Predoctoral Training Awards
Predoctoral Training Awards (stipends) will be awarded on a competitive basis. The amount of the stipend will be equivalent to the National Research Service Award as published on the NIH website for the year in which it is awarded (the 2022 amount is $26,352 per year).
Criteria considered in awarding these stipends include course grades (undergraduate, graduate or professional), class rank (if applicable), GRE scores, previous research experience, letters of recommendation, the applicant’s Statement of Purpose, and an interview (when applicable).
Decisions regarding allocation of stipends will be made by May 1st of each year, though decisions are often made far ahead of this date. When selecting stipend recipients, the committee looks at:
- GRE scores
- Excellence in undergraduate achievement
- Quality and quantity of prior science courses and GPA
- Quality of undergraduate institution
- Competitive academic honors and awards
- Prior research experience
- Relevance of students goals to the research focus of existing faculty within the Department
- Personal statement, curriculum vitae and reference letters
- Interview with GPAC members (Conducted in person or by telephone conference call)
Initial stipend awards will be made for a period of two years, with the second year of funding contingent upon:
- Attaining a GPA of 3.0 in the core curriculum
- Satisfactory rate of progress in the program as judged by the major advisor and the student’s graduate program committee
- Evidence of efforts to secure other sources of funding
- Budgetary considerations of the major advisor and the department
Departmental stipends are intended to be used for the year in which they are awarded and not to be divided to provide funding to a student for a time period longer than one year. It is anticipated that the student’s major advisor will be responsible for funding the remainder of the student’s graduate program.
In addition to the assistantship stipend, you will receive a full tuition waiver, not including incidental fees. The University of Missouri is also committed to providing comprehensive health insurance for graduate assistants for the duration of your appointment. Students with 0.25 FTE assistantships are eligible for a 50% subsidy of the insurance. Students with 0.50 FTE assistantships are eligible for a 100% subsidy of the insurance. You must re-enroll each semester for ongoing coverage. Please check the Student Medical Insurance website for more details: http://gradstudies.missouri.edu/financials/student-medical-insurance/.
Faculty Sponsorship
Incoming students are also occasionally hired directly by faculty members to serve as Graduate Research Assistants. Stipend levels are set by individual faculty members but are typically at NIH levels (the 2022 level is $26,352 ). These positions are contingent upon the needs and funds of faculty members each year.
Life Sciences Fellowship Program
The Department of Life Sciences has a fellowship program that awards its recipients with a stipend of $27,000-$30,000 (2022 amount) a year for up to four years. Recipients of these awards also receive the GSSP benefits described above. Applicants cannot apply directly for this fellowship program, but rather must be nominated by the Director of Graduate Studies. The Department of Biomedical Sciences will review the applications that are submitted, and from those applications, a committee will then decide which applicants to nominate for Life Sciences Fellowships. Our office must recommend students to the Life Sciences Department by mid-February each year. More information can be found at: http://bondlsc.missouri.edu/research/life-sciences-fellowship/
External Sources of Funds
The National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program
American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship
Application Fee Waivers
The University of Missouri offers application fee waivers apply only under the following conditions:
- The Graduate School will pay the application fee for participants in select preparatory or service programs (e.g. McNair Scholars, Alliance for Minority Participation (AMP) Program participants, NIH PREP Scholars, Peace Corps, etc.).
- The Graduate School will pay the application fee for U.S. military veterans or current service members. Acceptable documentation include a copy of your active duty orders if you are currently serving or a copy of your DD Form 214, Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty if you are a veteran.
At this time we cannot offer fee waivers due to financial or other personal constraints.