• Cert Degree Requirements
• Curriculum

The Northwestern Predoctoral Biotechnology Training Program is an interdisciplinary and interdepartmental program which provides select graduate students (Trainees) greater research and training opportunities than those available through the individual departments. It promotes interdisciplinary education in biotechnology, interactions among faculty and among students with interests in biotechnology, and provides a substantial exposure of students to industrial biotechnology research. Students trained through this program are better prepared to enter the biotechnology industry or to pursue academic and governmental biotechnology research.

The novel aspects of this program include:

• An interdisciplinary education including specific curricular requirements
• Close collaborative efforts among participating faculty and students from various disciplines
• Substantial exposure to industrial biotechnology through industrial biotechnology internships
• Access to a variety of advanced topic and specialized courses
• The monthly Biotechnology Research Club seminars
• A large variety of additional seminars and colloquia on various aspects of biotechnology
• Trainees may receive exposure to several research laboratories through short-term residences or rotations

There are typically 6 to 8 trainees in the program at anyt one time. Trainees are selected from the departments of Biomedical Engineering (BME), Chemistry, Chemical & Biological Engineering (ChBE), and the Interdepartmental Biological Sciences Program (IBiS). Trainees continue their research with their respective departments and Ph.D. supervisors while with the Program.

Key Features and Requirements of the Biotechnology Training Program:

• Core course requirements as detailed on the Program Curriculum page
• On-campus presentations by industrial scientists provide the industrial perspective for the Program
• Ph.D requirements in the department or unit chosen by the Trainee
• Participation in the Biotechnology Research Club
• Other related seminars /colloquia series
• Participation in the annual IBiS 2-day graduate program/faculty retreat
• Choice of Research Advisor and Laboratory Rotations

Trainees enrolled in the various Departmental Ph.D. Programs follow the schedule of their departments and programs for laboratory rotations and thesis adviser selection during their first year. Trainees are strongly encouraged to pursue research rotations in any of the participating departments before selecting a thesis adviser. We also suggest that students attempt to complete a 3-6 month internship in an industrial biotechnology laboratory, if possible. Laboratory rotations even after the choice of a thesis advisor are highly encouraged, in order to expose the students to the research environment of more than one or two laboratories.

Benefits to the Trainees include:

• The freedom to explore a wide array of research opportunities chosen from the life sciences, complemented by a core interdisciplinary curriculum
• Invitations to attend the Biotechnology Research Club and interact with other biotechnology researchers
• Invitations to attend the annual IBiS Retreat as well as other special seminars

Admissions Policies
Currently, students may choose to participate in this Training Program by being admitted first to Northwestern through the Interdepartmental Biological Sciences Program (IBiS), the Biomedical Engineering Department, the Department of Chemistry, or the Chemical & Biological Engineering Department. This does not preclude students from other departments from participating in the Program. Eligible students must have a relevant research project, and agree to satisfy all of the requirements of the Training Program. They also must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents (for NIH funding). Eligibility for the Program is based on each individual student’s research focus.

Students will apply to the Program in the beginning of the spring quarter of their first or second year. Applicants must write a 2-3 page letter to the Program Director explaining why they desire training through this Program and propose a training plan (including curriculum, industrial internship or collaboration, and Ph.D. thesis research goals) which is in line with the spirit and requirements of the Program. Trainees are selected by the end of the spring quarter upon the review of all relevant information including undergraduate transcripts, GRE scores, and recommendation letters from Northwestern files, plus one current letter of support from the student’s Ph.D. advisor.

Students who are not selected by the Program in the first year that they apply may reapply for support in subsequent years. Recruitment of trainees from underrepresented ethnic/racial groups is strongly encouraged. Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action employer.