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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is IGERT?
IGERT stands for Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship and is a program of the National Science Foundation. The goal of the IGERT program is to help universities develop new graduate programs that foster collaborative, innovative, and interdisciplinary research. (www.igert.org)
What is the Rutgers IGERT Program on Biointerfaces?
The Rutgers IGERT is a highly competitive graduate education and research training program focused on integratively engineered biointerfaces (IEB). It is a five-year, $4.2 M program supported by the NSF and Rutgers University.
The Rutgers IGERT-IEB is one of only 25 IGERT awards that were made in 2003 through a rigorous peer-review process screening over 425 applications nation-wide. This is the first IGERT grant awarded to Rutgers, and the second major IGERT in the State of New Jersey. Subsequently, two more IGERT grants were funded at Rutgers focused on different research areas, one on Nanopharmaceutical Engineering (2005), and the other on Perceptual Science (2006).
What are biointerfaces and why is the biologic interfaces theme so significant?
Biointerfaces occur at the contact between (a) two or more living cells. (b) living cells and synthetically derived biomaterials; and (c) biomolecules (proteins, lipids, etc.) and biomaterials.
Rapid strides have taken place in identifying new biomolecules, and in the initial design of diverse biomaterials capable of biomimicry and scale-specific bio-recognition. Many new technologies in cell-based diagnostics and therapies, tissue engineering, biomolecular therapies, and biosensors are critically dependent on advances in bio-interactive surfaces. Consequently, the field of biointerfaces is poised for a revolutionary impact on our society.
What are the IGERT fellows expected to do as part of the program obligations?
The IGERT program is more than a simple fellowship or research assistantship. The "ERT" in IGERT represents the three program components in which trainees will participate:
- Integrative graduate education
- Integrative, cross-disciplinary thesis research
- Integrative professional development and training
For more details on each component, click on the links above.
For an overview of how these components fit together to comprise the IGERT experience, click here.
Who can qualify for application to the IGERT Program?
Applications are welcomed from undergraduate seniors who will be applying to Rutgers for graduate studies and from first year graduate students at Rutgers.
Only U.S. citizens and U.S. permanent residents are eligible.
Students on F-1, J-1, H-1 visas are not eligible.
Which graduate students constitute the most appropriate applicants?
The major criteria for selection are academic excellence and outstanding research potential. Additionally, applicants should be:
- planning to obtain a PhD in one of the following Rutgers' programs: Biomedical, Chemical/Biochemical, Mechanical, or Ceramics/Materials Engineering, Molecular Biosciences, Physics, or Chemistry/ Chemical Biology
- interested in undertaking an integrative thesis research project, as developed specifically for the IGERT program.
For the Fall 2005 admissions cycle, students who will have completed one year of graduate studies by September 2005 will be given preference. In exceptional circumstances, students who have completed two years of graduate studies by September 2005 may also be considered.
In a few cases, new graduate students who will be joining Rutgers in September 2005 are also encouraged to apply, particularly if they have had significant research experience in areas related to the IGERT program, or if they have graduate credits that can be transferred.
How does a candidate apply for the IGERT fellowship?
Students interested in being considered for an IGERT fellowship are invited to fill in a preliminary query and are also reminded to check the eligibility requirements as outlined in the previous FAQ.
The complete application form should be downloaded as a Word file, filled in electronically, and e-mailed to the IGERT Director.
The application also requires 3 letters of reference, which can be e-mailed separately to the IGERT Director.
For students in institutions other than Rutgers applying to the IGERT, a full application to the Graduate School, New Brunswick, is also necessary, and can be downloaded here. For highly qualified applicants (who fill out the query above), the application fee can be waived by the IGERT program.
Who manages the Rutgers IGERT-IEB program?
The IGERT-IEB program at Rutgers is directed by:
Professor Prabhas Moghe
and co-directed by:
Professor Kathryn Uhrich.
The other senior faculty administrators of the IGERT program are:
The IGERT Program Manager is Dr. Linda Anthony
The IGERT Program Administrator is Patricia Ashe.
What departments and programs at Rutgers participate in the IGERT-IEB program?
Participating graduate programs include:
Additional research partners are:
Educational and training relationships exist with
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| MAJOR EVENTS |
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Next IRIF: Wed. April 30th: Research Talk, Jocie Cherry, IGERT Trainee
11:45 am - 1 pm, Room CCR-201 (Note: change of location!)
Congratulations to IGERT Trainee Kevin Nikitczuk,
awarded 2-year pre-doctoral fellowship from New Jersey Commission on Cancer Research for his research "Immune Targeting using an Engineered Vaccine Delivery System", advised by Professors Martin Yarmush and Edmund Lattime
Congratulations to IGERT Trainees Roberto Delgado-Rivera, Salah Hamed, and Christopher Ricupero,
winners of the Best Poster Awards at the Biointerfacial IGERT Symposium on April 11th
IGERT faculty members Roth and Langrana win prestigious Rutgers' teaching awards
Congratulations to: Professor Charlie Roth, selected to receive a Warren L. Susman Award for Excellence in Teaching "for his outdstanding service in stimulating and guiding the intellectual development" of Rutgers students; and to Prof. Noshir Langrana, recipient of a Faculty-
Scholar Teacher Award, which honors faculty members whose research "informs and adds excitement to their teaching and ...stimulates and informs students' scholarship."
Next IRIF: Wed. April 16th: Research Talk, Frances Gratacos, IGERT Trainee
11:45am-1 pm, Room 122, BME Bldg.
Fourth Annual Research Symposium, IGERT on Biointerfaces
Friday April 11, 2008;
8:00 am - 1:30 pm; Busch Dining Hall, Rooms A&B.
Research Talks & Posters by IGERT Trainees; Plenary Talk by Prof. Scott Diamond, U. Penn; [Agenda
and Roster of Talks and Posters]
Next IRIF: Wed. March 26th: Research Talk, Kevin Nikitczuk, IGERT Trainee
11:45 am-1 pm, Room 122, BME Bldg.
Next IRIF: Wed. March 5th: Research Talk, Ronald Perez, IGERT Trainee
Next IRIF's: Feb. 6th: Fellows Networking; Feb 20th: Research talk, Eric Yang, IGERT Trainee.
11:45 am-1:00 pm, Room 122, BME Bldg.
Spring 2008 IGERT Research Interchange Forum (IRIF) Schedule Posted at Meetings/Calendar above.
Next IGERT Research Interchange Forum (IRIF): Tues. Dec. 11; 11:45 AM-1:00 PM; BME-122
Topic: Novel Anionic Block Copolymers for Oligonucleotide Delivery Presenter: Lavanya Peddada, IGERT Trainee
IGERT Alumni Tim Maguire and Eric Novik to participate in GS-NB's
Panelists Tim Maguire (Merck & Co.), Eric Novik (Hurel Corp.), and Bala Subramanian (Goldman Sachs) will discuss early career opportunities for graduate students and postdocs in math, science, and engineering. Monday Nov 26; 5:00 - 6:30 pm; Center Hall, Busch Campus Ctr; sign-up required; call Career Services at (732) 445-6127, ext. 0
Next IGERT Research Interchange Forum (IRIF): Tues. Nov. 13; 11:45 AM-1:00 PM; BME-122
Topic: The Effects of Substrate Rigidity on Synaptogenesis and Dendrite Branching
Speaker: Michelle Previtera, IGERT Trainee
Next IGERT Research Forum (IRIF): Tues. Oct. 16; 11:45 AM-1 PM; BME-122
Topic: IGERT on Biointerfaces: Milestones Crossed and New Challenges Ahead
Presenter: Professor Prabhas Moghe, IGERT Program Director
Next IGERT Research Forum (IRIF): Thurs. August 9; 11:45 AM-1 PM; CCR-201
Topic: Relationship of Chemotherapeutic Dose-Response Curves to Cell Cycle Effects
Presenter: Salaheldin Hamed, IGERT Graduate Training Fellow
IGERT Scholarly Excellence Awards
All IGERT Trainees are actively working toward publications. Jose Fernandez and Matthew Treiser, Cohort II/III trainees leading with the most crossdisciplinary publications, will receive the 2007 IGERT Scholarly Excellence Awards. Charles Florek and Nicole Plourde deserve honorary mention.
NSF EAPSI Fellowship Awarded to Michael Wininger
Congratulations to IGERT Graduate Trainee Mike Wininger, selected for the NSF's 2007 East Asian Pacific Summer Institute and awarded an internship for stem cell research at the National Taiwan University.
Third Annual Symposium, Rutgers NSF IGERT on Biointerfaces
was held on October 20, 2006, featuring presentations by all Trainees and Plenary Lecture by Christopher Chen, MD,PhD; U. Penn. [agenda, talks/posters ]
2006 IGERT Fellowships Awarded
Congratulations to our newest Graduate Training Fellows: Lavanya Peddada, Kevin Nikitczuk, Michelle Previtera and Jocie Harris.
View all major events >>
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| More News |
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IGERT Inaugural Celebration and Research Seminars
Rutgers IGERT on Biointerfaces holds Inaugural Celebration and Research Seminars on January 30, 2004
New IGERT Graduate Fellows
The Fall 2004 class of IGERT Graduate fellows has been announced. To view information about the new fellows, please click here.
NIH Postdoctoral Program
Rutgers has been awarded the first NIH postdoctoral program in Tissue Engineering. Rutgers to house the first NIH-resource center for polymeric biomaterials.
ISURF Launched
New Undergraduate Research Frontiers Program, ISURF launched June 2004
Rutgers awarded IGERT grant
Rutgers has been awarded its first and New Jersey\'s second IGERT Grant.(Rutgers Media Relations)
(Targum Coverage)
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