University of Washington Biostatistics

A limited amount of financial support is available for students. The department provides the following:

Traineeships (Fellowships): All traineeship stipends are for $1,731 per month and 60% of tuition. There is no work obligation. Each trainee is expected to enroll for ten credits per quarter. Students must be U.S. citizens or hold permanent resident status to be eligible. There are five training grants awarded in the Department of Biostatistics providing traineeships as described below. Most traineeships are restricted to Ph.D. students. The approximately $700-800 per month of tuition that the training grants do not cover is usually made up for by a ten-hour-per week Research Assistantship.

• Biostatistics, Epidemiologic and Bioinformatic Training in Environmental Health (BEBTEH) Training Grant: The BEBTEH Training Program combines quantitative training with environmental health science applications. Pre- and postdoctoral trainees emphasize one of two pathways, the laboratory-based pathway or the population-based pathway. Within each pathway there will be training in both quantitative and life sciences disciplines. Trainees belong to one of four departments (biostatistics, environmental and occupational health sciences (EOHS), epidemiology, genome sciences). Trainees in quantitative disciplines (e.g. biostatistics, statistical genetics) will emphasize quantitative training and will receive enhanced training in environmental health sciences, while the converse will be true for trainees in life sciences disciplines (e.g. epidemiology, genome sciences, EOHS). Trainees will have distinct and individualized training plans to learn how to conduct research, meet requirements, and choose electives unified by the overarching goals and activities of BEBTEH. Each trainee is assigned two mentors from a pool of 24 mentors in eight UW departments. Precepetors have expertise in topics ranging from biostatistics, statistical genetics, epidemiology, genome sciences, computer sciences, medicine, and environmental health sciences. BEBTEH website
• Cardiovascular Biostatistics Training Grant: This training grant is designed for Ph.D. students who are interested in applications in the cardiovascular area and is funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the US Public Health Service (PHS). It is expected that the cardiovascular field will be the biological specialty of these students. These traineeships are renewable for up to five years per trainee.
• Cancer-Epidemiology-Biostatistics Training Grant: This training grant is for Ph.D. students who are interested in applications in cancer, and is funded by the National Cancer Institute of the US Public Health Service (PHS) for up to five years per trainee. It is expected that Cancer Epidemiology or Cancer Biology will be the biological specialty of these students, and that this will be reflected in biology elective classes, the biology portion of the general exam, and in applications of the dissertation research.
• Clinical Research on AIDS Training Grant: The AIDS Training Grant will be of interest to Ph.D. students who are interested in obtaining training in the foundations of biostatistical theory and applications. This training grant also offers opportunities for academic enrichment in AIDS issues through special courses, and collaboration with established AIDS researchers in the conduct of clinical, epidemiologic and methodologic biostatistical research in AIDS. The program is funded by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases of the US PHS up to five years per trainee.
• Dental Public Health Training Grant: DPH Website
• Statistical Genetics Training Grant: The Statistical Genetics Training Grant is a joint program of the Departments of Biostatistics, Genome Science and Statistics. Trainees take the courses required for the PhD tracks in statistical genetics (Biostatistics or Statistics) or for the Certificate in Statistical Genetics (Genome Sciences). They also receive training in laboratory techniques for genetic data and training in the responsible conduct of research. They are advised by faculty in the three UW departments or at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. They may participate in the annual Summer Institute in Statistical Genetics.
• Mental Health Biostatistics Training Grant: This biostatistics in mental health training program will offer training opportunities to Ph.D. students in biostatistics by providing pre-doctoral stipends during their graduate training, especially for dissertation research on a topic related to mental health, including depression, anxiety disorders, Alzheimer’s and related disease, autism, schizophrenia, bipolar disorders, mood disorders, parasuicide and borderline personality disorders, eating disorders, and posttraumatic stress disorders. Training opportunities offered are long-term in nature with support up to the maximum of five years. This training program provides the opportunity for individuals to obtain training in such a way that, upon completion of the program, they will possess (1) a high level of competence in the science of biostatistics, (2) knowledge of the mental health content area, and (3) strong communication skills to enable effective interaction with mental health researchers.

Graduate Assistantships: An assistantship appointment requires 220 hours of work per quarter by the student. Two types are available: teaching and research. The amount of remuneration is dependent upon the recipient's academic level, as indicated below. A student's tuition is paid by the employing department except for fees of approximately $200/quarter to be paid by the student. Note that an advantage to this system is that students are not liable for raises in tuition. Appointees receive health insurance.

Research Assistantships: There are a number of research assistantships available which are associated with the various research projects of faculty of the Biostatistics Department. Duties include data processing, statistical analysis, report writing, etc. Students holding research assistantships are expected to enroll for at least ten credits each Autumn, Winter and Spring quarters, and for two credits in Summer quarter. Both M.S. and Ph.D. students are eligible for research assistantships.

Teaching Assistantships: A limited number of teaching assistantships are available which are associated with courses taught by the faculty of the Department of Biostatistics. (Teaching assistantships are usually assigned to students who have completed an M.S. degree.) Duties include grading homework papers, providing lab instruction, and holding office hours. Teaching assistants are expected to enroll for at least ten credits per quarter.

Satisfactory progress: A recipient of financial support must make adequate progress towards his or her degree and meet the conditions of support as outlined below. In the case of an assistantship, if a student cannot meet the work obligation, due to language or personal problems, for example, then the department can withdraw support.

Washington State Residency: All graduate students who are U.S. citizens are strongly encouraged to take steps immediately upon arrival to become Washington State residents. (This entails registering to vote, changing driver's license, transferring vehicle plates.) Otherwise they may be charged the difference between in-state and out-of-state tuition during periods of self support. This is because traineeships and assistantships cover in-state tuition only (for in-state and out-of-state students) unless a special nonresident differential (NRD) tuition waiver is granted. In our department most of these waivers are committed to incoming out-of-state and international students.