The Center for Cell Dynamics (CCD) is committed to educating the next generation of interdisciplinary scientists. To this end, we offer 10-week long research apprenticeship courses that allow students the opportunity to synthesize experimental, theoretical, and computational approaches to cell and developmental biology. These apprenticeships are immersion courses, entail working closely with one or more CCD faculty, and equip students with techniques to tackle advanced research projects. In selected cases apprenticeship students are invited to stay on at the CCD as trainees for three to twelve months to bring their course research project to publication.
During our first five-year grant period apprenticeships were offered in the Fall quarter. Should our Center award be renewed we plan to offer courses in both the fall and spring quarters. Please check back here for the course announcements, topics and application instructions.
Apprenticeships are open to undergraduates, graduate students, post-docs and beyond. Because of the interdisciplinary nature of the courses, prerequisites are kept minimal to allow for the broadest possible range of student backgrounds, and to attract the very best students. Financial assistance is available both from the CCD and in some cases, through the FHL.
Summaries of the 2003, 2006, and 2009 apprenticeships are archived here to showcase the sort of work undertaken. Student feedback from apprenticeship alumni has been extremely positive, and many students have said that their experience here has made a deep and substantial impact on the direction of their academic careers. Some of the computer tutorials and methods/protocols used in these apprenticeships are available.
