General Program Information

Stipends/ health fees/ tuition

All matriculated NGP graduate students in good standing receive a stipend to cover living expenses that is paid semi-monthly (on the 15th and last day of each month). Stipends are not guaranteed following the 6th year in the program. 

UR Student Health Insurance Plan (Aetna) – click here for more information

All full-time students participate in the Student Health Program, which includes the mandatory health fee and health insurance. The University Health Service offers UR Student Health Insurance Plan (Aetna). Check View Plan Details for a list of benefits and a list of exclusions. There are no deductibles with this plan. Students are required to either enroll in the UR Student Health Insurance Plan (Aetna) or waive this plan if their health insurance plan meets University Insurance Criteria. All full-time students must complete the Online Health Insurance Process every year to make the insurance selection. Requests to waive the UR Student Health Insurance Plan (Aetna) may be audited to verify coverage. If the student’s plan does not meet the requirements, the student will be automatically enrolled in the UR Student Health Insurance Plan (Aetna). International-based insurance plans often do not meet University criteria. See “Insurance with an International-based Company” below for more information. If you have questions about health insurance, you can write to the UHS Insurance Advisors at insurance@uhs.rochester.edu.

Every year all full-time students, whether new or returning, must document their health insurance coverage by completing the Online Health Insurance Process during the appropriate open enrollment period. Students who enroll in the UR Student Health Insurance Plan (Aetna) are enrolled on the plan from August 1 through July 31 (January 31 if graduating in December). Students enrolling in UR Student Health Insurance Plan (Aetna) may enroll eligible dependents. The same deadlines apply.

Fall Enrollment: June 15 – September 15

Students who will be full-time in the Fall semester must complete the Online Health Insurance Process during the Fall Open Enrollment. If your waiver is not received by July 10, then the health insurance fee will show on your fall tuition billing statement until you complete the online insurance process to waive the insurance. Note: Students who begin their full-time studies before August 1 need to complete the process to enroll or waive the insurance in two steps. Please contact the UHS Insurance Advisors for assistance.

Spring Enrollment: November 11 – January 31

Students who begin their full-time studies in January must complete the Online Health Insurance Process during the Spring open enrollment period, which ends on January 31. Access to the Online Insurance Process during this time period is limited to students who are beginning full-time studies in January/February or who are returning to full-time status in the spring semester (i.e., return from study abroad).

Failure to complete the Online Health Insurance Process during the appropriate open enrollment period will result in the student being automatically enrolled in the UR Student Health Insurance Plan (Aetna) and charged for the full year (i.e., August 1 through July 31). Students eligible to enroll during the Spring Open Enrollment Period who do not complete the Online Health Insurance Process by January 31 will be enrolled and charged for the remainder of the year (i.e., January 1 – July 31). You will not be allowed to disenroll from the insurance plan during the plan year unless you experience a qualifying life event (See “Changing Your Insurance Status During the Plan Year” below). Enrolling in this way (i.e., not completing the Online Health Insurance Process) is highly discouraged since it could lead to a delay in access to care during the first two months of the plan.

Policy regarding extra compensation

In the offer of admission to the PhD programs in the School of Medicine and Dentistry, the prospective students are informed that they are to be admitted as full- time students and that employment outside the graduate program is not permitted. A stipend is specified with the expectation that this will provide sufficient support for student living costs. In the rare instance in which a student wishes to participate in additional work and policy permits, the student must obtain explicit permission from their advisor, NGP Director, Department chair or Center Director, and the Senior Associate Dean for Graduate Education.

Grants & Fellowships

Students are encouraged to submit applications for grants and fellowships to support their research. You can register in the GENIUS/SMARTS/SPIN databases at https://www.rochester.edu/ORPA/funding/index.html and receive funding opportunities daily. If you are interested in learning more about grants and fellowships, you may call the Office of Research and Project Administration (ORPA) for an appointment, x54031 (Hylan Building, Rm. 515 on River Campus) or you can visit them on-line at: https://www.rochester.edu/ORPA/.

Vacation policy

Each student is allowed 10 business days of vacation per year as mandated by NIH, plus university holidays. University holidays include New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Friday after Thanksgiving, and Christmas Day. While the scheduling of vacations is left to the discretion of the student, prior approval from the advisor must be obtained so as not to conflict with coursework, laboratory experiments and other duties. Before scheduling an extended absence from the University (i.e., more than 10 business days), students must obtain permission from their thesis advisor and the NGP Director.

*It is extremely important that ALL international students inform the NGP Administrator of their international travel (including Canada) at least 10 days in advance, as there are specific documents from the University that are needed to ensure successful re-entry into the United States. Travel within the U.S. does not require documentation (but see below).

Travel within Rochester, and Beyond

The International Services Office (ISO) recommends that international students always carry a university ID, current I-20 or DS-2019, and passport when traveling in the U.S., even within the Rochester area. These documents, including the I-94 card stapled to your passport when you enter the country, document your valid F-1 or J-1 student status. Since Rochester is so close to the U.S. border with Canada, a team of Border Patrol agents routinely check the immigration status of individuals in the community, especially near the airport, train and bus stations. If you are stopped and questioned about your status, the ISO may be contacted to help. When you arrive, you will receive a card with ISO Contact Information to carry with you. For more information, go to https://www.iso.rochester.edu/

International students should refer to the University’s Travel Information and Documentation website (http://www.iso.rochester.edu/travel/index.html) before traveling within the U.S. or abroad.

Individual Development Plan (IDP)

All graduate students are required to have an IDP (Individual Development Plan) in place. Tips on how to develop your IDP are found here (http://myidp.sciencecareers.org/). Students should start developing an IDP early during graduate school, and revisit this throughout their time in graduate school (and beyond). Students are encouraged to discuss their IDP with their advisor and seek other mentors as appropriate. The Senior Associate Dean for Graduate Education requires that all students have an IDP in place no later than the beginning of the third year of study.

Satisfactory Progress

Students must satisfactorily complete a minimum course credit requirement and pass the Qualifying Exam before being formally admitted to candidacy for the PhD. Thus, admission to the program does not guarantee a degree. Earning a PhD entails completing all coursework, passing the qualifying exam, moving a research project forward in a substantive and demonstrable manner, writing and defending a thesis, and successfully meeting specific deadlines along the way. Students are expected to have at least one first author paper (or a paper with a substantial contribution that can be seen as equivalent to a traditional first author publication) published or submitted before their defense. Satisfactory progress is addressed in a statement under “Grades” in the University’s Official Bulletin, “Regulations and University Policies Concerning Graduate Studies”:

One measure of progress is the grade earned in course work. Academic probation results when a student receives a C (or D) grade. A second grade of C or lower is cause for immediate dismissal from the graduate program. Likewise, a single failing (F) grade results in immediate dismissal from the University. Satisfactory progress is also measured through performance in the research setting and by meeting required deadlines. The Program Director, Faculty Mentor, and Thesis Advisory Committee evaluate these metrics of progress and performance. Poor performance in these areas can also result in academic probation or dismissal.

Academic and Scientific Misconduct

Honesty is the cornerstone of academic integrity and scientific inquiry, and suspected infractions will be treated with utmost seriousness. Academic misconduct includes cheating on exams and assignments, plagiarism, or providing false information. Research misconduct is defined as fabrication, falsification, or plagiarism in proposing, performing, or reviewing research, or in reporting research results. Fabrication is defined as making up data or results and recording or reporting them. Falsification is defined as manipulating research materials, equipment or processes, or changing or omitting data or results such that the research is not accurately represented in the research record. Plagiarism is defined as the appropriation of another person’s ideas, processes, results or words without giving appropriate credit. Honest error or difference of opinion is not research misconduct.

Any concerns regarding possible academic misconduct should be brought to the attention of the Program Director, who will refer the matter to the Senior Associate Dean for Graduate Studies. If required, the standing Academic Conduct Panel will conduct an investigation with all affected parties participating. This panel will draw a conclusion and present the results of the investigation, along with a specific recommendation to the Dean of Graduate Studies. For additional University guidelines regarding academic misconduct, please refer to the University of Rochester’s “Regulations and University Policies Concerning Graduate Studies.”

Consequences may include the loss of research assistantship and/or employment with the university. Depending on the findings, it may also be necessary to notify state and federal agencies, which may need to conduct further review of the case. Any publications that include fabricated data will be corrected by notifying the journal editors. If work was conducted on a government grant, the governmental agency funding the study will be notified. This may restrict or prevent future employment on any government-funded research project.