Integrated Musculoskeletal Training Program (IMTP)

Each selected trainee will be eligible to receive up to two years of support. For each year of support, NIH provides $27,144 for the predoctoral stipend, $9,600 for tuition & fees, $1,000 for trainee travel, and $2,500 for childcare costs, as per NIH NRSA Policy for FY23. Additional funds to supplement the NIH NRSA level of trainee stipend and to conduct the proposed research will be provided by the IMTP training faculty/thesis advisor.

Trainee must:

• Be a U.S. citizen, national, or permanent resident
• Have a baccalaureate degree or equivalent and are enrolled full-time in and training at the postbaccalaureate level in a program leading to a Ph.D. in the Departments of Biomedical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Genetics & Development, Physiology & Cellular Biophysics, or Pathology & Cell Biology at Columbia University. 
• Have completed one year in their respective doctoral-degree granting program at Columbia University as of Fall 2023. 
• Have good academic standing within the doctoral degree granting program and department
• Have an IMTP Training faculty member as a thesis advisor (see Mentoring Faculty in the next tab)
• Have a thesis project/proposal in the field of musculoskeletal research 
• Have never earned a doctoral or terminal degree in any field

The application form will require the following attachments to be provided in PDF format: 

• CV or resume of the trainee
• Graduate school transcript
• Description of the proposed research project (4-page max) that must be relevant to musculoskeletal research. The research proposal should include subheadings for (a) Specific Aims, (b) Significance, (c) Innovation, and (d) Approach and Expected Outcomes. 
• Letter of recommendation from the primary faculty advisor, who must be an IMTP training faculty member. Letters must address all 6 selection criteria described in section G. below (max 2 pages).
• a letter from the head of graduate studies of the student’s home department (max 1 page)

Applications will be reviewed by the IMTP Trainee Selection Committee, and the ranking of all applications will be shared with IMTP Program Director (PD) and Associate Program Director (APD). The PD and APD will review the top-ranking proposals and make final decisions on which applicants will be supported by the T32. Committee members who are in conflict with a given application (i.e., when the applicant is from the member's lab) are excluded from discussions.

The ranking of applications will be based on the following criteria and weights:  

• Research potential and evidence of commitment to a long-term research related career (25%)
• Interdisciplinary nature of the project that leverages research collaborations across labs, departments, and/or areas of expertise (25%)
• Projects addressing new/novel questions in musculoskeletal research (15%)
• Applications from trainees who contribute to the diversity of the training program (15%)
• Application from trainees who exhibit leadership qualities including participation in leadership at the level appropriate for graduate students (10%) 
• Academic performance during Year 1 of graduate school at Columbia University (10%)

After completing the first year on the training grant, students will be considered for renewal for a second year based on the student’s progress using the following criteria: 

• Minimum GPA of 3.2
• Active participation in at least 75% of IMTP activities/workshops
• Semesterly research performance rating of ‘good’ or ‘outstanding’ rated by the faculty advisor
• Progress toward submission of abstracts/manuscripts