UVa

 

NEWS:

  1. -Confidentiality Agreement Form for externships created by Lynn Koplin (Ass’t Director of Contracts, Office of Sponsored Programs)

  2. -Check out BTP Twitter

  3. -Private BTP site for networking


*US citizen, green card; apply before arrival at UVa, or as a 1st or 2nd yr PhD student; May deadline

OPEN TO ALL* PhD STUDENTS from science and engineering departments at UVa, including mentor labs not currently listed.

MISSION: (i) to establish a foundation of rigor in experimental planning, data organization and transparency built on the ‘Open Science Framework’ in collaboration with the Center for Open Science, (ii) nurture a love and inquisitiveness for science as new skills are acquired and problems solved, and (iii) overlay this training with various forms of biotechnology exposure, and career and communication skills development in an environment of broad trainee diversity.

SUPPORT: BTP student support is for two years after which mentor grants or your own fellowship funding take over.  The BTP is funded by NIGMS (5T32 GM136615).

FACTS: Since 2000, 91 students have trained or are currently training in the BTP from home departments in Biochemistry, Cell Biology, Chemistry, Microbiology, Pathology, Physiology, Biomedical Engineering, Chemical Engineering and Systems Engineering. Among alumni, three are now company Directors (GSK, Amgen & Eli Lilly), one a former company CEO (FlowJo), another a company founder and another a former company CTO, one is an Interim Associate Dean, another an Associate Professor, two are Assistant Professors (an additional on 12.1.19).  Ten are Co-Directors, Group Leaders or Managers. One is an NSF Deputy Director. Another is an Assistant Scientific Editor at Cell Press.  Some are currently training as postdocs.  Relative employment distribution of grads is depicted in the pie chart below.









The BTP is one of 23 NIGMS supported BTPs nationwide and the only one in Virginia.  Average time to PhD since 2004 is 5.5 years (5.1 for underrepresented minorities).  Graduates average of 4.7 publications per student.  CHECK OUT THE SUCCESS OF OUR GRADSSEE OUR CURRENT TRAINEES.

DIVERSITY: The BTP strongly encourages applications from underrepresented minorities and individuals with disabilities.  11 of our 28 current trainees, are underrepresented minorities.  One of our graduates was hearing impaired and performed PhD studies on chronic otitis media.  Ear expert and BTP mentor Xiaowei Lu is a leader in the study of cochlear planar cell polarity.  The father of BTP mentor Jill Venton was a long time professor at Gallaudet University, a federally funded university for the deaf and hard of hearing.  The BTP has visited and presented to Gallaudet students.  CHECK OUT THE SUCCESS OF OUR DIVERSITY TRAINEESOur last BIMS Diversity Day was 10.5.18.

CHECK OUT OUR RESOURCES: (i) for Underrepresented Minorities, and (ii) for Individuals with Disabilities.