicating receipt of a Ph.D. or M.D. degree. If applicant's graduate degree was obtained in another country, applicant must provide proof of equivalency to a Ph.D. or M.D. degree in the United States
2. A curriculum vitae
3. A one-page statement outlining your research interests and long-term academic goals. This statement must explicitly indicate how your research interests relate to the field of hearing, balance, and chemical senses. This statement should also briefly summarize research performed in graduate school and previous postdoctoral positions.
4. A Research Training Plan that concisely describes the planned research project and includes the following items (4-page limit):
   • Specific aims � an explicit list of the intended goals of the project, including the hypotheses to be tested
   • Background and significance � a brief description of the current knowledge base in the relevant area and the unresolved questions that are addressed by the Specific Aims; also include a brief statement summarizing the scientific and clinical significance of the plan and its relevance for research training in the fields of hearing, balance, or chemical senses
   • Preliminary studies, if applicable - take care in distinguishing your own contributions from those of others
   • Research design and methods � a brief summary of the experimental approaches to be used.
5. A letter from the mentor(s) outlining the qualifications of the student for the HBCS Program, specifying why training grant support is needed, and outlining the plan for support for the remainder of the student's graduate career
6. A transcript of grades for courses taken during graduate training
7. One copy each of relevant publications, including those in press. If there are more than three previous publications, the best representative three should be selected

Criteria for Review - New Applicants

• quality of the candidate's academic and research accomplishments
• potential for successful training in the fields of hearing, balance, or chemical senses
• quality of the training environment
• quality of the research training plan

Renewing Applicants

Postdoctoral fellows applying for a renewal of training grant support should submit to the director of the HBCS program (David Kohrman, Kresge Hearing Research Institute, 1150 W. Medical Center Drive, Room 4605 Med Sci II, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-5616) the following:

1. Background Information:
   • Your name and contact information. Include mailing address, phone number(s) and e-mail address(es) where we can reach you reliably while the application is being evaluated.
   • HBCS postdoctoral traineeship mentor.
   • Desired start date for the HBCS postdoctoral traineeship
   • Number of months of previous HBCS postdoctoral training (up to the time of the proposed HBCS start date)
   • Number of months of total previous NRSA postdoctoral training support (up to the time of the proposed HBCS start date).
2. An updated curriculum vitae
3. A summary of your progress in research during the preceding period of support, based upon the original specific aims of the project, along with a brief summary of the research plan for the second year of support (3-page limit)
4. A list of publications and/or presentations on which you are a co-author and that are associated with training during the preceding period of support (include copies of publications
5. A letter from the mentor describing the applicant's progress during the during the preceding period of support
6. A description of your participation in required HBCS training programs, including Hearing, Balance and Chemical Senses seminars, Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Fellow luncheon meetings with invited speakers, and training in research responsibility.

Criteria for Review - Renewing Applicants

• progress in the research training plan, based upon the applicant's and mentor's descriptions and the publications/presentations resulting from the preceding period of support
• participation in HBCS training programs

You may direct inquiries not addressed here via email to the program director, Dr. David Kohrman (dkohrman@umich.edu) or the program secretary, Mabel Render (mabelh@umich.edu). Additional information regarding training fellowships is available in a December 2003 NIH Grants Policy Statement, available on the NIH website.