last modified:2009-10-27 09:21:07
Funding for Training
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Course Load and Tuition Fees
A full load for a graduate student per semester is considered to be 9 to 12 hours. For the exact costs of tuition, please consult the University of Utah Tuition Rate Schedule.
Fellowships and grants are available to support training in the Department of Biomedical Informatics. Applicants should be aware these funding sources are competitively sought and acceptance into the program does not guarantee financial support.
Houtchens Graduate Assistantship in Biomedical Informatics
The Houtchens Graduate Assistantship in Biomedical Informatics was established in memory of Dr. Bruce A. Houtchens, MD, MS. The purpose of the award is to provide funding for the first year of an incoming PhD-seeking student. The award includes a remuneration of $20,976($20,000 annualized base), tuition waiver (approx $17,193), and health insurance for the student only (approx. $2,000). This makes the dollar value of the assisantship to be $40,169. In return, the student will perform a set of specified tasks (20 hours per week), and must choose a faculty supervisory chair by March, who will pick up the student's support at the conclusion of this assistantship. US citizenship is not required for application. Students interested in applying for this Assistantship should submit a letter of interest as part of the application process to the Department of Biomedical Informatics. Please see the prospective student section of our website for complete information regarding the procedures to apply to the Biomedical Informatics PhD graduate student program.
Warner Graduate Assistantship in Biomedical Informatics
The Warner Graduate Assistantship in Biomedical Informatics was established in honor of Dr. Homer R. Warner, MD, PhD. The award is named for Dr. Warner, a pioneer in the field of informatics and the founder of the Department of Biomedical Informatics at the University of Utah. The purpose of the award is to provide funding for the first year of an incoming PhD-seeking student. The award includes a remuneration of $20,976($20,000 annualized base), tuition waiver (approx $17,193), and health insurance for the student only (approx. $2,000). This makes the dollar value of the assisantship to be $40,169. In return, the student will perform a set of specified tasks (20 hours per week), and must choose a faculty supervisory chair by March, who will pick up the student's support at the conclusion of this assistantship. US citizenship is not required for application. Students interested in applying for this Assistantship should submit a letter of interest as part of the application process to the Department of Biomedical Informatics. Please see the prospective student section of our website for complete information regarding the procedures to apply to the Biomedical Informatics PhD graduate student program.
National Library of Medicine Training Grant Fellowships
The University of Utah has a Medical Informatics Training Grant from the National Library of Medicine (NLM). The primary purpose of this grant is to train research investigators in Biomedical Informatics. For Predoctoral students, this grant is designed to fund students to achieve the PhD degree. For Postdoctoral (Physicians), the grant can fund for training to achieve either MS or PhD degrees.
The NLM training grant pays a stipend, tuition expenses, health insurance premiums and travel expenses to the annual NLM fellows meeting. The NLM funding for students is limited to US citizens and permanent residents. Continuation of funding is made on a year-to-year basis and is contingent upon adequate student performance each year and the availability of funds. For those who already have an MD degree or a PhD degree and are obtaining a Masters Degree support for up to three (3) years is possible. For PhD students support for up to four (4) years is possible.
For more information, see http://www.nlm.nih.gov/pubs/factsheets/trainedu.html.
Veterans Affairs Special Fellowships Program
The VA Medical Informatics Fellowship Program provides two years of post-residency/postdoctoral research and educational learning opportunities to board eligible or board certified physicians and dentists and postdoctoral associated health professionals at competitively selected VA sites. Medical (for entire employee's family) and life insurance are covered. Tuition is not covered. All sites are affiliated with institutions designated as National Library of Medicine (NLM) Medical Informatics Training Programs. This allows VA to benefit from the critical mass present at NLM-sponsored medical informatics programs. Fellows spend their time in research and educational activities relevant to VA. Mentors of national stature provide guidance to fellows in rich learning environments. Graduates are expected to be role models in leading, developing, conducting, and evaluating innovative medical informatics programs.
For more information: http://www.va.gov/oaa/SF_MedicalInformatics.asp
Western Regional Graduate Program
WICHE, the Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, promotes the sharing of higher education resources among the western states. One of the WICHE programs established for this purpose is the Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP).
Reduced costs to many high-quality graduate programs are available to WICHE-state students through WRGP. In most cases, WRGP students pay tuition at resident student rates. More importantly, WRGP includes a wide range of graduate programs designed around the particular educational, social, and economic needs of the West.
Graduate program applicants who are residents of any participating WICHE state may enroll as WRGP students in participating programs. There is no requirement that students meet financial aid criteria, but they must fulfill all admissions requirements and deadlines set by the institution.
Participating in WICHE's WRGP are 14 western states (Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming ) and over 100 graduate programs. If you are a resident of one of these states, and the program you wish to attend is in WRGP, you are eligible to participate.
Other Funding Opportunities
Tuition waivers: The University of Utah Graduate School may grant tuition waivers to students receiving a research assistantships or stipends from the Department, if specific Graduate School requirements are met.
Grants: The faculty may be able to provide some limited assistance to qualified applicants and students to obtain funding from granting agencies and foundations. Additional funding opportunities may be available through the University of Utah Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships, http://www.fbs.admin.utah.edu/index.php.