Financing your education (PhD) in United States university

*Research Assistantships*

Research assistantships (RAs) offer students an opportunity to gain valuable
research-related experience, develop close working relationships with
faculty, and sometimes earn co-authorship on peer-reviewed publications.
Assistantships come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Just as our students
represent a wide range of experience and training, so do the available RA
positions necessitate an array of skill levels. The degree of expertise
required for a particular assistantship is dictated by the nature of the
project. The duties of an RA may include, but are not limited to:

- literature searches,
- questionnaire development,
- administration of questionnaires,
- interviewing of study participants,
- data collection,
- quality control tasks,
- data analysis,
- manuscript writing, and
- proposal development.


The duration of RA positions is quite variable. Some are short-term (weeks
or even days in duration) and some may last for a year or more. The number
of hours of work per week also varies, typically ranging from 15-20 hours
per week. Stipend rates vary depending on level of skills required and
funding availability.

Research assistantships become available throughout the year, as new grants
are funded or existing ones extended. Opportunities are usually plentiful,
and over the years most epidemiology students who wish to work have been
able to do so. However, the grants that fund student assistantships are
from sources outside the University, and may carry uncertainties;
consequently, it is rarely possible to promise such a position before the
student arrives on Campus. A new student should be prepared to handle his
or her full expenses at first, with the reasonable hope that an
assistantship can be obtained within a fairly short time.

*How to get a research assistantship*

- Upon an offer of admission, you will be given access to web application
for requesting consideration for research assistantships. This notifies the
Department that a student would like to be considered for a service
appointment (that is, an appointment for which some number of hours of work
is required). During the summer, these applications are duplicated and
distributed to all department faculty and adjunct faculty to notify them of
new students who might be suitable for positions on their research projects.
- New assistantship opportunities are announced via a departmental
listserve. Applicants who receive an offer of admission will be given the
opportunity to subscribe to this listserve.
- Students interested in research assistantships should talk with faculty
and ask them about possibilities.

* Teaching Assistantships*

Students in the department may gain teaching experience through Teaching
Assistantship (TA) positions. Just as with the Research Assistantships, TA
positions are available to students with different skill levels. TAs work
with faculty in the preparation of course materials, the preparation of the
class schedule, the assembly of course-packs, and in the pre-testing of
evaluation instruments. During the courses, TAs observe lectures and make
themselves available to students for clarification of concepts and terms
used in those lectures; review the exercises used in course materials and/or
textbooks; they conduct question-and-answer sessions structured around
examples and exercises used in various sections of applied courses; and they
make themselves available to answer questions from students in clarification
sessions prior to quizzes, tests, and final examination.

The number of hours of work per week varies according to the demands of the
course. Stipend rates vary depending on level of skills required and
funding availability.

*How to get a teaching assistantship:*

TA positions for new students are limited, but may be available to students
entering with prior epidemiology training. Most of the TA opportunities are
for EPID 600, a service course for non-majors that satisfies the SPH core
requirement. Students who have completed more advanced training may serve
as TAs for upper-level methods courses. In addition, opportunities are
sometimes available in the substantive epidemiology courses. TAs in the
advanced level courses usually serve at the invitation of the primary course
instructor; however, the instructors will always welcome an inquiry from
students who have a strong interest in a particular course. Students
interested in teaching assistantships should contact our
Student Services Office.

*In-State Tuition Award*

In-state students may receive an In-State Tuition Award that provides
tuition support, not to include fees. To be eligible, the student must be
appointed as a teaching assistant, research assistant, fellow or trainee;
earn a minimum of $6500 per semester ($7200 for TAs) (2007-08 academic
year); and be enrolled full-time.

Out-of-state students are also eligible for the In-State Tuition Award, if
they receive a concurrent tuition remission award.


* Training Grants*

Several institutional training grants from NIH agencies provide support for epidemiology students. Students who apply for training support must be in
a program leading to the PhD, or must have a prior doctoral degree. Under
NIH provisions, trainees must be United States citizens or Permanent
Residents.

The grant pays a portion of tuition and fees, in addition to a stipend. The
current NIH predoctoral stipend is $20,772 for a 12-month appointment.
Postdoctoral stipends vary according to the trainee's years of experience.
Training grant appointments are non-service, but generally require a
research apprenticeship. However, the student's career interests and
research project must be within the area for which the grant is funded.

Current department training grants fund a number of students studying issues
in cancer, cardiovascular disease, environmental, occupational and
nutritional epidemiology. Faculty participating in administration of each
grant select the trainees. Application forms are available from the Student
Services Office. The Principal Investigators for the departmental training
grants are as follows:

Upon an offer of admission, you will be given access to web application for
requesting consideration for a training grant position.

Certain related programs on campus also fund epidemiology students through
NIH training grants. Interested students should contact the program
directly.