Application and Admission
Predoctoral trainees are selected from students enrolled in Columbia University Graduate School. The Graduate School offers eleven different programs of study for a Ph.D. degree in the basic sciences, including ten programs that are affiliated with specific Departments or Institutes and one interdepartmental program, the Integrated Program in Cellular, Molecular & Biophysical Studies. Upon acceptance to a specific Ph.D. program, each first-year graduate student conducts research rotations in the laboratories of approximately three different faculty members. To facilitate their selection of rotation laboratories, students learn the scope and particulars of research training opportunities at Columbia University by attending brief faculty presentations organized by the different graduate programs early in the first year. Typically, students will join a specific laboratory to pursue their dissertation research by the end of the first year. If a student selects a laboratory of one of the faculty members of the Cancer Biology Training Program, he/she will be eligible to compete for one of the predoctoral training slots. Upon admission to the Training Program, students spend most of their time on 1) their dissertation research and 2) the specific training activities that are common to all predoctoral and postdoctoral participants in the Training Program.
Postdoctoral trainees are selected from applicants seeking postdoctoral training with faculty members of the Cancer Biology Training Program. Upon admission to the Program, the postdoctoral trainees will spend most of their time on 1) supervised cancer research in the laboratory of a participating faculty member and 2) the specific training activities that are common to all participants in the Program.
The Steering Committee solicits applications from participating faculty for predoctoral and postdoctoral trainees. Predoctoral trainees are recruited from the pool of graduate students already enrolled in Columbia University Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Postdoctoral trainees are identified from two sources: 1) post-Ph.D. applicants who have contacted particular faculty members based on their specific research interests and 2) post-M.D. candidates already enrolled in clinical training programs (Medical Oncology, Pathology, Medicine, Pediatrics, etc.).
Candidate evaluation and selection is performed once per year by the Steering Committee. Nominations are also entertained throughout the year for postdoctoral candidates based on slot availability and specific requests from faculty members. All candidates for admission to the Training Program are nominated by a member of the Program Faculty. For both predoctoral and postdoctoral candidates, the nomination process entails the submission of a formal application that includes: 1) a letter of nomination from the sponsoring faculty member(s); 2) the candidate’s curriculum vitae; 3) a description of the proposed research program that includes Specific Aims, Background, Cancer Significance, and Experimental Plan and Methods; 4) additional letters of support from the Director of the originating Graduate Program (predoctoral candidates) or previous research mentors (postdoctoral candidates); and 5) for predoctoral candidates, their Columbia University Graduate School transcripts.
The selection criteria and training objectives for the candidates are tailored to reflect the different stages of their scientific and academic development. At the time of nomination, all predoctoral candidates will have been pre-selected by the stringent admission standards of Columbia University Graduate School, and they will have completed the first-year curriculum of the Graduate School. Thus, predoctoral applications will be scored and ranked based on the following criteria: 1) the relevance and training potential of the proposed research project; 2) the cancer-relatedness of the research project; 3) the Graduate School course performance of the candidate; and 4) letters of support. For postdoctoral candidates, increased emphasis is placed on their past research accomplishments and the direct cancer focus of the research project. Thus, postdoctoral applications will be scored and ranked based on: 1) the relevance and training potential of the proposed research project; 2) the cancer-relatedness of the research project; 3) past research productivity; and 4) letters of support. For evaluation, the applications are distributed to the Steering Committee, whereupon each member ranks the candidates (providing separate rankings for predoctoral and postdoctoral candidates) according the above criteria. The Steering Committee then meets to tally the rankings, discuss each candidate in turn, and arrive at a consensus on the final selections.
The selected Trainees will be offered training grant support for one year with an understanding that a second year of support is potentially available on a competitive basis with other candidates. U.S citizenship or permanent residency is required for all candidates as a criterion for admission to the Cancer Biology Training Program.