Frequently Asked Questions for Diversity and Fellowship

Frequently Asked Questions for Diversity and Fellowship Opportunities

Diversity FAQ:

• What is the timing for the Graduate student opportunity?
  • The Mentored Summer Research Program takes place over two months between May and September, though specific  start and end dates are flexible.

• DPT students may have coursework for part of the summer, is timing flexible?
  • Start and end dates are flexible, however the Mentored Summer Research Program is full-time, and students will be expected to be on campus in person for two months (Covid restrictions permitting).

• Are students part of a cohort?
  • CoHSTAR intends to fund a single graduate student.  However, there are numerous graduate students and post-doctoral fellows within the Center for Gerontology and Health Care Research at Brown.  The CoHSTAR trainee will have an opportunity to interact with these other trainees.
  • Brown University broadly hosts Leadership Alliance students during the summer, and mentor students will be able to interact with those participants.  https://www.brown.edu/initiatives/summer-research-early-identification-program/ 

• Do PhD students need letters of faculty support?
  • Yes, applicants to the Mentored Summer Research Program must submit a letter of support from their doctoral advisor/mentor at their home institution/program

• Who is eligible for the Diversity-targeted opportunities?
  • Applications are welcome from either: individuals from racial and ethnic groups that have been shown by the National Science Foundation to be underrepresented in health-related sciences; and individuals with disabilities, who are defined as those with a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities. 
  • Additionally, those applying for the Mentored Summer Research Program must be either a graduate student currently enrolled in a DPT program or a licensed physical therapist currently enrolled in a PhD program. 
  • Those applying for the Visiting Scientist Program must be a Full-time faculty member and licensed physical therapist with a doctoral degree (PhD, ScD) or equivalent research experience.

• What type of basic information on eligibility do we need to present?  
  • Applicants must state in their letter of intent that they have confirmed their eligibility after carefully reviewing the criteria from the National Institutes for Health (NIH) description of populations underrepresented in the biomedical research workforce here.

• Is the Visiting Scientist Program only open to senior faculty? 
  • The Diversity-targeted Visiting Scientist Program is open to all faculty levels, provided the applicant can obtain a letter of support from their departmental chairperson stating that the faculty’s time will be protected for research (~25% protected time) during the year. Department contributions of in-kind release time for teaching or other tangible support (such as provision of a research assistant) are strongly encouraged.

• Do Visiting Scientist Program candidates need a PhD, or does a DPT qualify? 
  • The Visiting Scientist Program is open to licensed physical therapists with a doctoral degree (PhD, ScD) or DPT with equivalent research experience. 

Fellowship FAQ:

• Do candidates need a PhD, or does a DPT qualify? 
  • CoHSTAR Fellowships are open to licensed physical therapists with a doctoral degree (PhD, ScD) or equivalent research experience. Applicants with practice doctorates are eligible to apply.

• Are former CoHSTAR postdoctoral fellows eligible?
  • Yes, former postdoctoral fellows are eligible to apply.