scholarly scientific impact. But I am most impressed by our PhD students’ success over the last couple of years in writing and being awarded Individual Pre-doctoral Fellowships. These fellowships from the National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, National Science Foundation, and other groups are nationally competitive (extremely competitive) and provide funding for the student’s research stipend and benefits. The student’s proposals are typically judged on three main criteria: 1) the accomplishments of the student 2) the training environment and 3) the scientific impact of the research proposal. While the awarding of these fellowships recognizes our amazing students and the strong training environment within our mentor laboratories and the graduate program in Physiology, in the end, the most important factor in the score is the OVERALL SCIENTIFIC IMPACT of the proposed research. Our students are tackling fascinating scientific questions, uncovering mechanisms of human disease, and designing and testing new possible therapies that one day may make an impact on the treatment of patients, and these awarded fellowships
Scientific Impact By Daniel Michele Graduate Chair & Professor, Molecular & Integrative Physiology
prove it. But SCIENTIFIC IMPACT does not begin and end in the research laboratory. Our students continue to amaze me with their after-hours and tireless efforts toward improving our scientific community and reaching out to young students for whom science is not visible or a part of their career aspirations.
Many of our students serve as mentors for the
University of Michigan Undergraduate Research Opportunity
S
CIENTIFIC IMPACT. It is a term that all scientists know
Program and our department's summer fellowship program
very well. All major funding agencies that award re-
students who are seeking their very first research experienc-
search grants have at least one major scoring criteria
es. Several of our students also volunteer and serve in lead-
related to scientific impact. In fact, for the National Institutes
ership positions in student organizations that seek to support
of Health, after the entire review of a grant proposal is com-
current graduate students, including students from under-
pleted, the reviewer is asked to give a final score based on
represented backgrounds and students with disabilities. Our
the “Overall Scientific Impact”. This one impact score, which
Science Engagement and Education for Kids program, found-
in the end is what basically determines if the grant is funded,
ed and run entirely by students, continues to reach out to
boils down the entire evaluation to “How will this proposed
underserved elementary schools in Ypsilanti and Southeast
research impact our new knowledge of how biology/physiol-
Michigan to provide science education opportunities where no
ogy works? and/or “How will this proposed research impact
science curriculum currently exists.
our understanding and treatment of significant human dis-
efforts, the future of science is bright as our students are not
eases?” If the “Overall Scientific Impact” is considered “Out-
only becoming outstanding scientists, but are engaged and
standing”, the grant proposal will very likely be funded, de-
committed to making science accessible, more diverse, and
spite the current low success rates of major grant proposals.
more visible to the broader public and beyond.
As I look over the past year, the graduate students in the
All of these accomplishments of our students give great
Molecuar & Integrative Physiology PhD graduate program
“bragging rights” and news material for our graduate program
are having outstanding SCIENTIFIC IMPACT.
Our students
director’s and our department’s Twitter accounts. If you want
have published several outstanding first author papers in
to keep up with our student’s accomplishments in real-time, I
major scientific journals.
I could also tout the many suc-
encourage you to follow us at @UMPhysiology. Find out more
cessful dissertation defenses, where the dissertation commit-
about the SCIENTIFIC IMPACT of our students and I am sure
tees award degrees based on the main criteria of significant
you will agree…it is “Outstanding!”
22
Physiology Matters
With their outstanding
