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Research Assistantships
Research assistantships (RAs) offer students an opportunity to gain
valuable research-related experience, develop close working
relationships with faculty, and sometimes earn co-authorship on
peer-reviewed publications. Assistantships come in a variety of shapes
and sizes. Just as our students represent a wide range of experience
and training, so do the available RA positions necessitate an array of
skill levels. The degree of expertise required for a particular
assistantship is dictated by the nature of the project. The duties of
an RA may include, but are not limited to:
- literature searches,
- questionnaire development,
- administration of questionnaires,
- interviewing of study participants,
- data collection,
- quality control tasks,
- data analysis,
- manuscript writing, and
- proposal development.
The duration of RA positions is quite variable. Some are short-term
(weeks or even days in duration) and some may last for a year or more.
The number of hours of work per week also varies, typically ranging
from 15-20 hours per week. Stipend rates vary depending on level of
skills required and funding availability.
Research assistantships become available throughout the year, as new
grants are funded or existing ones extended. Opportunities are usually
plentiful, and over the years most epidemiology students who wish to
work have been able to do so. However, the grants that fund student
assistantships are from sources outside the University, and may carry
uncertainties; consequently, it is rarely possible to promise such a
position before the student arrives on Campus. A new student should be
prepared to handle his or her full expenses at first, with the
reasonable hope that an assistantship can be obtained within a fairly
short time.
How to get a research assistantship
- Upon an offer of admission, you will be given access to web
application for requesting consideration for research
assistantships. This notifies the Department that a student would
like to be considered for a service appointment (that is, an
appointment for which some number of hours of work is required).
During the summer, these applications are duplicated and distributed to
all department faculty and adjunct faculty to notify them of new
students who might be suitable for positions on their research projects.
- New assistantship opportunities are announced via a departmental
listserve. Applicants who receive an offer of admission will be given
the opportunity to subscribe to this listserve.
- Students interested in research assistantships should talk with faculty and ask them about possibilities.
- Monitor the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health career web site.
Teaching Assistantships
Students in the department may gain teaching experience through
Teaching Assistantship (TA) positions. Just as with the Research
Assistantships, TA positions are available to students with different
skill levels. TAs work with faculty in the preparation of course
materials, the preparation of the class schedule, the assembly of
course-packs, and in the pre-testing of evaluation instruments. During
the courses, TAs observe lectures and make themselves available to
students for clarification of concepts and terms used in those
lectures; review the exercises used in course materials and/or
textbooks; they conduct question-and-answer sessions structured around
examples and exercises used in various sections of applied courses; and
they make themselves available to answer questions from students in
clarification sessions prior to quizzes, tests, and final examination.
The number of hours of work per week varies according to the demands of
the course. Stipend rates vary depending on level of skills required
and funding availability.
How to get a teaching assistantship:
TA positions for new students are limited, but may be available to
students entering with prior epidemiology training. Most of the TA
opportunities are for EPID 600, a service course for non-majors that
satisfies the SPH core requirement. Students who have completed more
advanced training may serve as TAs for upper-level methods courses. In
addition, opportunities are sometimes available in the substantive
epidemiology courses. TAs in the advanced level courses usually serve
at the invitation of the primary course instructor; however, the
instructors will always welcome an inquiry from students who have a
strong interest in a particular course. Students interested in
teaching assistantships should contact our Student Services Office.
In-State Tuition Award
In-state students may receive an In-State Tuition Award that provides
tuition support, not to include fees. To be eligible, the student must
be appointed as a teaching assistant, research assistant, fellow or
trainee; earn a minimum of $6500 per semester ($7200 for TAs) (2007-08 academic year); and be
enrolled full-time.
Out-of-state students are also eligible for the In-State Tuition Award, if they receive a concurrent tuition remission award.
Training Grants
Several institutional training grants from NIH agencies provide support
for epidemiology students. Students who apply for training support
must be in a program leading to the PhD, or must have a prior doctoral
degree. Under NIH provisions, trainees must be United States citizens
or Permanent Residents.
The grant pays a portion of tuition and fees, in addition to a
stipend. The current NIH predoctoral stipend is $20,772 for a
12-month appointment. Postdoctoral stipends vary according to the
trainee's years of experience. Training grant appointments are
non-service, but generally require a research apprenticeship. However,
the student's career interests and research project must be within the
area for which the grant is funded.
Current department training grants fund a number of students studying
issues in cancer, cardiovascular disease, environmental, occupational
and nutritional epidemiology. Faculty participating in administration
of each grant select the trainees. Application forms are available
from the Student Services Office. The Principal Investigators for the
departmental training grants are as follows:
Upon an offer of admission, you will be given access to web application
for requesting consideration for a training grant position.
Certain related programs on campus also fund epidemiology students
through NIH training grants, including:
and some medical and dental programs. The Carolina Population Center and
the affiliated programs do have procedures for application. Interested
students should contact the program directly.
Visit financing education for more information on school-level opportunities for help.
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