Neurobiology and Behavior Research Training Grant

描述(由申请人提供)：摘要我们请求美国国立卫生研究院继续支持哥伦比亚大学范围内的行为神经生物学博士项目(NB&B)。NB&B由John Koester和Darcy Kelley(现任项目主任)于1995年创建，包括来自医学院和文理校区10个系的50名神经科学培训教师，他们担任博士导师和/或积极参与NB&B的教学和管理。另外还有66名教职员工作为潜在的研究轮换和论文发起人。2011-2012学年，该项目包括88名博士前研究生，其中74人来自美国或永久居民。参与部门的执行委员会任命联席主任：达西·凯利、卡罗尔·梅森和肯·米勒。联席主任由来自两个校区的职业生涯中期教员组成的内部咨询委员会和一个课程委员会提供支持。一个外部咨询委员会每四年审查一次NB&B计划。对该项目的反馈包括博士答辩后的离职面试；博士毕业后的职业发展轨迹被积极跟踪。2012年，NB&B项目收到了392份申请，其中67%是美国公民或永久居民。由15名成员组成的培训教师招生委员会直接录取学生进入该项目。我们积极从代表性不足的群体中招聘申请者，每年录取1到2人(约占录取人数的30%)。申请入学的人数和入学学生的比例正在增加：2010年有11名预科生(42份录取)，2011年有13名预科生(43份录取)，2012年有10名预科生(33份录取)。美国学生获得美国国家科学基金会、美国国防部和美国国立卫生研究院(NIH)的个人奖学金支持。非美国学生得到富布赖特、NSERC(加拿大)和HHMI的外部支持。一年级和二年级各有五名学生得到了这笔培训补助金的资助。为了反映不断增长的预读率和非常高的学生质量，我们现在要求为一年级和二年级的11名学生提供津贴和学费支持。培训计划以“训练营”开始，为期两周，介绍当前的研究方法，然后是神经科学调查课程和三个高级研讨会。研究轮换，通常是三次，在第一年进行。此外，学生还将完成由NB&B项目联合主任领导的三门专业发展课程：第一学期的课程重点是制定研究奖学金提案，第二学期的课程是关于负责任的科学行为，以及为高级学生提供的专业发展课程。在第一年和第二年，学生由联合董事直接监督。到第二年开始时，学生选择一个论文实验室，并参加资格考试，以便在第三年开始时晋级为候选人。资格考试委员会通常是论文咨询委员会的核心，该委员会在论文答辩之前每年与每个学生开会一次，在论文答辩之前每隔3到6个月举行一次会议，通常是入学后5.5到6.5年。所有学生都参加每周一次的NB&B研究研讨会、学生期刊俱乐部和实验室会议。NB&B项目范围内的静修活动每两年举行一次，学生们可以获得参加科学会议的支持。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Abstract We request continued NIH support for Columbia's University-wide Doctoral Program in Neurobiology in Behavior (NB&B). Founded in 1995 by John Koester and Darcy Kelley (the current Program Director), NB&B includes 50 neuroscience training faculty from 10 departments on both the Medical School and Arts and Sciences campuses that serve as Ph.D. mentors and/or participate actively in NB&B teaching and governance. Sixty-six additional faculty members serve as potential research rotation and dissertation sponsors. For the 2011-12 academic year, the Program includes 88 pre-doctoral graduate students, of which 74 are from the US or are permanent residents. An Executive Committee from participating Departments appoints the Co-Directors: Darcy Kelley, Carol Mason and Ken Miller. The Co-directors are supported by an Internal Advisory Committee of mid-career faculty members from the two campuses and a Curriculum Committee. An External Advisory Committee reviews the NB&B program every four years. Feedback on the program includes an exit interview after the Ph.D. defense; career trajectories are actively tracked post-Ph.D. In 2012, 392 applications to the NB&B program were received of which 67% were US citizens or permanent residents. Students are admitted directly to the program by a fifteen-member Admissions Committee of training faculty. We actively recruit applicants from underrepresented groups and matriculate 1 or 2 annually (~30% of offers). The number of applicants offered admission and the percentage of matriculating students is increasing: 11 matriculants in 2010 (42 offers), 13 matriculants in 2011 (43 offers), 10 matriculants in 2012 (33 offers). US students receive individual fellowship support from the NSF, DOD and NIH (pre-doctoral NRSAs). Non-US students receive external support from Fulbright, NSERC (Canada) and the HHMI. Five students each in years 1 and 2 have been supported by this training grant. Reflecting the increasing matriculation rate and very high quality of students, we now request stipend and tuition support for 11 students total in years 1 and 2. The training program opens with a "Boot Camp", a two-week introduction to current research approaches, followed by a neuroscience survey course and three advanced seminars. Research rotations, typically three, are taken in the first year. In addition, students complete three professional development courses led by the NB&B Program Co-directors: a first-semester course focused on developing a research fellowship proposal, a second-semester course on responsible conduct of science and a professional development course for advanced students. Students are directly supervised by the Co-directors in years one and two. By the beginning of the second year, students choose a thesis laboratory and take a qualifying examination to advance to candidacy by the beginning of year 3. The qualifying examination committee typically constitutes the core of the thesis advisory committee that meets yearly with each student through year four and every 3 to 6 months prior to thesis defense, typically 5.5 - 6.5 years post-matriculation. All students attend the weekly NB&B research seminar, a student journal club and lab meetings. A NB&B Program-wide retreat is held biannually and students receive support to attend scientific meetings.