Predoctoral Student Research

NEW!  Summer Training Program 2012 - Letter of Intent due in the Research Office, Room 483, no later than February 10, 2012.

The principal goals of the predoctoral Short Term Training Program (STTP) in research are to enhance the educational experience of predoctoral dental students and to encourage and facilitate development of the future generation of dental clinician-scientists and educators. 

Predoctoral Student Research Fellowships provide short-term stipend support for 2 months during the summer term for mentored research training for dental students.  Fellowships may be awarded on a competitive basis depending on the number of applicants and available funding.

STTP Student Travel Guidelines

Eligibility

Dental students in good standing are encouraged to apply for an STTP fellowship.  The student must present a record of study and experience that is predictive of success in the STTP.  Applicants must have an overall grade point of 2.5 or better at Baylor College of Dentistry and have no current grades of "F" or "I." 

The mentor must be a member of the Graduate Faculty of the Baylor College of Dentistry.  As the mentor will provide direction and guidance for the student in the course of the research training, it is expected that the mentor will have a record of ongoing productivity in research.  Students are strongly encouraged to contact potential mentors as early as possible, and to arrange their proposed program with a mentor by no later than 4-6 weeks prior to the deadline for the STTP application.

Expectations for Students Research Fellows and Mentors

Research Seminars.  All STTP Fellows are required to participate in weekly seminars on Responsible Conduct in Research. In addition, Student research fellows will attend all those special research-oriented lectures and seminars that are held throughout the summer. 

Participation in Student Research Day.  STTP Fellows are required to exhibit a presentation during the Baylor College of Dentistry Student Research Day, which is held in April each year. 

Presentation at AADR/IADR.  STTP Fellows and their faculty mentors are encouraged to present their research at the annual meeting of the American Association for Dental Research.  Travel funds may be available for fellows who are presenting this research.  Selected students may also be chosen to represent Baylor College of Dentistry in student research competitions within Texas and nationally.  If chosen to compete, the College will support the student's travel expenses.

Funding Available

Funds available to support the Predoctoral Student Research Program are limited and the number of fellowships may vary from year to year. 

Student Stipends.  The amount of the funds available and thus the number and level of stipends for the STTP will vary depending on the annual budget available to the Office of the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies (OADRGS).  While the program is designed for D1 students, some funds may be available for D2 and D3 students who may not be able to commit to full time participation in the research program. However it is generally expected that D2 and D3 students will be funded by their mentors' grants.

Research Budget.  The research budget of the student's project is the responsibility of the mentor and/or sponsoring department.

Travel.  Funds may be provided for at least partial support for travel to the AADR/IADR meeting(s) provided the student is presenting a paper/abstract based on the research accomplished as part of their STTP Fellowship.  It is expected that the mentor and/or sponsoring department will provide additional funds necessary for student travel.  Travel funds must be applied for separately.  These limited travel funds are only available for D0 and D1 students.  The expenses of D2 and D3 traveling to research meetings to present research are the responsibility of the mentor and/or sponsoring department.

Application

The STTP application consists of a number of parts that must be completed by the student and/or the mentor, both individually and collectively.

PART I:  Face page and detailed budget

PART II:  Student's statement (to be completed by the student applicant)

PART III:  Mentor's statement (to be completed by the student's mentor)

PART IV:                         Research proposal completed on a collaborative basis primarily by the student applicant, but with appropriate input and guidance by the mentor.

PART V:   Institutional review and compliance

Review/approval for use of human subjects by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and for animals by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) is not required at the time of submission.  However, IRB and IACUC review of projects occur once a month and the applicants should take into consideration that final approval of the project could be delayed due to the timing of IRB or IACUC review or the necessity for revision to be submitted. 

Complete PART I (face page, budget) using the forms/format provided and attach to PARTS II-IV. 

STTP Letter of Intent

STTP Application Instructions

STTP Application

Submission of STTP Applications

The deadline for submission of the STTP Applications is the fourth Friday in March each year.  Four (4) copies of the completed and signed proposal must be submitted to the OADRGS on or before the stated deadline.  All parts of the application must be submitted together. 

Review of Applications

Should the number of applicants and available funding necessitate review the Research Committee will review each STTP Application and make recommendations concerning three principal criteria:

• 1. Background and potential of the student applicant.
• 2. Qualifications of the mentor for directing the research and training experience.
• 3. Scientific merit of the proposed research.

Funding Process 

The OADRGS in consultation with the Research Advisory Council will make final decisions concerning funding of the proposed research after consideration of the review of the proposal and of the annual budget available for the Predoctoral Student Research Program 

Funding announcements will be made during or before the first week of May.

STTP Student Travel Guidelines

Limited funds may be available for support of STTP Fellows to present research at the annual meeting of the American Association for Dental Research. The maximum amount per student will vary each year depending on annual budgeting for the Research Office. 

Students requesting travel support must:

• be an STTP Fellow,
• have participated in the previous summer term of the STTP, and
• be presenting their STTP research in either a poster or oral format.

State of Texas mandated regulations apply to students receiving travel support from the Research Office. First of which is that traveler must pay for all expenses out of pocket and submit for reimbursement upon return from the meeting. All State of Texas policies and regulations must be adhered to in order to receive reimbursement for allowable trip-related expenses. The following policies apply to student travelers:

• Maximum daily allowances for meals and lodging, amount is dependent on location of meeting
• Receipts must accompany every expense - save them all! Expenses without receipts will NOT be reimbursed.
• Hotel expenses will only be reimburse for arrival the day before presentation through the day following presentation. Expenses for longer stays will not be reimbursed.
• Hotel receipts must be in the individual's name showing a zero balance. If you share a room with someone ask the hotel to generate a receipt for your part of the payment in your name with a zero balance.
• To be reimbursed for airfare, keep a copy of the e-ticket or itinerary and a boarding pass to submit with the reimbursement request. Depending on the information available/not available on the e-ticket or itinerary, you may be asked to provide a credit card statement showing the expense has been paid.
• Hotel and airfare must be itemized expenses so book separately. DO NOT book a package deal for hotel and airfare. The State of Texas will NOT reimburse a package deal without itemized expenses for hotel and airfare, and we have found through experience it is virtually impossible to obtain the itemized expenses for these packages. If you book a page deal for hotel and airfare that does not itemize the two expenses you will not be reimbursed.
• Receipts for meals must be itemized, showing all items being submitted for reimbursement per meal. The receipt showing only the total amount paid is NOT sufficient.
• Meals/snacks/drinks purchased at the airport prior to your outbound flight or returning flight are not considered allowable expenses by the State.
• Alcoholic beverages are not reimbursable.
• Receipts are required for reimbursement of taxi fares, shuttles, parking, etc.
• The printed receipt for registration payment must be submitted for reimbursement of that expense.
• The State of Texas will only reimburse expenses incurred by the student and considers only receipts in that person's name. If the credit card used for payment of airfare or hotel is in someone else's name (parent or spouse), it is considered that person's expense and as such, the State will not reimburse the expense.

Upon return from traveling, you will be provided with an expense report form, an HSC transmittal form and an IRS 1099 form.  Complete each form and submit with all receipts taped to a sheet(s) of letter-sized paper (multiple receipts may be adhered to a sheet).  Reimbursements can take 2-3 weeks to process, longer if there are problems or questions regarding receipts.