Outstanding faculty trainers are key to MDTP’s success. Trainers in MDTP have privileges and responsibilities.
- Eligibility to serve as lab rotation and thesis advisors for outstanding graduate students.
- Role in program governance. The core departments of Bacteriology and Medical Microbiology & Immunology have particular roles in the support and governance of the program, but faculty trainers outside of these departments also serve as representatives on all program committees including Steering Committee and Admissions Committee. Trainers will serve for a three year term on these committees.
- Financial responsibility for support of MDTP thesis students in your lab at the program stipend level, which is adjusted annually.
- If an MDTP rotation student joins your lab for thesis research, obligation for an approximate “payback” to the program for support of the student (stipend, fringe benefits, tuition remission) during the rotation in your lab. Typically, one month’s support is assessed.
- Enabling MDTP thesis students in your lab to fulfill program requirements including major and minor coursework, teaching practicum, and student seminar requirements.
- Being subject to periodic trainer review approximately every 5 years. If you are interested in renewing trainer status, you must provide information to the program. Your application for renewal will be evaluated for program participation, training record, and ongoing funding status.
- Faculty trainers in MDTP are required to complete mentorship training every five years.
- Adherence to all requirements for trainers and students as outlined in the MDTP Handbook.
Our program is dedicated to furthering diversity, equity and inclusion in STEM. Our trainers play a large role in this mission. Trainers should commit to learning more about how they can foster diversity at all levels, from their own labs to the broader scientific community. See the MDTP diversity page for helpful resources.
FORMS FOR MDTP STUDENTS
Are your students publishing or presenting? Use “Microbiology Doctoral Training Program, University of Wisconsin-Madison” as their affiliation, along with any other affiliations used by your lab.
The MDTP recognizes that students have rich, full lives outside of their academic work. We stand in support of students who serve as caregivers during their time in MDTP, and are committed to providing the accommodations necessary to ensure that all students can further their academic careers while maintaining their family obligations. See this page for more information on student leave policies.
INTERESTED IN BECOMING A TRAINER?
MDTP is always interested in adding new trainers fulfilling the following criteria:
- Tenure-track faculty at UW-Madison.
- Vigorous, high-quality research program.
- Commitment and ability for providing an outstanding research training environment and serving as a mentor to train graduate students.
- Research focus match with the broad span of areas encompassed by MDTP and sought by MDTP students.
- Evidence of or potential for program participation and collegial interactions such as by attendance at student seminars, service on thesis committees, scientific collaborations, etc.
- Potential for other contributions to the program such as by service on program committees, teaching in courses taken by MDTP students, etc.
- Graduate training experience or potential.
- Ability to support research training of students as shown by research funding or potential.
- If you are new faculty member who has not established a training or funding record we require you to include this letter of support (available here) signed by the Chair of your home department that indicates the availability of back up funding for an MDTP student in your lab should you lose funding. Note that the text of this letter should not be altered in any way, otherwise your application may be considered incomplete.
HOW TO APPLY
The process of becoming an MDTP trainer involves a faculty member’s application and then review by the program Steering Committee. The application deadline is April 1 for a single annual review process. This timing is designed to allow review by the Steering Committee for a decision to be reached prior to Fall orientation and the rotation period for new students. Only rarely will exceptions to the deadline be considered, such as when new faculty join the university and there is adequate justification to evaluate the application outside of the normal cycle. In such a case, the review process may take more time than usual.
The application consists of four components.
- Completed online questionnaire.
- NIH-style biosketch or more extensive CV.
- List of research funding such as NIH-style “other support” page.
- Signed letter from the Chair of the applicant’s home department indicating back-up funding for an MDTP student in your lab should you lose funding (applicable only to Assistant Professors). Note that the text of this letter should not be altered in any way, otherwise your application may be considered incomplete.
These materials must be submitted to the program coordinator.
The Steering Committee’s review of application materials may result in 3 outcomes.
- Recommendation to approve trainer status.
- Invitation to the applicant for an informal meeting with the Steering Committee to get acquainted and discuss the program, the applicant’s research, and components of the application before the Steering Committee votes on whether to recommend approval of trainer status to the core departments. This outcome is more common for new faculty.
- Decision not to recommend trainer status, which ends the process. This outcome is typically due to an incomplete application, whereupon the applicant can re-apply.
Faculty interested in learning more about the program should review the MDTP Handbook.