Graduate Manual

8/8/2019 Graduate Manual

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Program Overview

Requirements for the Ph.D. Degree

2008/09 BBS/Immunology Faculty /Faculty Affiliates & Office Staff Error! Bookmark notdefined.

Immunobiology Graduate Students 2008-2009 Error! Bookmark not defined.

Year by Year Outline

The First Year

Course WorkBBS Tracks and Programs

The Transition Between BBS Tracks and Departmental Graduate Programs

The Second Year

Thesis Advisor & Committee:

Prospectus Certification

Preprospectus and Prospectus (Qualif ying Examinations)

Year Three and Beyond

M.D./Ph.D. Students Who Join Immunobiology

Dissertation Submission Error! Bookmark not defined.

Checkpoints in the Graduate Program

Interactions ~ Departmental Events

Financial Opportunities Fellowships and Awards

The Graduate Education Committee

Graduate School Organizations

Parenthood: Benefits for Pre-doctoral candidates who become parents.

Leave of Absence

Table of Contents

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........................................................................................................................................5Below is a description of the typical first year p rogr am for a student in the Im munob iology

Track of BBS. Asterisks(*) ma rk courses tha t a re requ ired by the Imm unobiology

Graduate Program. .............................................................................................................................5..........................................................................................................................................5

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These are t he faculty you have chosen to work with towa rds

your P h.D. and who will rea d and evaluat e your prep rospectus, prospectus and will in

many insta nces end up being your dissertation reviewers. P lease let Barba ra know who

your committee members a re. You, together wit h your a dvisor select your com mittee

members, based upon t he research you have chosen.....................................................................8

: This is your first ma jor aca demic challenge in our depa rtmenttowards the P h.D. A paper is required a long with a presentation to your C ommitteeMembers. Your pre-prospectus outlines your p rospectus and your pros pectus outlines your

thesis. P rovide Ba rbar a with a copy of your p rospectus paper so that she can file the

necessary pape rwork with t he Gr adua te School for you to receive the MPhil. ........................8.................................................................8

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....................................... 29New pare nthood at the birt h or a doption of a child substant ially affects the abilit y of

doctora l student s to meet academic and p rofessional obligations. ........................................... 29

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Welcome to the Graduate Program in the Department ofImmunobiology at Yale University School of Medicine. Our goal is to

provide you with the best possible education in the field of Immunology,

through a combination of course work and laboratory research. The

Department of Immunobiology contains 36 faculty members whose

laboratories are performing research in an extremely wide range of topics

in Immunology and related disciplines. The guiding philosophy of the

Department is that research and learning are fundamentally collaborative,

and are dramatically enhanced by access to individuals with diverse

expertise and interests. Therefore, we have worked hard to create a

supportive and cooperative environment that stresses excellence in

research. Students routinely make use of the technical and intellectual

expertise of multiple different laboratories, and we urge you to take

advantage of the superb resources (faculty, post-docs, graduate students

and state-of-the-art technology) that are all around you. As Directors of

Graduate Admissions and Graduate Studies together with the programs

Coordinator, we are responsible for overseeing your progress and ensuring

that it meets the highest educational standards. We, together with all of the

other faculty and staff of the Department of Immunobiology, are here to

help you make the most of your graduate years. We wish you great success

in your studies and research.

Alfred Bothwell Susan Kaech

Barbara Giamattei

Barbara Giamattei, 785-3857, S555 Tac 300 Cedar, [email protected]. Al Bothwell, 785-4020, S641D Tac, 300 Cedar, [email protected]. Susan Kaech, 737-2423, STAC 655C, 300 Cedar, [email protected]. David Schatz, 737-2255, S725D, Tac, 300 Cedar, [email protected]

BBS Web Site: http://info.med.yale.edu/bbs/Immunobiology Web Site: http://info.med.yale.edu/immuno/

Contact information


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The Yale Immunobiology Graduate Program is an independent component ofYale Graduate School. It is designed to provide the education, intellectual supportand supervision necessary for students to obtain the Ph.D. degree in Immunology.The regulations described on the pages that follow are intended to provide highstandards, firm guidance and flexibility, and to ensure that students are directedtowards research problems that are significant and technically practical.

Students enter the program through the Biological and Biomedical Sciences(BBS) Program of Yale Graduate School. Students are admitted to one of thetwelve degree granting programs, Tracks BBS, and during the first year, BBSand the Tracks oversee student education. During this year, students take

courses, do three research rotations, and become familiar with the wide variety ofresearch opportunities available in the biological sciences at Yale. By the end ofthe first year, students select a laboratory in which to do their thesis research.

The choice of a thesis laboratory will, in most cases, determine which GraduateProgram a student enters. Hence, it is possible for a student in any Track of BBSin the first year to become a member of any of the departmentally based GraduatePrograms in the second (and subsequent) years. For the ImmunobiologyGraduate Program, the typical route of entry is via the Immunology Track of BBS.But students from other tracks occasionally choose a thesis supervisor inImmunobiology and enter the Immunobiology Graduate Program.

In the second year, students continue with course work, begin thesis research inearnest, and take the prospectus exam. In addition, during the second and thirdyears, students serve as teaching assistants in two or more courses. With theProspectus exam successfully completed, students are admitted to candidacy forthe Ph.D. and in the third and subsequent years, focus the great majority of theirefforts on the research that will form the basis of the Ph.D. dissertation. Theexpectation is that students will complete and defend their Ph.D. dissertationwithin five years of matriculation; semesters beyond the fifth year are possible butrequire special approval. A Thesis Committee of four or five faculty carefullymonitors progress toward the Ph.D. degree; and mentored review meetings occur

every six months.

Program Overv iew

Administrative Immunology Graduate Program Offices

Pr of. Al Bothwell, Director of Gr adua te Studies, TAC S641D, 785-4020

Pr of. Susan Ka ech, Acting Director of Gr adua te Admissions, (08-09), 737-5611

Pr of. David Schatz, Director of Gr adua te Admissions, TAC 625, 737-5522

Bar bar a Gia mattei, Student Services Officer, T AC 555, 785-3857, FAX: 785 -2939


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Imm uno biology Graduate Program

Requirements for t he Ph.D. Degree

do not

required:

1. Three research rotations.

2. A grade of Honors in a minimum of two courses.

3. A minimum of seven graduate level (science) courses, taken for a grade and passed,in the first three years. Pass/Fail courses (such as IBIO 600a and 601b) andaudited courses count toward this requirement.

4. An overall grade average of at least High Pass.( minimum of three high passes by end of 4th semester )

5. Required courses:a. Immbio 530a: Biology of the Immune System.b. Immbio 531b: Advanced Immunologyc. *Two Immunobiology advanced seminar courses (choose from

Immbio 536a, 537b, 538a, 539b)

Immbio 600a/601b Introduction/Fundamentals of Research (Pass/Fail)

6 *First Immunology seminar course must be taken for a grade. Second seminar coursecan be audited if student has fulfilled the seven courses for a grade requirement.

7. Teaching: two, one semester long courses.

8. Pre-prospectus.

9. Successful completion of Prospectus exam, both oral and written components.Advanced to Candidacy by the end of semester six

10. Written dissertation, approved by Thesis Committee and an outside reader.

11. Oral Dissertation defense

In addition, students must fulfill all requirements set forth in theYale University Graduate School Programs and Policies Manual.

Currently seminar courses are available every Fall as well as every other Spring.


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Imm uno biology Graduate Program

Year by Year Outline

The First Year

Course Work

Laboratory Rotations /Rotation Evaluation Forms

Teaching/RIP

Choos ing a Thesis Laboratory

Below is a description of the typical first year program for a student in the Immunobiology Track ofBBS. Asterisks(*) mark courses that are required by the Immunobiology Graduate Program.

An advisory committee assists each student in deciding on a program of study for the first year.Students are required to take at least four courses for a grade in the first year. The typical load is2-3 courses per semester.

First SemesterImmbio 530a: Biology of the Immune System *REQUIREDImmbio 600a: Introduction to Research (not for a grade)*REQUIREDAt least one elective graduate course

Second semesterImmbio 531b: Advanced Immunology *REQUIREDImmbio 601b: Fundamentals of Research *REQUIREDAt least one elective graduate course.

Three rotations are required for all first year immunology graduate students. Rotation dates areas follows and are strictly followed:

Evaluations DueFirst rotation: 9/1 11/30 (early December)Second rotation: 12/1 3/15 (late March)Third rotation: 3/16 5/31 (early June)

Choosing a rotation laboratory: A listing and short description of the BBS rotation projects aredistributed at the BBS Orientation and are available on line at the start of the first semester.Students are encouraged to take the first two weeks of September to speak with numerousfaculty members about their research and to discuss the different laboratories with more seniorgraduate students.

At the end of each rotation, the student and the mentor complete a Rotation Evaluation Form.The mentor must evaluate the rotation as Satisfactory or Unsatisfactory. These are filed withBarbara.

Teaching: Students typically do not teach in the first year. In your second year, Barbara willdistribute a TA application form that lists all available positions within the Biological Sciences.The form is returned to Barbara for processing. The faculty in charge of the course you areinterested in will email you regarding your appointment.

Research in Progress (RIP): This weekly seminar series allows graduate students and postdocsto present their latest data to the entire department for critical appraisal and feedback, providingimportant experience in public speaking. First year students do not give a RIP presentation, butare strongly encouraged to attend.

NB: First year graduate students may not take the Immunobiology Seminar Course during their

first semester.

(offered every other year even numbered years)


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The student, in consultation with the faculty mentor selects a thesis laboratory at the end ofthe third rotation. An will be made available through the BBS via Barbarafor you to complete. With the approval of the DGS, and under exceptional circumstances, afourth rotation is possible.

This is a very important choice because it determines what requirements (courses, exams, etc.)you will have to fulfill for the remainder of your graduate career. The decision should be made by

June 15, after consulting with the DGS. See the discussion on the Transition between BBSTracks and Departmental Graduate Programs.

Computational Biology and BioinformaticsImmunologyMicrobiologyMolecular Biophysics & Biochemistry (MB&B)Molecular Cell Biology, Genetics and DevelopmentNeurosciencePharmacological Sciences and Molecular Medicine

Physiology and Integrative Medical Biology

Cell BiologyComputational Biology and BioinformaticsGeneticsImmunobiologyMicrobiologyMolecular Biophysics and BiologyMolecular Cell Biology, Genetics, DevelopmentMolecular, Cellular, Developmental BiologyNeurosciencePathologyPharmacologyPhysiology

The Yale Graduate School and School of Management (SOM) offer a joint MBA/Ph.D.program. http://www.yale.edu/graduateschool/academics/MBA-PhD.html

ContactDean Richard Sleight, Al Bothwell, or Barbara Giamattei for more details on this jointdegree program.

Graduate students in the first year are members of one of the Tracks of BBS, and are notaffiliated with a departmental graduate program. Students become affiliated with adepartmental graduate program at the beginning of the second year, based largely upon

Advisor Selection Form

Admissions and Scheduling: Students already registered in BBS may apply to SOM, butthey must complete the application process no later than January of their first year of

study at the Graduate School. Upon admission to SOM, students will be required to

submit a proposal of study outlining their academic plan and schedule for completing both

the MBA and Ph.D. degrees. When drawing up the plan of study, students should consult

first with their DGS, the Dean of Students at SOM, and the Associate Dean of the

Graduate School. If necessary, these parties may meet together with the student.

Admission to the jo int degree program will be contingent upon approval of this proposal by

the DGS and respective deans of the Graduate School and SOM. Excellent performancein graduate classes and laboratory rotations in the fall semester is also required.

Choos ing a Graduate Program

BBS Tracks and Programs

List of BBS Tracks

12 Degree Granting Programs

Joint Degree Program MBA/Ph.D.

The Transition B etween BBS Tracks and Departmental Graduate Programs


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their choice of a thesis supervisor. During the first year, therefore, students follow theguidelines established by the Track they are in. In the second year and beyond, studentsare governed by the requirements of the Departmental Graduate Program they enter atthe beginning of the second year. The guidelines of the Track are meant to preparestudents in the first year for entry into a Department in year two.

Some examples of how this might go:

Student A enters the Immunology Track of BBS, and after three rotations during the firstyear, decides to do thesis research in the laboratory of one of the faculty affiliated with theDepartment of Immunobiology. Student A therefore enters the Immunobiology Graduateprogram at the beginning of the second year. This is the most typical route of entering theImmunobiology Graduate Program.

Student B enters the Genetics Track and ultimately chooses to do thesis research with aprofessor in Immunobiology. Student B typically enters the Immunobiology GraduateProgram

Student C enters the Immunology Track of BBS and chooses to do thesis research with aprofessor in the Department of Cell Biology. Student C typically enters the Cell Biology

Graduate Program.

It is clear from these examples that it is not always possible to predict at the beginning ofthe first year which Departmental Graduate Program a student will eventually end up in.And since each Graduate Program has its own requirements, it can be unclear whatcourses to take in the first year (e.g., Student B above might not have taken Immbio 530aduring his/her first year, thinking that it would not be required and then finds that it isrequired by virtue of the lab she/he chose to do thesis research in).

Some guidelines for choosing courses:

Student in the Immunology Track will almost certainly take the courses outlined on thepreceding page during the first year because of the high likelihood of doing thesis research in

Immunobiology

If you find yourself interested in doing thesis research with a professor who is not in theSection or Department you originally thought youd be in (e.g., Student B and C above), dontpanic. BBS and the various graduate programs have sufficient flexibility to help you throughthis without having to do a lot of extra course work. If necessary, you and representatives ofthe involved Tracks/ Departments will meet to determine what Graduate Program is mostappropriate for you to enter, and which additional courses it makes sense for you to berequired to take. For example, it is possible that Student C above might be allowed to enterthe Immunobiology Graduate Program, based on courses already taken and thesis researchto be performed.

The bottom line: during the first year, take the courses that meet the requirements of the

program you think you will be in, and choose electives based on your interests or gaps inyour previous course work.

In the second year, graduate students become affiliated with one of the departmentally basedGraduate Programs. Students enter the Immunobiology Graduate Program by virtue ofchoosing to do thesis research in the laboratory of a faculty member in the Department ofImmunobiology. Below is a description of the requirements and activities of the second year.

The Second Year

Course Work


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The typical course load is 2-3 courses in the first semester and 2-3 courses in the secondFirst Semester:Immunobiology seminar courseOne or two elective graduate courses

Second Semester:Immb 601b if not taken in your first year.One or Two elective graduate course areoften taken

Students typically teach one, one-semester course in the second year. Barbara will emailyou a Teaching Appointment Selection Form each semester.

Most time not spent on course work is devoted to thesis research, with the goal being todevelop a clear conception and preliminary date for the .

Research in Progress Presentations. are required to give a RIPpresentation, typically in the second semester as the prelude to the Preprospectus meeting.

These are the faculty you have chosen to work with towardsyour Ph.D. and who will read and evaluate your preprospectus, prospectus and will in manyinstances end up being your dissertation reviewers. Please let Barbara know who yourcommittee members are. You, together with your advisor select your committee members,based upon the research you have chosen.

: This is your first major academic challenge in our departmenttowards the Ph.D. A paper is required along with a presentation to your CommitteeMembers. Your pre-prospectus outlines your prospectus and your prospectus outlines yourthesis. Provide Barbara with a copy of your prospectus paper so that she can file thenecessary paperwork with the Graduate School for you to receive the MPhil.

You will be admitted to candidacy once your academic

requirements are met; course work, teaching, and prospectus. This will earn you a status asA.B.D. "All But Dissertation". You will entirely focus on your research now.

The Pre-prospectus and Prospectus are describedbelow. An outline of the process is as follows:

Choose Prospectus CommitteeSchedule RIP presentation and Pre-prospectus for sometime early in the secondsemester (between January and March). You should see Nancy Dometios (785-5176) about this so that you get anappropriate date on the RIP schedule.Give RIP, shortly thereafter, have Pre-prospectus.Study for Prospectus Exam and complete written Prospectus (typically takes aboutthree months)

Have Prospectus Exam: should be completed before the end of the second year.

In advance of the Preprospectus meeting, you should prepare a short (one page maximum)description of your proposed project and distribute it to the committee members.

REMEMBER: You mus t have 7 (science) graduate cou rses for a grade

Teaching

Thesis Research

Prospectus

More administrative details in year two

RIP: Second year students

Thesis Advisor & Committee:

Prospectus Certification

Admission to Candidacy:

Pre-prosp ectus and Prospectus Exam:

Preprospectus and Prospectus (Qualifying Examinations )

Preprospectus Exam:

(First semester of second year) as described above

early in the first semester of the second year,

Guidelines


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The preprospectus meeting should begin with a 20-30 minute presentation describing yourcurrent research (this can be a Research in Progress, RIP, presentation). You, together withyour committee, select four or five areas of Biology/Immunobiology on which you will betested at the prospectus exam. You and your committee formulate a preliminary reading listfor each of these four or five subject areas for examination.

You should plan on meeting individually with your committeemembers to expand the reading lists so that the reading provides you with a thorough andbroad understanding of the subject area. Reading lists are only a means of providing youwith a starting point to investigate the literature, and are not meant to be all-inclusive. Youare expected to explore the literature broadly. You may wish to schedule one or moreadditional meetings with individual committee members to discuss questions and issues thatarise during the reading.

The Prospectus must be held within four months of the Preprospectusmeeting (and should be before the end of the second year for BBS students, and most times,before the end of the first year for MD/Ph.D. students).

The oral immunobiology prospectus exam tests a student's understanding of two generalareas: the proposed thesis research and the specific subjects covered in the readings(typically four-five areas of biology/immunology). In part, the prospectus exam willencompass challenging questions relating to the reading and to issues of experimentaldesign and data interpretation.

To accomplish this; The Exam will begin with a presentation by the student on her/his thesisresearch project. The presentation will be strictly limited to 30 minutes, including questions.Therefore, students should provide a focused description of the proposed thesis researchthat emphasizes experimental design, data interpretation, and anticipated problems andpotential solutions, and which touches on background very briefly (the committee shouldalready be familiar with the background from the Preprospectus process). The chair of

committee (who must not be the student's PI) shall enforce the time limit. During this 30minute period, the student's PI must remain silent, asking no questions and providing noanswers or information related to questions asked by other committee members.

The remainder of the time will be devoted to questions relating to the reading and to someextent to the thesis project. Questions test your ability to synthesize your knowledge of therelevant areas of biology/immunology (particularly as relates to the reading), to addressquestions through the design new experiments, to formulate testable hypotheses, and tointerpret possible outcomes of experiments. In the course of this, it should become clearwhether or not you have mastered the relevant basic information derived from course workand your readings.

NB: Your faculty will each have prepared two questions in advance of the exam, which are

then discussed by the exam committee during a short "pre-meeting" that takes place in yourabsence and before you begin presenting. This has two important functions. First, it forcesfaculty to give thought to their questions in advance and second, it allows the committee toscreen out and/or modify questions that are deemed inappropriate (e.g., too difficult, too easyor off target).

THE WRITTEN PROSPECTUS: is to be in the format of an NIH grant proposal and shouldnot exceed 10-20 pages in length. The written Prospectus should have the followingsections:

Preparing for the prospectus:

Prospectus Meeting:

Immunobiology Prospectus Exam


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Title PageAbstract (1 paragraph)Specific aimsBackground and significancePreliminary data/experimental planReferencesFigures (figures may be embedded in the text or may follow at the end)Figures should be accompanied by legends.

The four possible outcomes are:

the student is unconditionally approved for candidacy for the Ph.D. degree

the student is not approved and can be asked to leave the Immunobiology GraduateProgram

: the student is conditionally approved for candidacy provided thatspecified additional work is completed satisfactorily. Such additional work could be, forexample, a research paper on one of the topics that the student was felt to be weak in,revisions of the written prospectus, or other requirements to be determined by the committee.

the students performance was judged to be substantially unsatisfactory, butthe committee feels that extenuating circumstances exist that dictate that the student shouldbe re-examined, perhaps using a different format (e.g., a written exam).

By the end of the third year, students should have completed all course requirements, theteaching requirement, passed the prospectus exam and been admitted to candidacy. TheGraduate School places students on academic hold who have not fulfilled these requirementsby the end of the 6th semester (year 3). If you need an extension please be prepared to writea note to your DGS, copied to Dean Sleight and processed through Barbara, describing whatyour academic plan is. In most cases the third year is devoted to thesis research.

Second Immunobiology seminar course in the fallStudents should try and complete the two course teaching requirement by the end of

year three.

As noted above, thesis research is now themain focus. Beginning in the third year, students are required to have two thesis committeemeetings each year (where you discuss your experiments and your progress).

Students in the third year and later are required to offer a yearly RIP presentation. RIPinstructions are discussed below. It is convenient to schedule a thesis committee meetingshortly after the RIP presentation.

Talks should consist of a clear and well-organized presentationof the background and rationale for the research, and the recentfindings. In addition to communicating the goals and importanceof your work, the purpose of the presentation is to elicit technicaland theoretical input from the audience that will enhanceprogress on the project. Plan a twenty-minute talk. Allow ten

Pass:

Fail:

Conditional Pass

Re-examine:

Year Three and Beyond

Course Work: if not com pleted by year

two.

Thesis Research and Comm ittee Meetings:

RIP:

Guidelines for RIP Research in progress:


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minutes of discussion, which may occur at any time during the talk. Saving questions for theend may seem more polite, but often a question asked in the middle can prevent some of theaudience from getting lost or worrying about a certain point, and can clarify the issues. Noone should be intimidated by being interrupted.

Begin your talk by introducing yourself and announce in whose lab you are working. Forclarity, you should make sure that the first few overheads or slides give adequate backgroundfor your presentation. Remember, the audience is quite diverse, with members havingclinical, cellular, or molecular orientations. After setting up the background to your seminar,you should then go through your data, presenting it in as clear a fashion as possible. Payattention to the order in which you present your information and to the manner in which yourdata slides or overheads are set up. Make sure you arrange the data in a fashion that islogical and easy to interpret. This will avoid confusion and save time. End by clearly statingyour conclusions. Practicing your talk in front of a mentor, members of your lab, and/or a fewfriends is a good idea.

Newer graduate students are often nervous about giving these seminars because they feelthey do not have sufficient data. This should not be a concern. You can take the time topresent the background for your project, to thoroughly outline your future plans, what youroptions are, what the pitfalls are, etc. No one expects a RIP seminar to be tomorrows CELL

paper. What you have done, and what you plan to do, however embryonic, is sufficient.

Senior students and Postdocs should focus on the more recent experiments. Do not try togloss over the problem areas of your data. This is a common problem. Remember that aprimary function of these seminars is to get feedback from your colleagues. Someone in theaudience may have an idea which could help, and you should encourage such ideas to comeout. If you have a result which does not fit your expectations, point it out yourself. If youfinish your talk having enlightened your audience, having generated a good discussion, andhaving acquired one or two ideas or suggestions, you have every reason to be satisfied.


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Ev aluation of Dissertation Progress:

hesis comm ittee meeting.

A faculty meeting is held eachspring where a review of each student is discussed. Researchprogress, course grades, performance in the laboratory, attendance

and participation in seminars are all considered.

The dissertation progress of each student is determined twice peryear at a t The Thesis Committee is usually made up of thefaculty that served at the Prospectus Committee, and should consist of the students mentorplus three or four other faculty, chosen for their expertise in areas relating to the studentsresearch. At least two members of the Thesis Committee should have a primary or jointappointment in Immunobiology.

The committee serves several critical functions:

1. Provide the student with suggestions concerning the research and help redirect theresearch into productive avenues.

2. Evaluate the students progress and ensure that the project is interesting, novel, wellfocused and do-able.

3. Provide the student and the mentor with an opportunity to express privately anyconcerns about the research environment or the progress of the research (seebelow). Each committee meeting should conclude with a short meeting of thestudent with the committee in the absence of the mentor, and of the mentor with thecommittee in the absence of the student.

The format of the Thesis Committee Meeting is as follows:

1. The committee meeting begins with a presentation of the research performed to dateby the student. If the meeting was shortly preceded by a RIP presentation, thisportion of the meeting can be abbreviated.

2. A discussion and question period follows, or more typically, takes place during thestudent presentation. The committee discusses changes in emphasis or direction inthe research as well as providing technical expertise. It is hoped that all mattersrelating to the research progress can be freely discussed at this time.

3. The committee meeting ends with an executive session of two parts:

4. The Graduate Student meets with the committee (in the absence of the advisor)

5. The Thesis Advisor meets with the committee (in the absence of the student)

6. It is the responsibility of the thesis advisor to write a Thesis Committee Letter after

each committee meeting, summarizing the discussion and the recommendations ofthe committee. This report must indicate if progress is satisfactory or unsatisfactory.Each committee member should sign the letter. The letter should then be sent to theDGS and a copy given to the student.

.

7. If the students progress is unsatisfactory, the committee may issue a warning to thestudent in which the deficiencies are clearly identified and a time period is set withinwhich it is expected that the student will correct the deficiencies. A copy of the

Please be sure to inform Barbara each time

you have a Thesis Committee Meeting


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warning is filed with the Director of Graduate Studies. At the end of the warningperiod, the committee and student will meet to assess progress. If upon re-evaluation, progress is found to be unsatisfactory, the committee will draft arecommendation to be reviewed by the faculty as a whole. The DGS will inform thestudent and committee members of the decision in writing. Two warnings by thecommittee /faculty may lead to termination of the association of the student with theSection.

Students progress in the program will be determined by evaluation of:

1. The quality of presentations (could be a RIP presentation).

2. The ability to discuss his/her research area and answer questions about the researchand its context.

3. Research progress

Graduate School registration is required of all students in residence, inabsentia, or submitting a dissertation. Failure to do so will result in ineligibility to useuniversity facilities, including the libraries and health services. Barbara will contact you priorto each new semester with a packet pick up date. The graduate school offers registrationon line through a program called OCS, online course selection. The application packet thatyou pick up from Barbara will have directions on how to use the system. The packet containsyour university id sticker. You will be required to enter your course selections through theweb based program by a specific date. The Director of Graduate Studies holds specificoffice hours for you to discuss your academic plan. $25 will be charged to students whoregister after the close of the registration period. Registration after the 4th day requires thepermission of the Director of Graduate studies, the FAS Registrar, and in some instances theappropriate Associate Dean; a fee of $100 will be charged. Students who fail to submit a

Schedule of Study on time will be assessed a fee of $25. Late fees will be waived only foremergencies.

The Associate Registrars Office, 320 York Street, (the GraduateSchool), can update your Yale I.D. card with a summer sticker. This will allow you tocontinue to use Yale services, i.e., shuttle, gymnasium, etc. There is no fee for summerregistration, if you have been registered during the proceeding academic year. Summerregistration takes place during the first two weeks of June.

Foreign students must register at the Office of ForeignStudents and Scholars, 246 Church Street, before registering initially at the Graduate School.This office also takes care of visa extensions for students whose present visa is not issued tocover the full stay in the United States.

The Graduate School sendsacademic transcripts to Barbara at the completion of each semester. Your transcripts areavailable to you on line. Please take the time and review your records for accuracy. Barbarawill contact you biannually regarding any requirements you need to work on within therequired academic timeframe as outlined by the Graduate School.

A student whose program of study requires full-time study atanother institution or whose fieldwork or dissertation research on a full-time basis bringsher/him outside of New Haven may on recommendation of the DGS and with permission of

Administrative and Academic Procedures

Registration:

Summer Registration:

Foreign Student Registration:

Academic Transcripts and Fulfillment of Requirements:

In Ab sentia Registration:


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the Dean, register in absentia. Students who are enrolled in the Yale Health Plan and areregistering in absentia should consult the University Health Service about the policiesgoverning coverage while away from New Haven.

Dissertation progress reports are requiredby the Graduate School. These forms are completed on line. You will receive an email fromthe Graduate School Registrar indicating when these are due with an explanation on how tocomplete them. Contact Barbara if you have any technical problems.

For those students funded from theImmunobiology Training Grant, one trip to a scientific meeting each year is allotted. The goalis to give you experience in presenting posters and papers and networking in the sciencecommunity. See Barbara for Travel information and financial arrangements.

Dissertation Progress Report MANDITORY:

Trav el to Scientific Meetings/Conferences:


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M.D./Ph.D. Students Who Join Immunobiology

Required : 7 sc ience cou rses for a g rade,

Out of the 7 science courses th e follow ing are mandatory;

*TEACHING: One semester of teaching is required

An M.D./Ph.D. student affiliates with the Immunobiology Graduate program via the MD/Ph.D.program. You will have chosen your research Ph.D. course of study after matriculatingthrough the YSM, and completing one or more research rotations (during the course of yourfirst two years of medical school) (in many cases, the first rotation is done during the summer

between years one and two of medical school).

No set number of research rotations are required. Once a thesis laboratory is selected, thestudent completes an application for a Ph.D. department filing it with both Cheryl D. andBarbara G. M.D./Ph.D. students with interests in the Immunobiology Graduate Programshould discuss their situation with the Director of Graduate Studies as early as possible andnotify Barbara Giamattei so that your paperwork will be processed quickly.

When you join Immunobiology to work on your thesis, you are typically further advanced thanthe traditional first year BBS graduate student. It is possible to defend your preprospectus(preliminary description of your prospectus research) after the first semester and prospectus(preliminary description of your thesis project) after the second semester. (for information onwhat the prospectus is )

Course requirements have a somewhat different format than the straight Ph.D. program, andare as follows;

1) Ibio 530a, Biology of the Immune System2) Ibio 531b, Advanced Immunology3)Two Immunobiology Seminar Courses, Ibio 536a, 537a, 538a, 539a,*First Immunology seminar course must be taken for a grade. Second seminar course canbe audited if student has fulfilled the seven courses for a grade requirement.4) Two grades of Honors and one semester of teaching

MD/Ph.D. students are not required to take Ibio 600a, Introduction to Research, but

may if they wish.Ibio 601b (Fundamentals of Research) Ethics is required unless taken prior.

Yale University graduate courses taken for a grade during medical school may be countedtowards the honors fulfillment and the seven total required courses. Verification must beprovided to the DGS.

. Previously taught courses in theMedical School may count towards this requirement. To request credit for previous teaching

experience, a note from the course director describing the teaching experience, (duration ofthe teaching experience, frequency of class meetings, number of students taught, materialscovered, dates and for whom) should be provided to the Immunobiology DGS.

Following successful completion of the prospectus examination, the student will be entitled tothe M.Phil and M.S. Degree. Once all the above requirements have been met, the studentwill advance to candidacy and be A.B.D., "All But Dissertation". At that point the student willfocus on research and the writing of the dissertation.

see Prospectus Section in this manual

If you have taken the medical school equivalent of 601b, then notify your instructor to write a

note to the Immunobiology DGS s tating that you have taken the course and what the course

entailed, (dates, topics and faculty). If you have not taken 601b or its equivalent, then

registration in this class is required.


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PROGRESS REPORTS are due each spring. The graduate school will contact yourequesting that you complete this on line application.


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The Written Dissertation and Oral Defense

http://www.yale.edu/graduateschool/

http://www.yale.edu/graduateschool/mcdougal/dissertationResources.htmlhttp ://www.yale.edu/graduateschool/academics /dissertation.htm l

Comm ittee members mus t be allowed on e full week fo r reading the dissertation.

An external reader must also be appointed from o utside the

comm ittee and sho uld have no prior acquaintance with th e dissertation

A Ph.D. thesis is expectedto constitute a significant body of original research that makes a contribution to ourunderstanding of biology. At minimum, this means that it should give rise to publications inpeer reviewed journals (but publication of your research does not necessarily indicatesufficient achievement for the Ph.D.). Thesis Committees will expect that your research is

published, or be soon to give rise to publications, before you begin writing your thesis.Discuss this with your committee if you have questions.

The written dissertation must comply with Graduate SchoolDissertation Specifications.

Preparation and Submission of the Doctoral Dissertation booklets are available as part of theDissertation Submission Packet distributed by the Graduate School, located on the web:

The dissertation defense is scheduled following submission of a completely typed draft,including all tables illustrations and bibliography, with one copy for each member of theThesis Committee.

Two members of the committee, other than the thesis advisor, should be designated asinternal readers who will evaluate your thesis by means of a questionnaire provided by thegraduate school.

. (you will needto contact each faculty you would like to have on your committee to request their

participation). The outside reader can be inside Yale, but outside of the ImmunobiologyDepartment. The readers should be approved by the DGS (Al Bothwell) and their namessubmitted to the Graduate School on a which is completed byyou and submitted to Barbara Giamattei for processing. Once the final version of your thesisis prepared, you will attach the notification of readers report to the thesis, and deliver it tothe Graduate School (make sure Barbara Giamattei has copies)

Your thesis defense is held as a public presentation by you describing your principal findingsand significance. The presentation takes the form of a research seminar and is attended byall interested members of the Department and university research community. Finalquestioning is carried out, privately, before the committee. This takes place immediatelyfollowing your public presentation. Your committee members will then meet andcommunicate its decision both to you and to the department faculty on whether a

recommendation for the award of the Ph.D. degree will be granted. If the decision of thecommittee is favorable, the final version of the dissertation is prepared, incorporating thesuggestions made by your committee. One unbound copy and three softbound copies aresubmitted to the Graduate School, additionally one bound copy is submitted to BarbaraGiamattei for the departments future reference.

Last by not least, a degree petition form must be filed with the Graduate School.

Notification of Reader's Form


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If the committees decision is unfavorable the committee will indicate the deficiencies,suggestions for extension or modification of the work, and indicate the amount of additionaltime that should be expected for remedying the deficiencies.

In accord with the traditional scholarly ideal that the candidate for a doctorate must make acontribution to knowledge, all dissertations that have been accepted by the Graduate Schoolare made available in the library and published on microfilm (UMI Company). The onlyrequired fee associated with submission is $20 for binding of the library copy of thedissertation. UMI charges authors $45 if they wish to register a copyright. Publication onmicrofilm does not prevent the author from publishing the dissertation in another format atany time. Fees are subject to change.

Filing dates are listed in the Schedule of Academic Dates and Deadlines found on the webpage, : http://www.yale.edu/graduateschool/

Extensions: Study toward the Ph.D. degree can be completed in five years. Students inresidence who pass the six-year Graduate School limit for submission of a dissertation mustapply for an extension through the DGS with the approval of the Associate Dean. If this isgranted, one additional year in residence is permitted. If no extension is permitted a studentmay continue in absentia (that is, away from the University) until the dissertation is ready for

submission.

Thesis Publications: When publishing material from the thesis, the Graduate School requiresinclusion of a statement saying that the paper is taken from or based on dissertationsubmitted to fulfill in part the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in YaleUniversity. Training Grant regulations require that the following statement be included Thisinvestigation was supported by NIH Training Grant from (awarding unit). Training Grantdirectors can supply the relevant information. Other grant support (e.g., American CancerSociety, Sigma Xi) should be similarly acknowledged, as should any financial aid receivedfrom faculty research grants.

Students must register continuously until either they have been awarded the Ph.D. or sixyears have elapsed since matriculation, whichever occurs first. During the first six years,

students must be registered through the term of dissertation submission. Registration beyondthe sixth year is not required. Registered students who submit dissertations will remainregistered until the end of the term and will retain all privileges of registration (for example,library privileges and health care coverage). Students who complete all Ph.D. requirementswithin four continuous years of full-time study in the Ph.D. program will be registered andcharged full-tuition only through the term in which the dissertation is submitted. Students whohave registered part time or taken a leave of absence must complete the four-year, full-tuitionobligation, regardless of when they submit the dissertation.

Students are required to follow the guidelinesset forth in the Yale University GraduateSchool: Programs and Policies: Regulationsfor academic and personal conduct.

click on academics and then academic calendar

Checkpoints in the Graduate Program


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Grievance procedures and academic regulations are also set forth in the Programs andPolicies book.

In addition, students may be referred to the Graduate School for disciplinary action, includingdismissal from the graduate Program, for the following reasons:

1. A record indicative of consistently poor performance in courses and rotations in the firstyear. Poor performance is considered a grade of pass in academic courses, and ofUnsatisfactory in research rotations.

2. Failure to maintain a grade average of at least High Pass.

3. Failure to obtain a grade of Honors in at least two academic courses in the first threeyears.

4. Failure to take the required courses.

5. Failure to meet the teaching requirement

6. Failure to pass the Prospectus Exam.

7. Two warnings issued by the Thesis Committee as a result of unsatisfactory performancein committee meetings.

Federal and private granting agencies, Congressional oversight committees, and nationalorganizations including the Association of American Universities, the Association of AmericanMedical Colleges, and the Institute of Medicine, among others, have all perceived the needfor universities and other research intensive institutions to adopt guidelines which clarify eachinstitution's expectations about the professional standards to be observed in the conduct of

scientific inquiry.

In 1982, the University published a policy statement on collaborative research (WeeklyBulletin and Calendar, Sept 13-20, 1982) which condemned academic fraud in all of its formsand which assigned to each collaborating investigator equal responsibility for the quality andintegrity of a publication resulting from collaborative research. Subsequently, the Universitypublished a set of specific policies and procedures for dealing with allegations of academicfraud (Weekly Bulletin and Calendar Oct 30-Nov 6, 1989). The present guidelines areconcerned with principles and practices which focus on ensuring the highest possiblestandards for conducting biomedical research.

Investigations of specific instances of academic fraud have repeatedly identified institutionalpressures and deficiencies, which, although not directly responsible for misconduct,

nevertheless create an atmosphere conducive to unacceptable scholarly, conduct. Thesefactors include perceived pressures to publish large numbers of research papers, excessiveemphasis on competition and secrecy in scientific inquiry, inadequate attention to systematiccollection and retention of research data, insufficient supervision of relatively inexperiencedinvestigators, and inadequate interaction between investigators participating in collaborativeresearch. The following guidelines are intended to address these factors, but they can serveonly as general indications of expected standards of professional conduct, not as rigid rules.Scholarly activities are too complex and varied to permit universally applicable, absolutedirectives.

Guidelines for t he Respons ible Conduct of Research

I. Introduction


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Members o f a research team

Departmental and institution al oversight

III. Cond uc t of Research

Management of Data

Authorship of scientific papers*

including those who are trainees should meet often enough asa group to review their collaborative endeavors that each member of the team is fullyinformed of the status of the various components of their work. Such reviews should includethe design of experiments, technical considerations, the collection, organization andinterpretation of data, and the drafts of research reports. Members of research teams shouldbe sufficiently familiar with the policies and regulations of sponsoring agencies and theUniversity to alert principal investigators when it appears that those policies and regulationsare not being met.

is also necessary. A senior faculty member,usually the departmental chairman, is responsible for promoting sound research practices atthe departmental level. Departments should see to it that the principles governing goodresearch are regularly considered at faculty meetings and are appropriately included intoformal and/or informal departmental or sectional activities, which involve students andtrainees.

The Dean or his designate will conduct an educational program dealing with the responsibleconduct of research. If specific concerns or disagreements related to research issues cannotbe resolved at the departmental level, the Dean or his designate is responsible for counselingthose involved. If allegations of academic fraud arise, the Policies and Procedures for Dealing

with Allegations of Academic Fraud at Yale University (Weekly Bulletin and Calendar Sept.16-23, 1996) will be initiated.

. Everyone who engages in scholarly inquiry in the School of Medicineis responsible for collecting and maintaining research data in an orderly and systematicmanner, which will permit ready retrieval even by those who are not familiar with theintricacies of the research or the habits of the investigator. How this responsibility is mosteffectively carried out will depend upon the nature of the research and the form, which theraw data takes. In the case of quantitative measurements, for example, all raw data includingall machine printouts should, whenever practical, be sequentially entered into a boundnotebook and maintained in a readily retrievable form. Each entry should be dated and

should identify the individual responsible for collecting and entering the data. Wheninvestigators decide that raw data must be excluded from further analysis, they should notethe specific reasons for the exclusion.

Laboratory notebooks containing raw data should be considered the property of the researchteam leader who has overall responsibility for the research. Others who have been involvedin the work should be permitted to take copies of results with them, but the original, completeset of raw data should be retained in the laboratory where the work was done for as long aspossible and - depending on the nature of the data - for at least 3 to 5 years after publicationof the relevant results.

Once investigators have published a detailed report of their findings, they should cooperate inmaking readily available to others who wish to confirm their work any data necessary to

replicate the published work, such as complete DNA sequences or minor methodologicaldetails, even if a journal had not requested the information or had refused to print it. Althoughinvestigators should be as certain as possible about the validity of their findings beforemaking their research public, the School of Medicine does not condone secrecy oruncooperative behavior which unnecessarily delays scientific progress or which deliberatelymisleads others working in the same field.

. The increasingly specialized and technical nature ofbiomedical research requires that investigators understand and properly fulfill theresponsibilities with respect to authorship of scientific publications, especially publications


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that result from multi-disciplinary collaborative research. Senior faculty members and principalinvestigators of sponsored research bear particular responsibility for the assignment ofauthorship to publications emanating from their laboratories as well as for the cohesivenessand validity of these publications.

Authorship of a scientific paper should be limited to those individuals who have contributed ina meaningful way to its intellectual content. Each author must have participated sufficiently inthe work to take public responsibility for its content. The first author, although often a juniormember of the research team, is usually the person who has performed the centralexperiments of the project. Often, this individual is also the person who has prepared the firstdraft of the manuscript. All co-authors should have been directly involved in all three of thefollowing: 1) planning some component of the work which led to the paper or interpreting atleast a portion of the results, 2) writing a draft of the article or revising it for intellectualcontent, and 3) final approval of the version to be published. All authors should review andapprove the manuscript before it is submitted for publication.

*These principles are consistent with the uniform requirements for manuscripts submitted tobiomedical journals now endorsed by over 400 biomedical journals (New Engl J Med324:424-8, 1991).

Individuals do not satisfy these criteria for responsible authorship merely because they havemade possible the conduct of the research and/or the preparation of the manuscript. Underno circumstance should faculty members add as co-authors highly respected individualsmerely as an attempt to increase the likelihood of publication. Thus, heading a laboratory,research program, section, or department where the research takes place does not, by itself,warrant co-authorship of a scientific paper. Nor should "gift" co-authorship be conferred onthose whose only contributions have been to provide routine technical services, to referpatients for study, to provide a valuable reagent to assist with data collection and assembly,or to review a completed manuscript for suggestions. Although not qualifying as co-authors,individuals who assist the research effort may warrant appropriate acknowledgement in thecompleted paper.

Senior faculty members have a special obligation to avoid co-authoring papers which have

emanated from work independently generated by their junior colleagues. Senior facultymembers should be co-authors only if they have made substantial intellectual contributions tothe experimental design, interpretation of findings and manuscript preparation.Issues surrounding authorship are not only important to those participating in a scholarlyproject, they are often complex or delicate, and occasionally they are controversial. To avoiddisappointment, frustration, or embarrassment, participants should carefully and objectivelynegotiate and resolve matters relating to authorship as early in the course of a project as isfeasible.

When asked by journals and research agencies to judge manuscripts and grant applications,faculty members or other members of the University community are expected to provideopinions which are not only proficient but which are also fair and unbiased. Therefore, a

faculty member should decline such a request whenever a real conflict of interest arisesbecause the work to be evaluated too closely resembles the faculty member's own current orplanned research. Because relatively few individuals are sufficiently expert to review workwithin a particular field, however, journals or sponsoring agencies are very likely to recruitindividuals who may perceive a conflict of interest. If the faculty member believes that apossible conflict exists but that an unbiased review is nevertheless possible, he or she shoulddisclose the nature of the conflict to the journal or funding agency. Potential conflicts mustalso be disclosed when faculty members are asked to review manuscripts or applicationsevaluating products of companies in which they have financial interests or when the facultymember has a financial interest in a competing product.

IV Ev aluation of Scholarly Research


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Whether or not the faculty member perceives any potential conflict of interest, all manuscriptsor grant applications should be reviewed and returned as promptly as possible and should betreated as confidential. The material should not be copied nor should it ordinarily be shown toothers. If during a review it becomes apparent that the opinion of other experts would behelpful, the faculty member responsible for the review should, depending on the policy of the

journal or funding agency, either request permission before consulting others or acknowledgethe individuals who contributed to the review.

Under no circumstances should faculty members who are asked to review new andconfidential information provided in manuscripts or applications use that information to furthertheir own scholarly endeavors before that information has been made public. They have aparticular responsibility not to delay their reviews to allow completion of their own relatedresearch. Moreover, faculty members who are reviewers should refrain from requestingfurther information or reagents from investigators who have completed work described inmanuscripts or applications before that work has been formally accepted or approved.

The Department of Immunobiology invites speakers fromaround the world to present their research to the department. Graduate students andpostdocs invite and host several of these speakers each year.

Research in Progress (RIP): This weekly seminar series (Fridays at 4PM) allowsgraduate students and postdocs to present their latest data to the entire department forcritical appraisal and feedback, and provides important experience in public speaking. First

year students do not give a RIP presentation, but are strongly encouraged to attend.

Labs hold weekly meetings to discuss current research inyour lab. Journal clubs are held for discussion of various papers of interest to you and yourlab members.

Every Friday following the RIP presentation, there a Department SocialHour held on the 6th floor of TAC in the lounge allowing for informal scientific discussions.Beer, wine, and soda are provided; the Social Hour Committee organizes the labs to taketurns providing the food.

The Department of Immunobiology holds a scholarly retreat, whichprovides an exceptional opportunity for communication of ideas and results and the

development of a sense of community among the members of the Section. The retreatincludes faculty presentations but heavily emphasizes informal workshops and a postersession, organized and chaired by graduate students and postdocs, in which these traineescan present and discuss recent data. Attendance at the retreat is mandatory for graduatestudents.

The Department of Immunobiology does not normally admit graduatestudents who intend only to work toward a terminal Masters Degree. However, inprogressing toward the Ph.D., the requirements for the M.S. are also completed. The

Interactions ~ Departmental Events

Imm uno biology Seminar Series:

RIP:

Lab Meetings , Journal Clubs:

Friday Social Hour:

Immunobiology Retreat:

Masters Degree:


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Graduate School will grant both of this degree upon fulfillment of these requirements.Petition for Degree forms are available from Barbara.

Students who complete at least one year of resident graduatestudy at Yale with the quality of work judged satisfactory by the Department ofImmunobiology faculty may petition for the award of the M.S. degree. At the present timesatisfactory is defined as having completed 5 graduate courses with an average grade ofHigh Pass. Students must petition through the Registrars Office of the Graduate School byOctober 1 for the December award of the M.S., and by March 15 for the May award.

Students will normally receive aid to cover the costs of tuition and health fees for enrollmentin the Yale Health Plan, as well as a stipend whose amount is determined by Yale graduateSchool. Such aid is guaranteed for students in good standing for a period of four years.Because financial aid is budgeted on a year by year basis, it is not possible to guarantee anyparticular level of financial aid in subsequent years. However, it is our expectation thatgraduate students in the Department of Immunobiology will receive financial aid in thesubsequent years, at the same levels as in years 1-4. Financial aid is defined here as private

and federal funds administered by Yale, as well as fellowships won by students in externalcompetition.

Information is available within a Yale Graduate School data basewww.yale.edu/graduateschool/financial/database.html

A number of such fellowships, both Federal and private, are available to qualified students.

Dean Robert Haper-Mangles is an excellent source for information. In particular, we stronglyencourage students to apply for:

: Available to first year students and funds two yearsof stipend support. Each year four BBS incoming students are selected. The programinterfaces Science and Medicine. Incoming students are notified by the BBS office.

First year graduate students are eligible to apply for these fellowships and are strongly urgedto do so. Application forms may be obtained fromThe NSF Graduate Research Fellowship ProgramOak Ridge Associated UniversitiesP.O. Box 2010

Oak Ridge, TN 37831-3010

The Richard K. Gershon Pre- and/or Postdoctoral Research fellowship honors one of Yalesgreatest physician scientists whose life was taken from us prematurely and tragically. Familyand friends have generously made this fellowship possible in an effort to stimulate Pre-and/or Postdoctoral fellows to pursue a career in biomedical research and to recallcontinuously the creative scholarship that marked the life of Richard Gershon. The fellowshipis awarded in alternate years to the Immunobiology Pre- and/or Postdoctoral fellow whosubmits the most outstanding research proposal in the field of Immunobiology or a related

Master of Science Degree:

Financial Opportu nities Fellows hips and Awards

Fellowship Sessions:

Graduate Fellowships:

Medical Research Scholars Program

NSF Graduate Fellowships

The Gershon Fellowship and the Trudaeu Fellowship

Each September, the Associate Dean offers a Science Fellowship

Session in the Hall of Graduate Studies where he goes over the essentials of applying to

fellowship programs and what is available.

Click on the GSAS Fellowship Data

Base and follow the prompts, department, citizenship, etc. The site offers current available

information.


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discipline. The Trudeau Fellowship has been made possible by a generous gift from theTrudeau Family. These funds cover predoctoral stipends.

All current students and applicants for admission are strongly encouraged to compete foroutside fellowships. These fellowships, sponsored by both public and private agencies,confer distinction on a student who wins an award in a national competition. They are oftenmore generous than the fellowships the University is able to provide. Students must report totheir Associate Dean any scholarship/fellowship received from an outside agency ororganization.

Students are allowed to hold outside awards in conjunction with University stipends up tocombined levels that are significantly higher than the normal stipend. During the nine-monthacademic year, the sum of the Graduate Schools initial stipend award and all outside awardsmay total the standard department/program nine-month stipend plus $4,000. If the sum of theGraduate Schools initial stipend award and all outside awards exceeds this limit, theGraduate School stipend award will be reduced accordingly.

When outside awards include restricted funds (e.g., for tuition and/or research support), therestricted funds will not be used in calculating the combined stipend.

University fellowship stipends awarded as a result of this formula are subject to all applicablepolicies, including replacement of stipend by teaching fellowships, and are awarded for thenine-month academic year.

In no case will the application of this policy reduce the amount of an external award, nor will itreduce the amount of a Teaching Fellowship.

The University has various types of loans, including summer loans, and short term loans tomeet emergencies. Information on these may be obtained form the Financial Aid Office, 128HGS.

Tax Liability: Section 117 of the Internal Revenue Code applies to the tax treatment of allscholarships and fellowships. Under that section, non-degree candidates are required toreport as gross income any monies paid on their behalf for stipends, or any course tuition andfees required for attendance. Degree candidates may exclude from gross income (for taxpurposes) any amount used for tuition and related expenses such as fees, books, supplies,and equipment required for courses of instruction at a qualified educational organization. Thetaxability of stipends, however, in no way alters the relationship between NRSA trainees andinstitutions. NRSA stipends are not considered salaries. In addition, trainees supportedunder the NRSA are not considered to be in an employee-employer relationship with the NIHor the awardee institution. It is therefore, inappropriate and unallowable for institutions to

charge costs associated with employment (such as FICA, workman"s compensation, orunemployment insurance) to the training grant. It must be emphasized that the interpretationand implementation of the tax laws are the domain of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) andthe courts. The NIH takes no position on the status of a particular taxpayer, and it does nothave the authority to dispense tax advice. Individuals should consult their local IRS officeabout the applicability of the law to their situation and forinformation on their tax obligations.

External Fello wships and Combined Award Policy

Loans

Inco me Taxes

Training Grant Suppo rt:


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U.S. Citizen

Foreign Nationals

All Students

Late Fees

U.S. tax law requires the taxation of that portion of scholarship or fellowship that exceeds thesum of tuition and required books, fees, and equipment. However, for U.S. citizens, theUniversity is not required to withhold taxes from fellowships, or to report taxable income fromfellowships at the end of the tax year, except for that portion of a fellowship directlyattributable to a teaching or research assistantship. Therefore, students who receivefellowships must themselves determine whether the aggregate amount of their awardexceeds the amount of tuition and required books, fees, and equipment, and they must reportany taxable amount on their annual tax returns. The salaries paid to teaching and researchassistants are also taxable, and the University will withhold income taxes and report theamount to the IRS at the end of the year.

U.S. tax law requires the University to withhold income taxes on the amount of any fellowshipgranted in excess of tuition to students who are in the United States on either an F-1 or J-1visa. The students actual tax liability, however, will only be fore the amount awarded inexcess of tuition and required books, fees, and equipment. Also, many countries have taxtreaties with the United States that may exempt the fellowships of foreign students from theU.S. income taxation. The rate of withholding, depending on the terms of the tax treaties, isnormally about 14%. In making financial plans, students should bear in mind that the funds

available form any University-administered fellowship stipend will be reduced by the amountof tax withheld. See your brochure,which you should have received, from the Graduate School for more information.

The University withholds income taxes on the salaries of all teaching and research assistants,regardless of citizenship. Students from foreign countries are advised to consult InternalRevenue Service Publication 519 U.S. Tax Guide for Aliens, and publication 901, U.S. TaxTreaties. All students are strongly advised to save documentation of awards and expenses.

Connecticut law requires taxation of adjusted gross income as reported on federal taxreturns. Many students are not subject to state tax withholding because their earnings do notexceed the allowable exemptions. Students should file a Connecticut W-4 form to ensure

correct withholding of this tax. Students are strongly advised to retain copies of all awardletters and receipts for the payment of tuition and required books, fees, and equipment; also,course syllabi and other material that show that books and equipment are necessary forstudy and research should be retained. Please give a copy of all pertinent information toBarbara for your file.

The Graduate School charges fees in certain instances. These are described in theGraduate School Program and Policies handbook. Those which students should be acutelyaware of are: $25 for registration and submission of course enrollment. If there is acompelling reason for not meeting one of these deadlines (such as an essential field tripaway from the New Haven area, or work in a library or lab in another part of the country) astudent may request the DGS to petition the FAS Registrar to waive the fee. These fees can

only be waived for justifiable reasons. Students who plan to be out of New Haven during aregistration deadline should, if possible, arrange alternate action in advance with theGraduate School. Barbara will be happy to assist you if this situation applies to you.

There is also a fee of $225 for the submission of dissertation by a student who is currently notregistered.

Financial Aid Information for Entering Graduate Students


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Safety Inform ation

Safety emergencies only: 785-3555 (during normal work hou rs)

Miscellaneous Inform ation

The Graduate Education Committee

Graduate School Organ izations

The McDougal Graduate Student Center,

The University offers a group of support services related to occupational and environmentalsafety needs. The Office of Environmental Health & Safety is located at 135 College Street,phone: 785-3550.

The Graduate Education Committee consists of two faculty members appointed by thefaculty; the DGS, Al Bothwell; the Student Services Officer, Barbara Giamattei, and twoGraduate students, selected as representatives by the graduate students. Faculty currentlyon the committee are Paula Kavathas and Ruslan Medzhitov.

The GEC makes recommendations to the departmental faculty for action about all aspects ofgraduate study including recommendation for degrees (faculty members only), the structureof the graduate program, and the welfare of the graduate students. Students can directlyinfluence the decisions made by this committee and improve its functioning by discussingwith the student or faculty members, the administrative associate, or the DGS ideas for

improving the departmental program.

Departmental rules that relate to financial matters, such as research supply money, travelreimbursement, and thesis production costs are subject to annual review by the faculty, andmay be changed at any time in response to the existing financial situation.

To permit review of rule changes and informed decision as to whether to continue under rulesin effect at the time of admission or to change new rules, you should retain the edition of thisbooklet and of the graduate School Bulletin which were issued in the year of your admissionto the Section.

The Graduate and Professional Student Center at Yale (GPSCY) at 204 York Street, 432-

2638, provide a central meeting place for graduate and professional students, faculty, andalumni. Open only to members and their guests, the GPSCY operates a full service bar withreduced prices, sponsors receptions, dances, and parties, and hosts conferences,rehearsals, and exhibitions. The GPSCY is overseen by the Graduate-professional StudentSenate (GPSS), a university-wide organization of graduate and professional students.

Graduate Students Assembly (GSA or the Assembly) is a student-run democraticorganization, composed of representatives from each department in the biological andphysical sciences, social sciences, and humanities. Its goal is to represent the interests of allYale graduate students and bring students concerns to bear on Graduate School policydecision. Immunobiology elects a representative each year. For more information on theGSA, visit the web site at http;://www.yale.edu/assembly.

a center for graduate student life & professionaldevelopment, 123 Hall of Graduate Studies 320 York Street PO Box 208236, New Haven,CT 06520-8236, phone 432-8273, [email protected]. The new McDougal centeris a place where graduate students from across the campus regularly meet and shareinterests.Mission A generous gift from Mr. Alfred McDougal, a Yale alumnus, and his wife, Ms.Nancy Lauter, enabled Yale in 1997 to create the McDougal Graduate Student Center. TheMcDougal Center provides space and program funding for building intellectual, cultural, andsocial life, and for facilitating professional development activities across the departments ofthe Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. The McDougal center warmly welcomes the

dial 111 after hours number


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participation of students form other Yale Graduate and Professional Schools, postdoctoralfellows, faculty, staff, alumni/ae of the Graduate School, and members of the larger Yalecommunity. Its web site (http://www.yale.edu/mcdougal) provides all kinds of informationrelating to graduate student life. The center provides members of the graduate studentcommunity with a place of their own on campus.

The facilities of the McDougal center enhance student life in many ways. Themagnificently restored Common Room has been transformed into a lounge with comfortablefurnishings, internet ports, newspapers and magazines, and a student-run caf serving coffeeand light food through out the day. In an adjacent wing on the first floor of HGS the centerhas a large multi-purpose Program Room (HGS 119) with a stage, setting for up to 100, andadvanced video and sound projection equipment. The Program Room provides space forlectures, conferences, performances, film series, workshops and other events by and forstudents. The center also has smaller conference and meeting rooms. Graduate studentgroups and departments may request to reserve space by contacting the center office at 432-8273, stopping by HGS 123, or completing a request on line atwww.yale.edu/mcdougal/mcdougal/roomform.html. There is a public computer clustersupported by ACS, a public copy machine, a public phone, bulletin boards and informationkiosks as well. The lower floor also offers offices for the Assembly of Graduate Students,graduate student organizations, and rooms for Teaching Fellows to meet with students,lockers for graduate student use and vending machines. The McDougal Center is open days,

evenings, and weekends. Lisa Brandes, Director, 123 HGS. The center offers a variety of

activities open to the G&P community. These include weekly movies on a large screen,coffeehouse musical evenings, happy hours, poetry readings, student researchpresentations, health and wellness workshops, teas with campus and community figures, andservice opportunities such as blood drives. It hosts activities organized by student groupsand departments, including cultural festivals, movies, lectures, receptions, and conferences.Activities are publicized in campus publications, in McDougal Notes calendar, on the website, and via email lists. Find out what going on at your Center today! There are many otherformal student organizations at Yale, covering a broad spectrum of interests and activities,including an active intramural sports league.

Mary Johnson, Director, 123 HGS, 432-7375,www.yale.edu/gcs.Graduate Career Services was established to guide and education

graduate students about academic and non-academic career opportunities and job searchstrategies. The office offers programs such as professional career development workshops,seminars, resume/CV reviews, individual counseling, on campus interviews, dossier serviceand current job listings.

Bill Rando, Director, 123 HGS, 432-7377. Dr. Randodirects the teacher preparation program within the McDougal Graduate Student Center, andalso works with faculty and graduate students to enhance teacher preparation programs indepartments. He advises the Working at teaching program. The mission of Working atTeaching (WAT) (www.yale.edu/wat) is to help improve the teaching skills of Yale graduatestudents and to contribute to their professional development as teachers. WAT offersexcellent peer-led training workshops for teaching assistants each semester, promotesdialogue in the Yale community about all aspects of pedagogy through forums and lectures,and supports teaching assistants by publishing a handbook, maintaining a resource office,

and conducting classroom visitations. WAT is sponsored by the graduate School and ishoused in the McDougal center. While most of the students who participate in WAT programcome from the Graduate School, other G&P students who teach take part in its activities.

B44 HGS, McDougal center, www.yale.edu/mcdougal/resource. This is a self-servicereference library intended to assist Yale graduate students, postdocs, and faculty in findingfellowships pre-dissertation, dissertation, travel and research funding. (Teaching training andcareer services books are being added). It contains a physical site (Room B44) of grant andfunding books, announcements, and files on programs and topics, and a virtual site of links,

Facilities

Student Life Programs

Graduate Career Serv ices (GCS)

The Office of Teacher Preparation -

Resource Library fo r Fellowships , Careers, and Teaching (formerly the Fellowship

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announcement and searchable databases. For room access, check out the key from theCenter office, Room 123 HGS, or ask the night program attendant on duty to let you in.Handouts and the web can explain to you how to use the materials, but he actual research isup to you.

is an annual event that showcasesstudent research in the biomedical and biological sciences. Entirely powered by studentsfrom many different departments, the GSRS offers valuable experience for those interested inorganizing a scientific meeting (i.e., communications design, facilities, fundraising, programdevelopment, and social activities). Visit the web site at http//.info.med.yale.edu/gsrs.

) is a seminar series, the goal of which is toprovide resources for graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who may be interested inpursuing careers that differ from the traditional routes of academic or industrial research. Thetopics of last years seminars included scientific publishing, science policy, high schoolscience curricula development, and consulting. For more information, the web page addressis http://www.mbb.yale.edu/acb. You can also get on the e-mail list to receive informationabout the seminars by sending a message to [email protected]

Should a situation arise where a student disagrees with a departmental decision or believesthat he or she has been treated wrongly by someone in the Section, there are severalcourses of action available. The student can appeal the decision with the DGS if it lies within

his jurisdiction; in such cases the DGS will ask the graduate education committee or an adhoc committee to collect information and make a binding decision. If the matter is one thatthe student does not wish to raise within the Section, there are University agencies that canact for the student, including: 1) The Dean of the Graduate School 112 HGS, 432-2733; or2) The Deputy Provost 133 HGS, 432-4448. The Officer for Women in Medicine can becontacted at I-1010 SHM, 785-4680. In addition, the Dean of Graduate Studies hasappointed a standing Grievance Committee to receive and review student complaints ofsexual harassment. This committee is comprised of six members (two faculty, one memberof the Graduate School Administration, two students, and one counselor). Students maybring questions about procedure, seek informal advice, or present a complaint to anymember of the board, either orally or in writing.

All graduate students in the Section are entitled to have keys to rooms in which they work.Keys can be obtained from the business office in the Yale Immunobiology Business Office,464 Congress, Room 276, for keys to Yale rooms, and/or Patty Porto in the HHMI BusinessOffice for keys to HHMI rooms. Students are asked to return keys when they are no longerneeded, as for example, when moving to a different laboratory, or when graduating andleaving the Section.

You may wish to register your bike by recording its serial number with the University Police.Bring your bike to the Special Services Unit of Campus Police, Phelps Gate (the archedentranceway to the Old campus from College Street) or call 432-4410 for more infor.Security information is available during New Student Orientation. Bike racks or bike roomsare available at most graduate dorms or apartments.

Visit the web site at http://www.yale.edu/parking and transit. The Daytime Shuttle operatesfrom 7:20 AM to 6:00 PM Monday through Friday. It does not run on weekends or employeeholidays, with the exception of Good Friday. The bus loops around the campus on a setroute: From 333 Cedar Street, up York Street, Chapel to Howe, Elm to York, York to TowerParkway, Broadway and Elm to College, up Prospect Street, down Huntington to WhitneyAvenue, Grove to College Street, and back to 333 Cedar. Due to weather or trafficconditions, buses may run a few minutes early or late. It is recommended that all passengersarrive at designated bus stops in advance of time schedules.

The Graduate Student Research Symposium (GSRS)

Alternative Careers in Biosciences (ACB

Grievance Procedures

Keys

Bicycles

Yale Shut tles

h


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Nighttime Minibus;

BIOMED Express

Yale Health Plan, 17 Hillho us e Avenue

Parenthood: Benefits for Pre-doctoral candidates who become parents.

Leave of Absence

between 6:00 PM and 7:30 AM. 359 day a year any person with avalid ID card can obtain free transportation on the Yale MINIBUS

is an express bus operated by Yale Medical School Support Serviceswhich runs between Lot 22 (behind Kline Science Tower) and Yale Medical School from 6:45a.m. to 6:15 p.m. Monday through Friday, with scheduled stops at the railroad station from7:45 a.m. to 9:15 a.m. and from 4:45 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. This service is free with a valid YaleI.D.

Graduate Medicine @ YUHSThe University Health Service Center is dedicated to providing high quality care to patientsvisiting the Graduate Medicine department. Out of all the Yale populations being served,graduate students receive the most choices, in terms of clinician selections and service.Graduate students have the availability of both Internal Medicine and Graduate Medicineclinicians and appointment scheduling. In addition, graduate students are welcome toreceive services at man

Documents

Graduate Manual