Program Requirements
Student applicants who are accepted as trainees will typically join the PDD-TP in the summer after their 2nd semester (4th semester for PULSe students). Trainees are supported for 2 full years with the condition of completing core requirements in their home departments plus supplemental coursework by the end of their first year in the program, so that they can devote themselves full-time toward research and training activities.
The curricular requirements of the PDD-TP are designed to overlap with those of its participating graduate programs (see table below). Prospective PDD-TP applicants are encouraged to enroll in GRAD 612 (Responsible Conduct of Research) before the end of their first year. This 1-credit course is a NIH requirement, and must be retaken in the fourth year as a refresher.
Trainees accepted into the PDD-TP will need to enroll continuously in (i) GRAD 610/611, the capstone course for PDD-TP activities, (ii) MCMP 625, a 1-credit course on grantwriting, and (iii) up to three graduate course electives that are relevant to the mission of the training program. For a full list of approved electives, click here,
Abridged course schedules for PDD trainees from various graduate programs. PDD-TP requisites include RCR training in Y1 and Y4 (GRAD 612), a grantwriting course in Y2 (MCMP 625), and a recurrent 1-credit course dedicated to TP-specific activities (GRAD 610/611). 6XX = graduate-level course (incl. selected 5XX courses). *Approved electives are listed here.