IDOT Predoctoral Requirements

General Training

It is expected that you will take courses outside your home department and conduct interdisciplinary dissertation research. You will complete your Ph.D. in your home department and meet all course and other requirements of that department.

Additional Course Requirements

Trainees will complete these additional courses:

1. NUTR 611 – Nutrition of Women, Infants and Children - This fall semester course should be taken in the first year on the training grant.
2. NUTR 812 - Obesity - This survey course is offered beginning in the spring semester, and students would take it in their first year on the training grant. Note: Students may be exempted from these courses if they have taken comparable courses before entering the traineeship.
3. One obesity-related elective to be approved by the training committee on an individual basis. These may come from a large array of basic science or other courses such as: NUTR/EPID 810 – Physical Activity Epidemiology and Public Health; International Nutrition, Global Health, Health Inequalities, etc.

Mentored Research Practicum

Students are expected to devote 10-12 hours per week to a research practicum with their mentor. The end result will be presentation(s) at scientific meetings and a paper submitted to a peer-reviewed journal.

Dissertation Research

Students are expected to plan and implement dissertation research on maternal and child obesity-related projects.

Participation in Seminars

Students are required to participate in the Obesity and Physical Activity seminar and are encouraged to attend other relevant seminars such as those offered in the Pediatric Nutrition series.

Presentations and Participation in Scientific Meetings

All trainees are expected to attend the annual meetings of the Obesity Society. We will fund your registration, a low-cost plane fare up to $300, reasonable housing costs, and approved North Carolina per diem at this meeting. Trainees are encouraged to attend other professional meetings related to their discipline, but funds for other meetings are not available from this training grant.

Instruction in the Responsible Conduct of Research

Each trainee must receive training in the ethics of research that includes participation in at least three seminars, lectures or class sessions each year that have been approved by the Training Coordinator.  Trainees will be asked to document their participation in their progress reports.

Human Subjects Protection Training

Each trainee must complete university required training in Human Subjects Protection by the end of the first month of the traineeship (https://www.citiprogram.org/default.asp). Those conducting animal research must complete similar requirements for ethical treatment of animals. Additionally, trainees are expected to attend a minimum of 3 seminars, lectures, or class sessions per year that consider ethical issues. This is important and we will want you to keep a record of this.

Start Date

The proposed period of funding is the academic year 2010-2011.

Stipend

Stipends are the NIH rate of $20,976 per year and may be adjusted annually by NIH.

Tuition

Tuition will be paid in accordance with NIH guidelines.

Travel

Travel funds will be provided to attend the annual meetings of the Obesity Society.

Health Insurance

Mandatory UNC major medical insurance premiums will be paid.

Progress Reports

Trainees are expected to submit a progress report at the end of each term.

Supplementary Work

This appointment is regarded as full-time and you must be considered a full-time student by your department for the duration of the award. No supplementary work is allowed without explicit approval in response to a written request from the training director, Linda Adair, and there may be restrictions on sources of funds to support supplementary work.