Applicants should submit a dossier to the office of the Program Director that includes the following information. Please read through this page fully.

1. A completed application form

Application forms are available from cooperating departments at the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, (the Honors Program or NIMH CORE Program offices at other collaborating academic institutions) or they may be requested directly from the office of :

Gretchen L. Haas, Ph.D.
Department of Psychiatry
Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic

3811 O'Hara Street
Pittsburgh, PA 15213 

or Tel @ 412. 586-9105

Undergraduates

*You can download an application form as an Adobe Acrobat  Document or as a Microsoft Word Document.

Medical Students

You can download an application form as an Adobe Acrobat  Document or as a Microsoft Word Document.

If you don't have acrobat reader please download it from the Adobe Download Site.

2. Current official academic transcript(s)
Undergraduates: Transcripts of ALL undergraduate work completed through current semester, forwarded from the office of the Registrar of the relevant institution(s).  (i.e., If applying in spring semester for fall start, grades and gpa through spring must be included.) 

Medical Students: Please include up-to-date transcripts of all Medical School work, as well as all undergraduate transcripts.

3. A personal statement of 500 to 1,000 words that includes:
a) The student's educational and career objectives and their relevance to the goals of this fellowship program.
b) A short description of any previous laboratory and/or clinical experience.
c) Other relevant information related to publications, honors received, and pertinent details of personal history.

4. Three letters of recommendation
The chosen research preceptor is expected to write a letter in support of the applicant highlighting the student's intellectual and personal suitability for the program as well as indicating his or her own availability to appropriately supervise the student, to provide appropriate guidance and encouragement, to provide appropriate facilities and supplies, and to monitor and evaluate the trainee's progress at the end of each term and at the end of the program. Two letters of support from other faculty members in the area of the applicant’s major or minor should comment on the suitability of the applicant for this research-training program.

Eligibility Criteria & Commitment

Undergraduate: The program is open to outstanding college juniors and seniors who are interested in scientific disciplines relevant to understanding mental health and mental illness, have one semester or more of previous hands-on experience in a research setting, and have fulfilled specific eligibility criteria: a) completion of a course in psychobiology, neuroanatomy, biological psychology, and/or neuroscience that provides a substantive introduction to structural and functional neuroanatomy (see description of the course "Functional Organization of the Human Nervous System" described on pages 2-3 under "Program Components"), and b) completion of a course in basic statistics or plans for concurrent registration in such a course during the fellowship year. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the United States. Women and members of under-represented minority groups (African American, Hispanic, American Indian, and Alaska Native) are particularly encouraged to apply.

Applications will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria: academic performance (GPA or QPA) in college; the relevance of the applicants’ educational and career goals to the goals of the program, the availability and quality of mentoring support to be provided by the identified research preceptor, and the extent of previous exposure to basic and clinical research activities.
 

Medical Students: This 12-month research fellowship program is open to 2nd or 3rd year medical students who are interested in gaining a greater understanding of mental health and mental illness through an exploration of neuroscience, psychology, and/or related fields. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents of the United States.  Women and members of under-represented minority groups (African American, Hispanic, American Indian, and Alaska Native) are particularly encouraged to apply.

Applications will be evaluated on the basis of the following criteria: academic performance in medical school (UPSOM transcript); the relevance of the applicants’ educational and career goals to the goals of the program, the availability and quality of mentoring support to be provided by the identified research preceptor, and the extent of previous exposure to basic and clinical research activities.
 

Duration & Commitment

Fellows must meet all course requirements and remain in the program for one full year (two academic terms/semesters and the summer term). Continuation of the fellowship for each successive term is contingent upon successful completion of work during the previous term as judged by the student's preceptor and approved by the Program Director.

Students must also agree to provide brief (one-page) annual follow-up information on their academic and career activities for a period of five years following completion of the fellowship program. This follow-up information is essential to evaluating the success of the program in achieving its long-term education and training objectives.

Selection of Qualified Candidates

Selection will be based on the recommendations of members of the Training Committee and approval of the Program Director following Committee review and final evaluation of all application materials. Although not required in all cases, applicants who meet these criteria may be invited to participate in an interview (in person or, as in the case of out-of-town applicants, by telephone) with one or more members of the Training Committee.

Faculty Sponsors

In choosing a preceptor, the student should discuss his or her plan to apply for this program with relevant faculty members in their home departments or in the Department of Psychiatry. The Office of the Chairman of each of the cooperating departments can provide a list of potential faculty preceptors. A list of available faculty members from the Department of Psychiatry and their respective areas of research can also be obtained at the address below.

The preceptor's letter of sponsorship should briefly specify the preceptor's previous research and mentoring experiences, plans for regular meetings with the student and evaluation of the student's work, and a brief description of the goals of the trainee's research work, i.e., development and implementation of a specific project and publication of results. (Learning various laboratory techniques or mere review of the literature is not an acceptable goal for this fellowship.)

Application Deadline

Undergraduates: Applications and all supporting documents are due in the Program Director's office (at the address below) no later than 5:00 p.m., Friday, May 18, 2007. Applicant's credentials can be evaluated only when they are complete. Successful candidates will be notified by Friday, June 20, 2007. The program begins with an orientation, which will be held during the first week of the fall semester. 

Medical School Applicants: Generally, applications and all supporting documents are due in the Program Director's office (at the address below) no later than 5:00 p.m., Friday, May 18, 2007.  In the case of extenuating circumstances (travel, etc.), the Director may opt for early submittal of all application materials, and will need to be contacted directly for details.

Submit applications and all supporting documents to :

Gretchen L. Haas, Ph.D.

Associate Professor of Psychiatry
Director, NIMH Fellowship Program in Mental Health Research


Tel : (412) 586-9105

Fax : (412) 383-5412

Email : haasgl@upmc.edu

Mailing Address :

University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic

3811 O'Hara Street
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213