Center for Biomolecular and Tissue Engineering

Predoctoral Training Grant

CBTE was awarded a biotechnology predoctoral training grant from NIGMS in 1994 that supports a significant fraction of students seeking a CBTE certificate. The grant supports the stipend, tuition and fees for nine predoctoral fellows, with the graduate school contributing a tenth fellowship for non-US citizens. CBTE faculty and students interested in the CBTE curriculum submit applications to the CBTE Steering Committee, which awards the NIH fellowships for two years of support. Generally, students are awarded a NIH CBTE fellowship during their first or second year of graduate study and are supported for two years.

 Internships

All NIH fellows in CBTE are expected to participate in an industrial internship. Upon accepting the fellowship award, and with the help of the CBTE office, it will be the responsibility of the preceptor and the trainee to identify internship possibilities and implement this requirement. Other CBTE students are encouraged to do an industrial internship. Preferably, owing to intellectual property considerations, the student will undertake a three-month full time project at the company. This provides interested students with extensive industrial research experience. These projects would involve direct interactions with the host company and would address research issues of concern to a commercial enterprise. These projects may be undertaken at any time, but would normally be performed after students have completed their course work. Students do not receive additional academic credit, but would be paid directly by the company, plus a supplement for those projects performed out of town*. Alternative internship arrangements besides direct employment are possible and will be considered on a case by case basis.

*"out of town" constitutes relocation outside the Triangle area (i.e. greater than 1 hour commute 1 way (excluding traffic) to the internship location)  For example, Winston Salem would be "out of town", Raleigh would not.

Students have performed internships at all sizes and types of biotech firms from small start-ups to big pharmaceutical and medical device corporations. See the "News and Events" link for a list of internships conducted in the past.

International students are strongly encouraged to speak with an International Office representative to discuss practical training options. *

Interdisciplinary Experience

NIH encourages the biotechnology training fellows to have significant interdisciplinary experience-- that is interaction between engineers and non-engineers. NIH fellows should work on projects involving teams of engineering and non-engineering collaborators. It is likely the majority of our trainees will be engineering students with minority participation from cell biology, zoology, or chemistry students. It is therefore proposed that all engineering training fellows work on a project that has substantial contributions from a non-engineering program faculty member. Other CBTE students can choose this experience.