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Program Responsibilities

RESPONSIBILITIES OF STUDENTS AND MENTORS

Doctoral training is a significant investment of time and effort for both the student and the research mentor. A clear understanding of the respective responsibilities for the student and research mentor optimizes the working relationship over the course of the training period and helps provide structure for the training plan. The best training experience, for both the student and the research mentor, is one in which both parties understand and meet the key expectations for their roles.

Below is a non-comprehensive list of responsibilities and expectations. It is not meant to be exhaustive. Common sense should always prevail. Where guidance is needed but not described below, seeking advice from colleagues, advisory committee members, and/or members of the PIN Executive Committee is the best place to begin. We also highly recommend that students and mentors be familiar with the AAMC Compact Between Biomedical Graduate Students and Their Research Advisors.

Responsibilities of the Student:

The student will be responsible for learning and adhering to the program requirements for the degree as outlined in this Handbook and to the requirements set by the SGSHS as outlined in the Annual Bulletin.
The student is expected to devote a minimum of 40 hours per week to work towards the attainment of the degree for the duration of the training period.
All work should be performed in the mentor’s lab except in cases of formal collaborations set up by the mentor. While students should be encouraged to explore potential collaborative relationships with other labs, it is the purview exclusively of the mentor to formalize such interactions.
Where animal work is involved, the student is expected to be intimately familiar with the mentor’s IACUC protocol, including which procedures are cleared by the IACUC and which rooms procedures are expected to be carried out in the lab.
The student will work closely with the research mentor and their Advisory Committee to develop a dissertation project.
All third-year students and above are required to present abstracts at SGSHS Research Day.
The student will exhibit scholarly initiative in the gathering and exhaustive review of scientific literature pertinent to dissertation research.
The student will adhere to the expectations communicated by the mentor for laboratory work, including experimental protocols, data management, daily schedules, and time frames for the completion of work.
The student will be prompt for all meetings and will respond to communications (email and other) in a timely manner.
The student will alert the mentor and Program of vacation requests well in advance and adhere to SGSHS regulations for extended leave-time requests.
The student will adhere to the professional and ethical research guidelines set by the University and national and international agencies and as outlined in course ID 709.
The student will acknowledge the contributions of co-workers when presenting research findings.
The student will respect co-workers in the laboratory and make every effort to resolve conflicts while maintaining professional working relationships.There is a zero-tolerance attitude toward verbal and/or physical abuse toward colleagues. Such incidents will immediately be referred to the SGSHS and may result in dismissal from the Program and SGSHS.
The student will take responsibility for promptly communicating concerns and needs to the mentor throughout the training period. Ideally, such communication should be in-person, but email is appropriate when concerns/needs are less urgent. Be aware that mentors are often busy with numerous other issues as well as those of the student, so a courteous reminder email may be required.
The student will discuss their Individual Development Plan (IDP) with their mentor throughout the training period. We encourage, but do not require, students to use an IDP developed at myIDP.
The student will present abstracts at one or more national conferences in each post-candidacy year and will optimize the value of the time spent at the conference by attending talks, viewing posters, and pursuing networking opportunities.
The student will write first-author papers in a timely manner upon the completion of studies. Manuscript development is expected to be a collaborative effort between student and mentor.
All formal presentations, manuscripts, and documents related to their training and dissertation are expected to be made using the English language. If the primary language of the student is not English, or the student is not fully bilingual, the student, with the advice of the mentor and PIN as necessary, will ensure that they are proficient enough to produce clear, acceptable documents and presentations in English.

Responsibilities of the Mentor to the Student:

The mentor will ensure that the student receives ample training for all laboratory tasks before allowing the student to work independently on those tasks.
The mentor will clearly communicate expectations for laboratory work, including experimental protocols, data management, daily schedules, and time frames for the completion of work.
The mentor will provide the scientific guidance and the resources needed to complete the student’s dissertation research.
The mentor will help the student form an advisory committee in a timely manner.
The mentor will allot time for structured, regular meetings with the student to evaluate the student’s progress and discuss topics related to the student’s research and professional development.
The mentor will discuss the student’s IDP at any time the student requests, but at least once per year.
The mentor will be responsible for stipend and research support for the student consistent with the policy described below (Stipend Support).
The mentor will cover the costs of abstract submission, registration, and travel/housing accommodations for at least one national scientific conference for each year in the post-candidacy period. Institutional sources can be used to defray these costs.
The mentor will create and support networking opportunities for the student (e.g., by facilitating interactions with research colleagues at scientific conferences).
The mentor will train the student to write grants and scientific manuscripts.
The mentor will provide opportunities for the student to submit first-author manuscripts.
At the outset of each project, the mentor will lead a discussion with the student and other participants in the study to explicitly outline the scientific roles of each participant and the order of authorship for the resulting publication(s). Changes in the arrangement over the course of the study period will be made through group discussion.
The mentor will provide guidance in identifying and applying for post-graduate positions.
The mentor will support the student’s career advancement by serving as a professional reference after the completion of the doctoral degree.

Responsibilities of Mentors to the Program in Neuroscience:

Once a faculty member accepts a student in the laboratory, they commit to the following responsibilities:

Provide for the student’s stipend starting summer of G3 and throughout the entire remaining period of dissertation research.
Be willing to teach at least 6 hours per year in courses of the Program in Neuroscience.
Serve on committees of the Program in Neuroscience when requested.
Serve as a role model for Program in Neuroscience students. This includes attending the Neuroscience Seminar Series sponsored by the Neuro Institute and all Program in Neuroscience student seminars.

THE STUDENT ACADEMIC PROGRESS REPORT

Twice yearly, at the end of the Fall and Spring semesters, the student must meet with the Program Director to review academic and professional prograss. Prior to that meeting, the student will fill out/update an Academic Progress Report. The form should be signed by both the student and the mentor PRIOR to the meeting. Any edits that are made during the progress report meeting will be conveyed back to the mentor prior to formal acceptance by PIN, but a mentor’s signature prior to the meeting 1) indicates that the mentor has reviewed the material; and 2) expedites the processing of the form if no edits are required (typically the case). In the case of first-year students, the Program Director serves additionally as “mentor” and will sign in that capacity as well. This form is designed in such a way that allows the student to simply continue adding relevant information as is necessary. Students should not delete old information. This form is designed to become an historical document of a student’s training from the first semester onward. As new entries are made, they should be highlighted . Scheduling the meeting with the Program Director will be made with the help of the Educational Coordinator. First year students, who will not yet have a research mentor, will meet with the Program Director alone. Students in their second year and beyond are encouraged to also invite their mentor to the meeting (but this is not required). This process is time sensitive, so timelyresponses to initial requests for submission of reports and scheduling of meetings is expected.

STIPEND SUPPORT

The Program is committed to ensuring stipend support is available for all full-time graduate students during their training. The Graduate School provides stipend support for 2 years and 10 months for students, usually during the first three years of their training. For the remaining period (typically beginning in June of the third year), student support transitions over to being paid by research grant funds, training grants, or departmental funds. When a faculty member agrees to serve as advisor for a student, they are doing so with the explicit expectation and commitment of providing all stipend support for that student beyond the time of support offered by the Graduate School. If there is a gap or shortfall in the advisor's funding, the first line of backup is support from the Department of the faculty member's primary appointment. If the department cannot provide that support, then the Program will work with the faculty member, their home Department, and the Graduate School to arrive at a means for paying the student stipend. Thus, it is imperative that students choose advisors with sufficient funds available to ensure that they will be able to maintain stipend support, as well as have access to research resources, for the entirety of their training. It is equally imperative that faculty mentors honestly evaluate their ability to carry a student’s stipend for at least two or two and a half years following transition away from Graduate School supported stipend.