1. Program Description and Admission Requirements: See the Program in Neuroscience brochure and the general catalogue for details.

2. Academic Requirements for the Doctoral Degree in Neuroscience
Note: General requirements of the University of Utah Graduate School concerning residency, grading policies, supervisory committees, qualifying examinations, the dissertation and the final examination may be found in the University of Utah General Catalog

2.1 Completion of the Core Program in Neuroscience

2.1.1 Required Didactic Courses

2.1.2 Required Seminar Courses

2.1.3 Required Rotations- NEUSC 6900 - 4 times (half-semesters) in the first year, 1 credit each = 4 credits.

Request for Rotation Form
Abstract Instructions

2.1.4 Advanced Didactic Training- 2 graded elective graduate level courses totaling no less than 9 credits. The following list is a sampling of the many available courses. Up to 3 credits can be ungraded, departmental journal club courses.

2.1.4.1 Suggested (but not required) Graduate Level Courses

2.2 Qualifying Examination: Each student must have completed all Rotations, Seminars and 30 hours of didactic work prior to filing a Request for Qualifying and Dissertation Proposal Examinations (NP Form 5)

2.3 Approval of Dissertation Research Proposal by Supervisory Committee

2.3.1 Dissertation Research: 20 hours of thesis research (graded)

2.4 Final Examination

2.5 MD/PhD requirements for students entering the Neuroscience Program

2.5.1 The MD/PhD program requires each student to take 9 credits of graduate coursework. For students joining the Neuroscience Program this must include:

a) 1 Neuroscience core course (other than Neuroanatomy)

b) 1 other semester of didactic course work (depending upon lab selected). (Minimum 3 credits)

c) 1 research ethics class - eg. MBIOL 7570 (1 credit)

d) In addition, students are required to attend the weekly RIP/Journal clubs in their department.

e) If the supervisory committee deems additional coursework to be necessary then the student will be asked to do this.

Otherwise all other Neuroscience Program requirements apply to MD/PhD students (except the supervisory committee, which must meet MD/PhD program guidelines by having one member from the MD/PhD Advisory Committee).

3. Academic Progress and Student Evaluation

3.1 Grading Policy

Students should maintain a 3.0 or higher GPA. A grade of C+ is not accepted for credit toward a graduate degree. Two successive semesters of insufficient GPA constitutes grounds for dismissal from the program. A grade of B- or better is required for all courses. Students will be allowed to repeat a course only once. Students failing to pass the repeated course will be dismissed from the program.

3.2 Selection of Mentor

Each graduate student will be expected to complete the process of selecting a prospective research area and, by mutual agreement, formally joining a faculty member's research laboratory by the beginning of the 2nd year of training. Students will be required to obtain the mentor's signature on a form provided by the program (Joining a Laboratory Faculty Agreement), stating the student's academic record and any deficiencies and/or achievements prior to joining the lab. However, even in those cases where a student-mentor match has been made early in training, the student will still complete all four rotations in at least three different laboratories. If, upon completion of all four rotations, a likely mentor has not been found, it is imperative that the student notify the Program Director's office immediately and arrange for a meeting to discuss options for support. The mentor is responsible for providing an adequate research environment leading to a successful dissertation project.

In the event that a student finds himself or herself in a laboratory and/or with a mentor that is an unfit match, the student should try to recognize and address the problem early. The first step is to go to their mentor. If the problem is not resolved, the student should feel free to approach their supervisory committee to discuss the problem. In the event that the supervisory committee is not able to effectively resolve the problem, the student should then talk to the student advisor. The student advisor will work toward resolving the situation, which may include the student moving to another laboratory and starting a new dissertation project.

3.3 Supervisory Committee

The Supervisory Committee is charged with monitoring the progress of a student's training, guiding the student in preparation for the Ph.D. qualifying examination and conducting the examination. The subsequent charge to the Supervisory Committee is to shepherd the student towards the completion of a formal dissertation proposal, to evaluate and approve/disapprove that proposal, to monitor the progress of dissertation research and preparation of the dissertation, to conduct the final examination and approve/disapprove the dissertation, and to ensure that all academic requirements of the Neuroscience Program have been met. The committee is largely configured by the student and the mentor and submitted via a Request for Supervisory Committee form to the Neuroscience Program Curriculum Committee and Program Director for approval by the end of the Fall Semester of the 2nd year of training. Final approval resides with the Graduate Dean. Prior to this time, the student is advised by faculty members appointed by the Program Curriculum Committee. The members of Supervisory Committee are:

• the mentor, who serves as Committee Chair
• a program representative from the Directorate, Admissions or Curriculum Committee
• a minimum of three other faculty members

One member of the Supervisory Committee must be from outside the mentor's and student's research area. Non-Program faculty may serve on (but not chair) the Committee with the specific approval of the Curriculum Committee and the Program Director. Program faculty must always comprise a majority of the committee. All decisions of the Supervisory Committee are by majority vote. The composition of the committee may be changed by filing a Request to Change Supervisory Committee Personnel form, subject to the approval the Program Director.

3.4 Committee Meetings

The student should meet once every year with their Supervisory Committee and a report of that meeting submitted to the Neuroscience Program Graduate Office for review by the Curriculum Committee. A hold will be placed on Fall Semester registration of students who do not meet with their committees.

Report of Supervisory Committee meeting; uncompleted core courses (NP Form 3a )
Report of Supervisory Committee meeing; completed core courses (NP Form 3b)

3.5 Formal Evaluations

There are four formal stages of evaluation in the Neuroscience Program:

• Report of the Qualifying Examination for the Ph.D., or M.Phil Degree and Recommendation for admission to Candidacy
• Approval of the Dissertation Proposal (NP Form 7)
• The Dissertation
• Report of the Final Oral Examination

3.5.1 The Qualifying Examination is an evaluation of the student's knowledge regarding the fundamentals of neuroscience and may focus on any part of the core training. It is conducted by the Supervisory Committee. (see Guide for the Qualifying Examination). The written part of the examination is the preparation of a formal research proposal following NIH/NRSA format and length guidelines (essentially 10 pages - link will be provided), and is an evaluation of scholarship. The student will choose two possible topics and prepare a pre-proposal for each. The subject area should be distinct from the area of the student's thesis research since this exam is intended to determine the student's ability to think creatively and independently. The pre-proposals should be Specific Aims page style and should be no more than 1-2 pages in length. They must be submitted to the committee no less than one week before the first scheduled meeting. The pre-proposals and proposal should be drafted without substantial guidance from the thesis advisor. At the first meeting the student will present the pre-proposals to the committee. It should be sufficient to orally present the pre-proposals, clearly articulating the rationale, hypothesis and experimental design. If the students wish to use Powerpoint to present the pre-proposal the presentation should be limited to 10-15 minutes for each pre-proposal. This is not an examination, but an opportunity for the committee to assess which pre-proposal is likely to be developed into a successful proposal and provide constructive feedback to the student. If neither of the two pre-proposals are ready to be written up as a full proposal, the committee may ask the student to revise one of the two pre-proposals or to prepare a third pre-proposal based upon input from the committee. The committee will determine whether an additional meeting is necessary to approve the revised proposal, or whether this can be done by email. Once the pre-proposal has been approved, the student has six weeks to prepare a full-length research proposal following NIH/NRSA format and length guidelines (essentially 10 pages - link will be provided). The written proposal should be sent to the committee no less than one week before the qualifying exam meeting. At the qualifying exam meeting the committee will determine whether the written proposal is adequate and ready for oral defense. If there are serous problems with the written proposal then the committee may request that the proposal be revised before it is defended, and will determine what is required and how long this should take. The student will present the research proposal orally, with visual aids (eg. Powerpoint), and will be examined by the committee through in-depth questioning during this presentation. The oral defense should last no more than 2 hours. At the end of the meeting the committee will determine whether the student has successfully defended the proposal and has sufficient knowledge of Neuroscience to be advanced to candidacy. This proposal is used as the framework for evaluating the student's knowledge in depth and breadth, as well as organizational abilities, knowledge of the literature, and analytical skills. While the quality of preparation of the proposal is quite important, the research proposed is not the focus of the examination, as the student will have but recently completed the required didactic experiences and may not have developed a proposal competitive with the research programs of his or her mentor. The Supervisory Committee conducts the Qualifying Examination after the student has properly filed the Request for Qualifying and Dissertation Proposal Examinations (NP Form 5) and has received Program permission to take the examination. The final written proposal should be delivered to the members of the Supervisory Committee no less than 2 weeks prior to the expected examination date. For the purposes of the Qualifying examination only, the mentor steps down as chair and the Supervisory Committee chooses an Examining Chair from within the Supervisory Committee. The Curriculum Committee may also choose to add examiners. The results of the examination (Unconditional Pass, Conditional Pass and Failure), determined by majority vote, are to be reported in writing to the Neuroscience Program Office for review by the Curriculum Committee and Director (Report of the Qualifying Examination for the Ph.D., or M.Phil Degree and Recommendation for admission to Candidacy). Final approval of the examination results resides with the Program Director. An examination or parts thereof (in case of a Conditional Pass) may be repeated once at the discretion of the Supervisory Committee but must be completed within 9 months of the first examination date.

3.5.2 The Approval of Dissertation Research takes place no later than 12 months after successful completion of the Qualifying Examination. (see: Request for Qualifying and Dissertation Proposal Examinations (NP Form 5) and Report of the Examination of the Dissertation Proposal (NP Form 7)) The student prepares a formal proposal for Dissertation Research using standard NIH format and submits it to the Committee no less 2 weeks prior to a scheduled Supervisory Committee meeting. The Supervisory Committee and mentor should have had significant input into the design of the research program and the student will thus be expected to exhibit extensive knowledge of the research area and related fields. The quality of the proposal will be held to a much higher standard than required for the Qualifying Examination. The outcome of the Supervisory Committee's deliberations (Approved / Not-Approved, by majority vote) will be reported to the Neuroscience Program Office for review by the Curriculum Committee and Program Director. Failure to gain approval for dissertation research within 1 year of passing the Qualifying examination will be grounds for dismissal from the Program.

3.5.3 The general policies for a doctoral dissertation follow those of the University of Utah Graduate School. The Dissertation is held to the highest academic standards of quality and integrity. It must represent a significant contribution to the scientific community and reflect a mastery of a field. An acceptable draft of the dissertation must be submitted to the mentor no less than 3 weeks and to the remaining Supervisory Committee members no less than 2 weeks prior to the scheduled Final Examination. The Handbook for Theses and Dissertations provides directions for dissertations using both published and unpublished materials. The student should adhere to the instructions provided in the handbook. The final dissertation must be submitted and the final examination completed prior to end of the 6^th year of residency.

3.5.4 A Program of Study, Parts 1 and 2 form must be filed with Graduate Records six months prior to completion of dissertation.

3.5.5 The Final Examination follows the standard University of Utah guidelines for evaluating dissertation research. The Supervisory Committee announces and schedules a public examination chaired by the mentor at which the student must defend the dissertation. The outcome of the Final Oral Examination will be reported to the Program Director and the Graduate Dean for final approval. The final Dissertation must be submitted and the Final Examination completed prior to end of the 6th year of residency. The Final Examination may be repeated once.

3.6 The Timetable

Years 1-2: Core courses & rotations
Meet with appointed faculty advisor every year
Prior to the Fall Semester of Year 2: Select mentor
Prior to the end of the Fall Semester of Year 2: Select Supervisory Committee
Meet with Supervisory Committee every six months
Prior to the end of the Fall Semester of Year 3: Pass Qualifying Examination.
Prior to the end of the Spring Semester of Year 3: Repeat & Pass Re-examination
No later than 12 months after passing the Qualifying Examination: Obtain Supervisory Committee
Approval of Dissertation Research
6 months prior to completion of dissertation, file Program of Study
Before the end of Year 6: Complete all Dissertation and Academic requirements.

3.7 Appeals: Should a student or faculty member disagree with the outcome of any stage of evaluation, the basis of that disagreement shall be presented in writing to the Program Director within 2 weeks of the event. The Program Director will render a decision and dictate the appropriate action. The Director may consult Neuroscience Program faculty regarding the issue and the Director's decision is final. If extensions in time are desired, the student and mentor should submit that request in writing to the Program Director for consideration. If the Director supports the request, it will be transmitted to the Graduate Dean. The decisions of the Program Director and the Graduate Dean are final.

4. Professional Standards and Ethical Concerns

4.1 Sexual harassment: Both students and faculty are responsible for knowing and adhering to University of Utah policies regarding sexual harassment, which states:

Sexual harassment is an unlawful employment practice, and is contrary to the University's equal opportunity and nondiscrimination policy. Unwelcomed sexual advances, requests for sexual favors, or other sexually degrading verbal or physical conduct constitutes sexual harassment. Courteous, mutually respectful, non-coercive interaction between two people that is acceptable to both parties is not considered to be sexual harassment. University policy requires that all employees and students share the responsibility for assuring that sexual harassment does not take place, and that the working and educational environment of the University is not sexually intimidating, hostile or offensive to individuals on campus.

4.2 Plagiarism and Academic Misconduct: The misrepresentation of another’s written materials, data or other intellectual property as one's own is unethical and is grounds for dismissal from the Neuroscience Program. The Neuroscience Program Directorate will review all reports of such activity and transmit them to the University Student Behavior Committee in the case of potential student misconduct or the relevant Department Chair in case of potential faculty or other staff misconduct.

4.3 Confidentiality: Security of personal information dealing with human subjects must follow University Institutional Review Board (IRB) guidelines.

4.4 Conflict of Interest: All faculty and students must comply with appropriate disclosure policies regarding possible financial interests in organizations that may have a substantial fiscal relationship with the University. Disclosure materials are available from the Office of the Vice President for Research.

4.5 IRB Approvals: Mentors and students are responsible for obtaining IRB approval for activities involving human subjects.

4.6 IACUC Approvals: Mentors and students are responsible for obtaining IACUC approval for all activities involving experimental animals. Training is available through the Animal Resources Center.

4.7 Laboratory Safety: Mentors and students are responsible for appropriate safety training and conducting research according to standard safety practices. Written laboratory safety policies and material safety data sheets must be available. University radiation safety training should be arranged for all students using isotopes.

5. Financial Support

Students accepted into the Neuroscience Program under regular admission procedures will be supported by the Program for 12 months. Students wishing to take a leave longer than 2 weeks must obtain permission from the Directorate. Remission of tuition is offered for a maximum of 12 credit hours for each of the Fall and Spring semesters and requires a minimum 9 credit hour load to qualify. All students are expected to enter a mentor's laboratory after the first year and receive support from that laboratory or departmental resources after their first 12 months in the program. Students are encouraged to submit proposals for predoctoral support and the Neuroscience Program will facilitate that process by providing assistance with proposal preparation, copying and submission. The current level of support is $25,000 per annum for the first year plus health insurance.

6. Program Forms and Instruction

6.1.1 Request for Neuroscience Rotation (NP Form 1a): Upon selecting a rotation mentor for a half-semester, this form must be completed and submitted to the Neuroscience Program Office prior to the beginning of the semester.

6.1.2 Neuroscience Rotation Evaluation (NP Form 1b): The rotation mentor must submit this form to the Neuroscience Program Office prior to the reporting date for semester grades along with the rotation abtract (Abstract Instructions).

6.2 Request for Supervisory Committee: Submit the completed form to the Neuroscience Program Office. Upon review and approval of the Neuroscience Program Curriculum Committee, it will be signed by the Program Director and transmitted to the University of Utah Graduate Records Office for final approval. Curriculum Committee can add members, if deemed necessary.

6.3 Report of Supervisory Committee uncompleted core courses (NP Form 3a) or completed core courses (NP Form 3b): The advisor submits this form to the Neuroscience Program Office after each committee meeting.

6.4 Program of Study, Parts 1 and 2: With the guidance of the Supervisory Committee, the student completes this summary of completed and prospective work leading to the Ph.D. degree and submits it to the Neuroscience Program Office for review and transmittal to the University of Utah Graduate Records Office at least 6 months prior to completion of the dissertation.

6.5 Request for Qualifying and Dissertation Proposal Examinations (NP Form 5): Submit this form to the Neuroscience Program Office at least 30 days prior to the proposed examination date. The Supervisory Committee will appoint an examining Chair from within the committee for the Qualifying Examination.

6.6 Report of the Qualifying Examination for the Ph.D., or M.Phil Degree and Recommendation for admission to Candidacy: The Chair of the Examining Committee sends the original report to the University of Utah Graduate Records Office and a copy to the Neuroscience Program Office.

6.7 Report of the Examination of the Dissertation Proposal (NP Form 7): The advisor sends the original report to the Neuroscience Program Office.

6.8 Report of the Final Oral Examination: The advisor sends one copy each to the Neuroscience Program Office and the University of Utah Graduate Records Office.