Info and Tips for Graduate Students
from the Biology Department of Johns Hopkins University and the Biology Graduate Student Representatives
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Graduate Life is tough! Here's some advice, and where to go for more help...


Topics:
General Grad School Survival
Help with Classes
Advice for TAing
Funding - Travel Grants
Funding - Grants, Fellowships, and Scholarships
Overly stressed?
Post Grad School Career Advice
Post-Doc Application Advice
Women in Science
Minorities in Science
Interesting Science Facts and Information
Comic Relief (to keep things in perspective!)









General graduate school survival






Struggling with classes? These people have volunteered to give help for the subjects listed.
Cell Biology Sarah Clatterbuck - sclatter@jhu.edu
Frances Cheong - kcheong2@jhu.edu
Megan Mayerle - meganmayerle@yahoo.com
Sarah Hirsh - shirsh@jhu.edu
Brett Scipioni - brscipioni@hotmail.com
Molecular Biology Casey Hemmis - chemmis1@jhu.edu
Jeff McKnight - jmcknig6@jhu.edu
Sarah Clatterbuck - sclatter@jhu.edu
Biophysics Jeff McKnight - jmcknig6@jhu.edu
Casey Hemmis - chemmis1@jhu.edu
Toby Soper - tsoper1@jhu.edu
Development Sarah Hirsh - shirsh@jhu.edu








TAing Help
  • TAing resources - a pdf with links out to websites that are useful. Download the pdf directly here. (stolen from the JHU department of Biostats) 
  • TA training syllabus - this is an old syllabus, but it links out to more useful information, usually in the form of powerpoint presentations. Or download the pdf here. (also stolen from the dept. of Biostats)
  • JHU Center for Educational Resources (CER) - offers lots of tools for teaching, such as info about how to use WebCT. Also has additional information on TA training here.









Funding - Travel Grants
Want to go to a meeting, but don't have the money for it?
  • The GRO offers travel grants to students in departments that have representatives that faithfully attend their meetings. This includes Biology (special thanks to Adam Ruben, our faithful GRO rep!). 
  • Travel funds are available within the department for travel to meetings, up to $400 per year for students in their 3rd year and up. The exact specifics of where the money comes from depends on if you are supported by the training grant or departmental funds, and if you are TAing. See Joan to get specifics on your situation.
  • Travel grants may also be available directly from the meeting you are trying to get to, so don't forget to look there.







Funding - Grants, Fellowships, and Scholarships
Most of these will replace your current stipend with a slightly larger stipend. Others will simply help you get out of debt from college loans.
  • NSF grants - The Graduate Research Fellowship Program offers grants to students in the early phases of their graduate careers (generally through the beginning of their second year). 
  • Department of Homeland Security - The DHS offers stipends to graduate students. You must be a US citizen, and apply within the first year of your graduate program before completing 2 graduate-level classes (or before you begin your graduate studies).
  • NIH Loan Repayment Programs - The NIH will pay off your student loans with one of these. The program is directed toward specific areas of research, and not all of them are available to gradauate students, but their topics of interest change periodically, so keep checking back.
  • Other places to find funding opportunities










Need someone to talk to? The counseling center is good at listening, and helping you to deal with stress and sort through problems.
JHU Counseling Center - call 410-516-8278 to setup an appointment








Post-Graduate School Career Choices Help







Post-Doc Application Advice








Issues for Women in Science








Issues for Minorities in Science
  • MInDS - Mentoring to Inspire Diversity in Science - run by our own Hopkins grad students
  • MARC - Minority Access to Research Careers
  • SACNAS - Society for the Advancement of Chicanos and Native Americans in Science
  • ABRCMS - Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students
  • ASCB MAC - American Society of Cell Biology Minorities Affairs Committee








Interesting Information and News in the World of Science








Grad School Comic Relief
PhD Comics - they also have a useful grad forum to discuss grad school woes








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