USDA National Needs Graduate Fellowships @ Iowa State University
USDA National Needs Graduate Fellowships in Plant Biotechnology are available
from the Interdepartmental Plant Physiology Major (IPPM) at Iowa State
University. The primary objectives of this National Needs Fellowship program
are to prepare graduate students for research and/or teaching careers in
the general area of plant biotechnology. This award represents the third
consecutive USDA National Needs grant in plant biotechnology awarded to
IPPM, since IPPM also received funding for National Needs Fellowships in
1993 and 1995.
All of the National Needs Fellows will be enrolled in IPPM, an established
interdepartmental/intercollegiate graduate program that stresses development
of a strong background in fundamental plant biology and, by its nature,
fosters development of a broad, interdisciplinary research perspective.
The fellowships carry a stipend of $17,000/year for three years. Because
the ISU Fellowship Program will not focus on a specific area within the
broad area of plant biotechnology, programs of study for individual Fellows
will vary. The Fellows will be able to pursue their dissertation research
with any of the IPPM faculty but will have two co-major professors from
different departments participating in IPPM (Agronomy, Biochemistry &
Biophysics,
Botany, Forestry, Horticulture, Plant Pathology, and Zoology &
Genetics). Fellows will be IPPM majors, with the same requirements and
expectations, except that the Fellows must maintain a GPA of 3.25 or better,
that they will participate in at least three research rotations, which
must include faculty from at least two departments, and that their dissertation
research must fit within the broad category of biotechnology. Only US citizens
and permanent residents are eligible, and awards are restricted to Ph.D.
students.
Iowa State University is committed to excellence in graduate education
and to excellence in plant biotechnology. Biotechnology education and research
are major areas of emphasis at ISU, as demonstrated by a large investment
in this area at ISU by the State of Iowa over the past one to two decades.
This investment has come in the form of new faculty positions in biotechnology,
the building of a new Molecular Biology Building, the establishment of
several Biotechnology Instrumentation Facilities, support for biotechnology
research, graduate student fellowships and support for other educational
and professional activities, such as workshops and symposia. ISU also has
a long history of excellence in both basic and applied plant biology, including
world-renowned scientists/educators in plant physiology, genetics and plant
breeding. ISU plant biotechnology faculty are active in teaching, research,
and technology transfer. All support active, high-quality research programs
with extramural funding and publish in high-quality, refereed journals.
As a result of these factors, ISU has the faculty, facilities, educational
programs and reputation to educate and train top quality graduate students
from throughout the USA for careers in plantbiotechnology.
If you would like more information about IPPM, please visit our web
page: http://www.public.iastate.edu/~ippm
If you would like more information about these fellowships please contact:
Dr. Martin Spalding, Chair
Interdepartmental Plant Physiology Major
Iowa State University
Ames, IA 50010
mspaldin at iastate.edu
