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Interdisciplinary Graduate Program in Biological and Biomedical Sciences

Belonging and Community at Vanderbilt

At Vanderbilt, fostering an environment where every individual feels valued, supported, and empowered to grow is at the core of who we are. We are committed to creating a community with the connections, varied viewpoints, and shared purpose that are necessary to tackle the complexities of an ever-changing world.

  • Once you’re a member of this community, we want to make sure you have what you need to thrive and succeed. We understand that thriving looks different for everyone, which is why we provide resources that meet the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual needs of our community. The Student Care Network, centers of community, and other health and well-being initiatives are vital to this effort.
  • To simplify access to these resources, we have consolidated many of them into a single, centralized platform: You at VU. Launched in 2023, this hub serves as an integrated tool for navigating the programs, services, and tools that empower our community members to succeed. By providing access to all of them in one place, we are ensuring that support is always within reach.

Other Resources relevant to graduate students can be found on the Vanderbilt Graduate School Community Engagement page.

Additional resources:

Frist Center for Autism and Innovation: Housed in the School of Engineering, the Frist Center brings together leading engineers, business scholars, academic researchers, and experts in educational and clinical practice, in partnership with self-advocates and other civic stakeholders, to maximize neurodiverse talent within and into the workforce.

Office of Equal Opportunity and Access: The EOA provides a range of services that support Vanderbilt’s commitment to fairness, equity, access and respect.

Please note that animals not associated with research being performed are not permitted in laboratories that have a biosafety level designation. Limited exceptions for a service dog may be granted to those who work in laboratories designated as Biosafety Level 1 (BSL-1), which have the least risk. To justify an exception, the university must conduct a needs and risk assessment to determine feasibility and safety for the animal, the research, and the people in the lab. For questions regarding service animals, employees should contact the office of Equal Opportunity and Access (EOA) at 615-343-9336, and students should contact Student Access at 615-343-9727.