Logistics
The Advanced Scholar in Immunology Graduate Partnership Program (ASIGPP) is the graduate partnership between NIH and the University of Pennsylvania, based on the Immunology Graduate Group (IGG) in which all students in this program will be full time graduate students in Biomedical Graduate Studies (BGS) at the University of Pennsylvania. For the partnership, the IGG will provide the basic formal educational structure for all students within its program. All students, regardless of the site at which they conduct their thesis research, will meet all degree and program requirements as determined by the University, BGS, and the IGG and, if satisfactorily completed, will receive the doctoral degree from the University of Pennsylvania.
The partnership program offers 2 separate tracks for admission:
- NIH track
- Penn track
NIH Track
This track is for the University of Pennsylvania IGG graduate students who are committed to performing their thesis work at the NIH. The training plan is as follows: NIH track students are strongly encouraged to perform a pre-matriculation rotation at the NIH during the summer of their 1st year (prior to their initial fall semester of classes). They will then enter the IGG program at the University of Pennsylvania in August, take coursework, and rotate in labs at the University of Pennsylvania from September – May of 1st year (1st and 2nd rotation). These rotations can be performed on an NIH-Penn collaborative project, though this is not a requirement. NIH track students must perform their 3rd rotation during the following summer at NIH and are expected to perform their pre-dissertation research and their thesis research at NIH if they successfully pass their candidacy exam at the University of Pennsylvania. In an event that an NIH track student cannot commit to a lab for thesis research, he/she/they will be allowed to perform a third NIH rotation, which will be supported by NIH IRP. All NIH track students must choose an advisor (or co-mentor) from the University of Pennsylvania who will provide career advice and help foster the student’s thesis work. The participation can advance to formal co-supervision of the thesis work by mutual agreement between the University of Pennsylvania and NIH faculty members.
This track is for the conventional University of Pennsylvania IGG students who plan to perform their thesis work at the University of Pennsylvania and wish to explore collaborative opportunities with the NIH IRP at some point in their graduate studies. Penn track students have the option of performing a pre-matriculation rotation at the University of Pennsylvania or at NIH during the summer of their 1st year (prior to their initial fall semester of classes). NIH summer rotations of Penn track students will be supported by the NIH investigators in the Institute/Center where the student conducts research. They will enter the IGG program at the University of Pennsylvania in August, take coursework and rotate in labs at the University of Pennsylvania from September – May of the 1st year (1st and 2nd rotations). During the following summer, they will have the opportunity to perform a rotation at the University of Pennsylvania or at the NIH (3rd rotation). IGG students that perform their thesis work at the University of Pennsylvania may choose an informal advisor or co-mentor from the NIH. This NIH faculty member can advise the student on scientific progress and provide indirect access to NIH core facilities and transgenic core facilities to support the student’s thesis work through collaborative research. The participation could advance to formal co-supervision of the thesis by mutual agreement between the University of Pennsylvania and NIH faculty members. IGG students that perform their thesis work at the University of Pennsylvania are fully administered by the IGG and not students in the NIH Graduate Partnership Program (GPP). In the event that an opportunity to physically perform training at the NIH presents itself, and the experience is 6 months or greater (cumulatively), the NIH mentor (Principal Investigator) will provide the student with a Predoctoral IRTA/CRTA trainee position during those times (depending upon the sponsoring IC). All PhD students who train at NIH for 6 months or greater are, by definition, GPP students; will register with the GPP and have access to appropriate NIH resources. Pursuing thesis research at NIH will be limited to no more than 2 students from the Penn track each year.
Overview of Program Requirements
Students on both tracks must complete the required coursework and research requirements as outlined by the IGG, M.D./Ph.D., or V.M.D./Ph.D. programs. Students completing thesis work at the NIH are required to fulfill the same requirements as all IGG students during thesis years. This includes participating in IMUN607 Grant Writing (spring semester of the second year), completing regular Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) and Scientific Rigor and Reproducibility (SRR) trainings, and submitting an annual individual development plan (IDP). In addition, all thesis students are required to hold a regular thesis committee meeting every six months for combined degree students and once per year for Ph.D. students. Further, at least 2 of 4 faculty members of the thesis committee for all students completing their thesis at the NIH will be IGG faculty with active research programs at the greater Penn/Perelman School of Medicine campus; all thesis committee meetings and defenses will be held at the University of Pennsylvania in accordance with Penn, BGS, and IGG standards. Lastly, all NIH track students are required to attend the annual IGG retreat and present their work at least once at the Research in Progress (RIP) meeting held by Penn’s Institute for Immunology (IFI). As NIH trainees, students are required to present regularly at group lab meetings, section/branch seminars (as applicable), the annual NIH Immunology Interest Group (IIG) workshop and the annual NIH Graduate Student Research Symposium. Attendance of all NIH-Penn ASIGPP students at weekly journal clubs offered within the NIH intramural community and the NIH IIG seminar series are strongly encouraged.
Applying to NIH-Track
To be considered for the Advanced Scholars program, candidates must complete BOTH the University of Pennsylvania's Application AND the University of Pennsylvania NIH Track Application.
Important Note:
If you apply to both Penn Track and NIH Track, please be aware that offers are made to only one of the two programs. Once acceptance letters are sent, a NIH Track acceptance cannot be converted to a Penn Track acceptance.