Requirements for the Ph.D. in Biochemistry

Please use the forms below to record the progress of each student (forms will download to your computer).

• SACS form for Qualifying Exam
• SACS form for Committee Meeting
• SACS form for Dissertation Defense

The Vanderbilt Graduate School posts their required forms on their website.  Please visit this website for the following required forms.

Request to Appoint Committee
Request to Change PhD Committee
Request to Schedule Qualifying Exam
Qualifying Examination Results
Request to Schedule Dissertation Defense
Transfer Credit Worksheet

Please follow the instructions listed on the Graduate School’s website for thesis and dissertation submission and scheduling your dissertation defense.

The Office of Career Development at Vanderbilt School of Medicine offers a variety of services, opportunities, and resources for students in the Department of Biochemistry.  All students are encouraged to use the resources of the Office of Career Development throughout their studies at Vanderbilt as well as after their departure from Vanderbilt. The office’s website contains links to useful material on general information on career exploration, self-assessment, goal-setting, networking, and grant writing as well as detailed guides on composing a resume, curriculum vitae, and cover letter.

Traveling to domestic and international meetings to share your research is an important part of building a scientific career.  We encourage students to travel to appropriate meetings in consultation with one’s mentor.  Once the meeting and funding have been identified, the BRET office has a dedicated travel coordinator who is happy to help students purchase airfare, register for meetings, or make deposits for hotels.  Please arrange to meet Aaron Howard  to complete the travel authorization forms prior to travel.

Please research the BRET travel page for more details on travel forms and policy.

Guidelines from the Graduate School

Student must have completed one full academic year in the Graduate School.
Student must be the first and sole presenter of research conducted at Vanderbilt.
Meeting must be a major regional, national, or international conference.
Grants are limited to $500, and all charges must be allowable and comply with accepted Vanderbilt travel and reimbursement policies.
Grants are awarded per budget year (July 1-June 30) and travel must begin in the year they are awarded.

• Students are allowed one travel grant per year, and the award may only be used for the conference listed below.
• Students are eligible for three trips during their Graduate School tenure.

If awarded a Graduate School Travel grant, you must have travel authorization from your department prior to travel.
All reimbursement requests must include this form, signed by the appropriate DGS and Graduate School representative.
When booking travel in Concur, the traveler’s name must be listed in the expense report to ensure proper reimbursement.

A student will still need to attach the abstract of what he/she is presenting.  We are not asking for a breakdown in expenses; however, the same rules about what expenses will be covered is still relevant for this award.  Also, the student and program will no longer get a letter back from the Graduate School but rather will be sent back the form with either approval or disapproval from the Graduate School.

Please visit the Graduate School’s website for full instructions and application.

The BRET office maintains a website which lists a variety of internal and external funding opportunities for students and postdoctoral fellows.

If you would like to identify Vanderbilt students and postdocs with NRSAs, please try the NIH Reporter tool.  You can specify Vanderbilt University as the organization and  “Training, Individual” as the Funding Mechanism. The NIH Reporter tool can be used to find people who have been funded by specific institutes and people who may have had NRSA funding in the past.

The Graduate School awards students Dissertation Enhancement Awards each fall and spring using a competitive grant review process.  If you are interested in one of these awards, please pay attention to materials distributed by the program to eligible students each semester.

University Counseling Center

The University Counseling Center is a central part of Vanderbilt’s Student Care Network – the holistic network of resources and support services available to all students in support of their health and wellness.

The University Counseling Center offers services to all Vanderbilt students including crisis and trauma-informed care, short-term individual counseling, group psychotherapy (process and skill-building), psychiatric services, LD/ADHD assessment, alcohol and drug evaluations/counseling, biofeedback, and community outreach. Visit theStudent Services page to learn more about the services offered at the UCC.

The UCC also functions as a training facility. Each academic year, graduate practicum students, pre-doctoral interns, and post-doctoral fellows train at the UCC. They receive supervision from our staff of licensed psychologists, social workers, and professional counselors.

New appointments for UCC services, including for therapy and medication management, are managed through theOffice of Student Care Coordination (OSCC). After completion of an intake form, the Care Coordinators at the OSCC will assess a student’s needs in an in-person or telephone meeting and connect them to the most appropriate resources (including the University Counseling Center) to meet those needs.

https://www.vanderbilt.edu/ucc

Center for Student Wellbeing

The mission of the Center for Student Wellbeing is to create a culture that supports the personal development and academic success of students using an integrative, holistic framework.

https://www.vanderbilt.edu//healthydores/