Pre-Doctoral Trainees
The METP supports 8 pre-doctoral trainees each year. In most cases support is provided for 2 years, contingent upon a satisfactory performance in the first year. The program is structured such that 4 new trainees are appointed each year, with the other 4 trainees receiving their second year of funding.
Pre-doctoral trainees are usually selected from the Interdisciplinary Graduate Program (IGP) or Quantitative Chemical Biology Program (QCB). Pre-doctoral trainees are appointed to the METP in May of each year. Most trainees are selected after completing their first year in the IGP or QCB but the METP Admissions Committee will also consider applications from students with Masters degrees who have been directly admitted to a preceptor’s laboratory as well as more senior IGP and QCB students who were not initially chosen for funding but have since demonstrated exceptional potential.
In all cases an application for pre-doctoral support from the METP is made by the preceptor. The application package consists of a letter of recommendation from the preceptor, a description of the molecular endocrinology-related research that the trainee is likely to perform in the laboratory, their undergraduate GPA scores plus the name of the school they attended. The METP Admissions Committee also considers the relative performance of applicants relative to their peers in the core IGP & QCB classes, their performance in the laboratory during research rotations and their performance in the first year Molecular Aspects of Obesity and Diabetes IGP Spring Module. Applicants are also interviewed by the METP Director and Associate Director.
Post-Doctoral Trainees
The METP supports 4 post-doctoral trainees each year. In most cases support is provided for 2 years, contingent upon a satisfactory performance in the first year. The program is structured such that 2 new trainees are appointed each year, with the other 2 trainees receiving their second year of funding. Post-doctoral trainees must have a Ph.D. degree.
The majority of post-doctoral trainees are selected having completed their graduate education at institutions other than Vanderbilt, but Vanderbilt graduates are also eligible. Post-doctoral trainees can be appointed to the METP at any time each year.
In all cases an application for post-doctoral support from the METP is made by the preceptor. The application package consists of a letter of recommendation from the preceptor and a description of the molecular endocrinology-related research that the trainee is likely to perform in the laboratory. The applicant is also required to submit their resume, which documents their GPA score at their undergraduate institution and their publications from their graduate institution, and a letter of recommendation from their graduate mentor. Applicants are also encouraged to present their thesis research to members of their prospective preceptor’s laboratory and are interviewed by the METP Director and/or Associate Director during their recruiting visit to Vanderbilt.
Because the program is supported by an NIH training grant, both pre-doctoral students and post-doctoral fellows must be US citizens or permanent residents to be eligible for METP support.