Department of Physiology and Biophysics

Introduction.

The BNAT Program supports four trainees who are conducting research in the laboratories of BNAT Faculty members. Appointments begin July 1 and last for one year. They are renewable.

Eligibility

BNAT is an acronym for Basic Neuroscience Advanced Training. Our trainees are drawn from advanced graduate students and postdoctoral trainees working in BNAT labs.
Applicants must meet NIH guidelines for eligibility. This includes U.S. citizenship or green card holder, and fewer than three years of support from this or other NIH training grants (including National Research Service Award (NRSA).

Selection Criteria

The most important criteria are your scientific qualifications, and the quality of your research proposal. In addition, the following may be considered:

• Mix of trainees. We seek to have both pre- and post-doctoral trainees in the program.
• Junior BNAT faculty. We seek to nurture and promote the research and training programs of junior faculty.
• New research area. When established faculty change research directions or otherwise undertake new research projects, if pilot data appear promising, we favor applicants working on such projects.
• History of support. We try to maintain a reasonably even distribution of trainees between trainers.
• Emergency support. If a BNAT trainer temporarily loses a grant, and if that grant provides support for a trainee who meets the qualifications for joining the BNAT program, then we try to accommodate the trainee.

Application Process

The application deadline is May 1 of every year. Awards are announced June 1. Appointments begin July 1. Application Packages should be submitted electronically to the BNAT Director (bill.betz@ucdenver.edu). The Application Package should be prepared single-spaced, 12-point type, with one inch margins. Page limits for specific sections are indicated below.

Application Package

• Applicant’s CV. Pre-doctoral applicants are to supply a copy of their Graduate School Transcript. Submitted by applicant.
• Research project (Five pages or fewer, excluding References). The reference list should contain the full title of article/chapter. Submitted by applicant.
• Career goals and description of the impact of the training on applicant’s career development (one page or less). Submitted by applicant.
• Supporting letter from applicant's BNAT mentor. The letter should provide information about the current positions of previous BNAT trainees and the total number of trainees (BNAT and other) currently in the laboratory. The Mentor should indicate sources of funding for research during the proposed training period of the applicant. The Mentor should comment on the extent to which the applicant contributed to the development of the proposed research project. Submitted by faculty mentor.
• Two supporting letters from qualified individuals. A post-doctoral applicant should obtain a reference letter from his/her thesis mentor. The most effective reference letters address the applicant’s qualifications for the proposed research project and assess the candidate's potential for a successful independent research career. Referees should rank the applicant with respect to intellectual capacity and research potential in comparison to previous trainees at a comparable career stage. Submitted by letter authors.