Program | Medicinal Chemistry Collaborative

Medicinal Chemistry Collaborative

Program

Ruth L. Kirschstein Institutional National Research Service Award (NRSA)
Predoctoral Training: Innovative Technologies for Natural Products and Integrative Medicine
The University of North Carolina Greensboro

Our T32 program, “Predoctoral Training: Innovative Technologies for Natural Products and CAM” is supported by a Ruth L. Kirschstein Institutional National Research Service Award (NRSA) from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Situated within the Medicinal Chemistry Collaborative, this program supports a number of PhD students enrolled in the Medicinal Biochemistry PhD program in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at UNCG. Check out this page for profiles of our current fellows.

Funds from this proposal will support stipends, health benefits, 60% of tuition, and travel funds to scientific conferences.  Students supported by this program will have the opportunity to work full time on research.   The stipend level is set by the NIH and is currently $23,376 for each 12 month period.   Appointments will be made for 12 months and will be renewable contingent on trainee performance.

Our objective with this T32 program is to train scientists capable of transitioning into independent research careers in natural products and/or integrative medicine.  These careers may be carried out in the academic, government or private sectors.  To accomplish this, the training program will employ a combination of mentored laboratory research, scientific coursework, seminars, hands on training, and optional internships.

Eligibility of Trainees

  • The individual to be trained must be a citizen or a noncitizen national of the United States or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence at the time of appointment.
  • Successful applicants for the T32 program will have BS, BA or MS degrees in chemistry, biochemistry, biology or other related areas, will have prior laboratory research experience, and will have a track record for strong academic performance (as indicated by recommendation letters, GRE scores, and GPA).
  • Fit of the trainee research project to the theme of this proposal is also a selection criterion.
  • We will strive to achieve strong representation of students from diverse backgrounds in our applicant pool, and students from under-represented minorities in the sciences are particularly encouraged to apply.
  • Trainees must be enrolled full time in the UNCG Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Medicinal Biochemistry PhD program and should be in either their first of second year of the program at time of appointment (July 2016 or March 2017).
  • Trainees must submit a F31 or other national fellowship application before the onset of their third year in the PhD program (starting from admission date to the program, not appointment date to the T32). The goal is to transition students off of the T32 and onto other sources of funding after the first year or two of funding.
  • Trainees must complete an individual development plan (IDP) using and online IDP creation tool for scientists (http://myidp.sciencecareers.org/Home/About). Trainees must meet with their mentors on at least a bi-annual basis to review and update the IDP.
  • Reappointments will be contingent on performance. Trainees are expected to publish and present their research work, and to participate in workshops and seminars related to the T32 program.
  • Performance will be evaluated at annual reviews by the T32 Steering Committee, which will include oral presentation of data. The Steering Committee will meet annually to make decisions about reappointment.
  • Trainees must provide all necessary progress report materials in compliance with deadlines, as requested by the Program Director.

 

Eligibility of Mentors

  • Current Mentors include faculty members from the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry (Drs. Nadja Cech, Nicholas Oberlies, Sherri McFarland, Mitchell Croatt, Patricia Reggio, Kimberly Petersen, Qibin Zhang, and TBD), the Department of Nutrition (Drs. Michael McIntosh, Lee Beverly, and Zhanxiang Zhou), and the Department of Biology (Dr. Zhenquan Jia).  Additional mentors can be added to the pool, contingent on approval by the Executive Committee (Drs. Cech, Jia, Beverly, Oberlies, and Reggio).  Decisions about eligibility will be based upon track record for maintaining productive and externally funded research programs, experience with or promise for mentoring predoctoral students, and history of publishing peer reviewed journal articles with these students.  Consideration will also be given to the relevance of the research expertise of potential mentors to the central theme of this training program.
  • The mentor must agree to the following expectations:
    • Support 40% of trainee tuition (the remaining 60% is paid by NRSA funds)
    • Mentor the trainee in submitting an F31 application or other fellowship prior to the completion of his or her 3rd year in the PhD program (starting from admission date to the program, not appointment date to the T32)
    • Participate in T32 related workshops, seminars, and student evaluations
    • Support the trainee in publishing and presenting his or her work
    • Provide funds to purchase supplies necessary to conduct the proposed research project
    • Provide all necessary progress report materials in compliance with deadlines, as requested by the Program Director

 

Selection Process

  • Potential trainees should submit a CV, a transcript, and a brief (1-2 page) description of their proposed research activities to Dr. Nadja Cech, nadja_cech@uncg.edu
  • Application materials will be reviewed by the Steering Committee (Dr. Cech, Dr. Oberlies, Dr. Reggio, Dr. Beverly, and Dr. Jia), and appointment decisions will be announced shortly thereafter.