The Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at Houston

GSBS Awards and Funding Opportunities

• Scholarships and Fellowships
• Training Grants
• Travel Awards
• External Funding Opportunities
• Loans

Scholarships and Fellowships
Application deadlines for these awards will be announced.

American Legion Auxiliary Fellowships

Fellowships (currently in the amount of $5,000 each) are awarded to pre-doctoral GSBS students working on cancer-related projects.
These fellowships are considered supplements to the standard GRA assistantship.
Applicants must be U.S. citizens.
These Fellowships may be competitively renewed for up to three years.
Recipients of this fellowship acknowledge this award on publications resulting from work done, all or in part, during the year of the award.
Application cover sheet and instructions (should be sent in a single pdf file)
Deadline: June 25, 2012
Award Recipients :
1st Year Recipients:

Kaitlin Gutierrez
Sarah Klein
Christa Manton
Adam Yock

2nd Year Recipients:

Drew Deniger
Nathan Ihle
Connie Larsson
Jacquelyn Reuther
Howard Rosoff

3rd Year Recipient:

Tamara Laskowski

Aaron Blanchard Research Award In Medical Physics

This $500 cash award recognizes a Medical Physics graduate (M.S. or Ph.D.) for completion of an outstanding thesis or dissertation, which is judged to make a significant contribution to cancer therapy or diagnosis.
A student may be nominated for the award by any faculty member who has served on the student's Supervisory Committee.
The Medical Physics Program Steering Committee will administer the call for nominations and the selection process.
For more information, contact Georgeanne Moore (713-563-2548).
Current Award Recipient:
- Kevin Casey

R. W. Butcher Achievement Award

An award of $3,000 is awarded annually to an advanced GSBS student in any degree program who has achieved both excellence in research and contributions to GSBS and society as a whole. Successful candidates will have demonstrated: a) productivity and promise in biomedical research, b) adherence to the highest standards of scientific conduct and integrity; c) commitment to a career in biomedical research, d) involvement in community and/or outreach activities, e) contributions to the GSBS faculty/student community, f) perseverance in overcoming obstacles in the path to success
Application cover sheet and instructions (should be sent in a single pdf file)
Deadline: September 28, 2012
Current Award Recipient:
- Hillary Caruso

Harry S. and Isabel C. Cameron Foundation Fellowship

This Fellowship will be awarded annually to a GSBS student who has recently advanced to Ph.D. candidacy and whose research is related to either Alzheimer's or cardiovascular disease.
This is a $20,000 Fellowship for one year; the recipient's advisor will supplement this Fellowship to ensure that the recipient receives a total amount at least equal to the amount of the standard GSBS Graduate Research Assistantship.
Recipients of this Fellowship should acknowledge the support of the Cameron Foundation Fellowship on publications resulting from work done, all or in part, during the year of the award.
Application cover sheet and instructions (should be sent in a single pdf file)
Deadline: November 30, 2012
Current Award Recipient:
- Swarna Ramaswamy

City Federation of Women's Clubs Endowed Scholarship in the Biomedical Sciences

This $2,500 Scholarship is for an exceptional GSBS student with financial need who is working in an area vital to the biomedical sciences and of particular current significance in that year's national research arena.
Each year the Dean of the GSBS will define the area of research for this Scholarship
Applicants must be a GSBS Ph.D. (or M.D./Ph.D. or D.D.S./Ph.D.) student who will soon take or recently passed the candidacy exams and is in good academic standing with GSBS.
Application cover sheet and instructions (should be sent in a single pdf file)
Deadline: September 3, 2012
Current Award Recipients:
- Feifei Xiao

Cullen Trust for Higher Education Physician/Scientist Fellowship Program

This $1.15 million program, established in 2007, gives students full stipend, benefits and tuition support.
The program funding is for five years during which time five new M.D./Ph.D. Cullen Trust for Higher Education Fellows (with support thereafter during medical school) are selected from each BCM and the UTHealth/UT MD Anderson Cancer Center.
The Medical School/MD Anderson Cancer Center are responsible for the medical training of UT Fellows (and BCM for their medical degree) with any of these institutions available for students to select a mentor for the Ph.D. portion of their degree plan.
The 2012-2013 recipients are: Lalit Patel (UTHealth) and Eric Yang (BCM)

Discovery Fellowships

The Discovery Fellowships provide full stipends to exceptional doctoral GSBS students and may be renewed for up to three years.
These Fellowships recognize students whose research is innovative in specifically selected, rapidly emerging fields of research.
Russell and Diana Hawkins Family Foundation Discovery Fellowship in Biomarkers
Current Award Recipients:

Jacy Crosby
Rajesha Rupaimoole

Zilkha Family Discovery Fellowship in Neuroengineering
Current Award Recipients:

Brittany Coughlin
Stuart Red

Isaiah J. Fidler Graduate Fellowship in Cancer Metastasis

This Fellowship is provided by the graduate program in Cancer Metastasis Research: From Bench to Bedside
It provides a $3,000 supplement of the GSBS graduate assistantship and may be renewed for up to 3 years
It is awarded to a pre-candidacy Ph.D. student whose research is related to cancer metastasis
Application cover sheet and instructions
Current Award Recipient:
- Frank Lowery

Gigli Family Endowed Scholarship

This endowed $1,000 scholarship was created by a GSBS faculty member to honor her parents
The scholarship is intended to help exceptional GSBS graduate students who are making excellence progress towards their degree
Particularly those who are first generation in their family to enroll in graduate school
Application cover sheet and instructions (should be sent in a single pdf file)
Deadline: November 7, 2012
Current Award Recipient:
- Thuy T. Le

Floyd Haar, M.D., Endowed Memorial Research Award in Memory of Freda Haar

This $1,500 Award is provided to recognize an exceptional GSBS degree student conducting critical research in stem cells.
Research should be related to stem cells and their use in the treatment of human disease, especially in the areas of leukemia or other cancers.
Application cover sheet and instructions (should be sent in a single pdf file)
Deadline: July 6, 2012
Current Award Recipient
- Blake Johnson

The Jacqueline T. Hecht Founding Director Scholarship

Created in 2010 to honor Dr. Jacqueline T. Hecht, Founding Director of the Program in Genetic Counseling, whose vision and leadership established and developed this into an outstanding Program, the only one in the State of Texas
This Scholarship is to be used to help recruit exceptional new students or award outstanding current students in the Program in Genetic Counseling
Provides $1,000 towards the recipient's tuition/fees
Current Award Recipient:
- Shannon Mulligan

Rosalie B. Hite Fellowships

Fellowships include a stipend, tuition and fees, single travel allowance to a national meeting
Fellowships are awarded to GSBS students whose research project is in the area of cancer research
Fellowships are eligible for competitive renewal for up to three years
Selection of Fellows by the Hite Fellowship Committee is on the basis of academic excellence and applicability of the proposed research program to problems of cancer research
Application and instructions
Deadline: March 29, 2013
For more information, contact Ms. Gloria da Roza of Office of Academic Affairs at MD Anderson Cancer Center (713-792-3924).
Award Recipients:

1st year Recipients:

Lawrence Bronk
Julianna Edwards
Maitri Shah

2nd Year Recipients:

Nahir Cortes-Santiago
John Eley
Jaquelyn Reuther

3rd Year Recipient:
- Wei-Lei Yang

The T. C. Hsu Endowed Memorial Scholarship

This award of $7,000 recognizes a GSBS graduate student whose graduate studies and research are in the area of genetics or cell biology.
The Scholarship was established in 2004 in memory of Dr. T. C. Hsu who was a renowned scientist, leader in cytogenetics, and a long time member of the GSBS faculty
Applicants must be a GSBS student in good academic standing and must be advanced to Ph.D. candidacy
Application cover sheet and instructions (should be sent in a single pdf file)
Deadline: August 1, 2012
Current Award Recipient:
- Xian Zhang

Investing in Student Futures Endowed Scholarship

This $3,000 scholarship endowment was established by Priscilla Saunders, Ph.D., in memory of her husband Grady Saunders, Ph.D., and increased by gifts of many others.
Each year a new area of research will be selected by the GSBS Deans for the focus of this award. For this first year, in memory of Grady Saunders, Ph.D., special consideration will be given to those applications involving cancer research
Applicants must be a GSBS Ph.D. student who will soon take or recently passed the candidacy exams and is in good academic standing with GSBS.
Application cover sheet and instructions (should be sent in a single pdf file)
Deadline: December 3, 2012
Current Award Recipients:

Julianna Bronk

Barbara L. Kennedy Memorial Scholarship

This scholarship was established in 2002 for a student in the Specialized Masters Program in Genetic Counseling.
Students must be in their second year of the Program.
Preference is given to a student demonstrating financial need.
The recipient is selected by a review committee appointed by the WINGS Chapter of the American Business Women's Association.
Application cover sheet and instructions
Current Award Recipient:
- Jessica Davis

Robert W. and Pearl Wallis Knox Charitable Foundation Scholarship

Established in 2007, this is a $2,500 Scholarship to honor a student whose research is in the broad areas of infectious disease, pharmacology, or neuroscience. Students working in the areas of AIDS research, substance abuse, or mental health will be given first priority for this scholarship.
Applicants must be GSBS doctoral students in good academic standing, and no more than a year from taking their candidacy exam.
Application cover sheet and instructions (should be sent in a single pdf file)
Deadline: November 26, 2012
Current Award Recipient:

o Jessica Pena-Galloway

Marilyn and Frederick R. Lummis, Jr., M.D., Fellowship in the Biomedical Sciences

This $25,000 Award is for a post-candidacy Ph.D. GSBS student in good academic standing with at least one year remaining to complete the dissertation.
Intended to support novel research with a high impact potential in the discipline of study and ultimately human health.
The primary selection criteria are scientific excellence and innovation in any area of biomedical research.
Applicants must be nominated by their program or the Office of Academic Affairs, if not a member of a GSBS Program.
Current Award Recipient:
- Alexandra Marshall

Michael Farley Moyers Heavy Particle Therapy Graduate Student Travel Endowed Award

This is a $500 Award to be applied towards travel to AAPM for a GSBS student in the Program in Medical Physics
Student must submit a presentation to the Young Investigator's Symposium at the AAPM meeting
Presentation should concern the treatment of patients with a particle heavier than an electron
For more information, contact Georgeanne Moore (713-563-2548)
Current Award Recipient:
- Ming Yang

Dee S. and Patricia Osborne Endowed Scholarship In The Neurosciences

Provides $2,000 to the winning presenter in the graduate student category at the Neuroscience Poster Session, as well as a $500 travel allotment.
This award is formally presented during Brain Awareness Week in March.
Current Award Recipient:

Brittany Parker

Presidents' Scholarships
The Presidents of UTHealth and UT MD Anderson Cancer Center provide these scholarships for senior GSBS doctoral students.

Presidents' Research Scholarships -- One-year scholarships in the amount of $5,000 are awarded to outstanding students who have advanced to Ph.D. candidacy and who have achieved distinction in research while a GSBS student. Past-presidents of the GSBS faculty review applications and make recommendations to the Dean.

Application cover sheet and instructions(should be sent in a single pdf file)
Deadline: October 19, 2012
Current Award Recipients:

Deepavali Chakravarti
Chris Conner
Jessica Galloway-Pena
Callie Kwartler

Sylvan Rodriguez Foundation Scholarship honoring George M. Stancel, Ph.D.

This Scholarship was established by teh Sylvan Rodriguez Foundation in 2012 to honor long time GSBS Dean and faculty member, Dr. George M. Stancel.
This $2,500 award recorgnizes an outstanding MS, SMS, or pre-candidacy PhD student enrolled at GSBS.
Recipient of this scholarship should have a record of academic excellence at GSBS, display a clear potential to make outstanding contributions to biomedical science and should be making exceptional progress on a research project that will advance our understanding and treatment of cancer.
Application cover sheet and instructions (should be sent in a single pdf file)
Deadline: EXTENDED until January 25, 2013
- Marco Leung

The Fadine Jackson Roquemore Scholarship in Cancer Research
Established in 2012 by a longtime supporter of GSBS graduate students

$3,250 Scholarship to encourage and reward a very promising GSBS doctoral student
Recipient’s research will likely have a positive impact for cancer patients.
Application cover sheet and instructions(should be sent in a single pdf file)
Deadline: November 19, 2012
Current Award Recipient:

Jessica Ann Chacon

Schissler Foundation Fellowships in the Genetics of Human Disease

Fellowships provide full stipend and fringe benefits for one year to GSBS students whose proposed research is in the broad field of the genetics of human disease.
Applicants must be recently advanced, or within 1 semester be advanced, to Ph.D. candidacy
Recipients of this fellowship are asked to acknowledge this award on publications resulting from work done, all or in part, during the year of the award.
Application cover sheet and instructions (should be sent in a single pdf file)
Deadline: August 3, 2012
Current Award Recipient:

Kaitlin Reeh
Prasad Phatarpekar
Avinashanarayan Venkatanarayan

Schissler Foundation MD Anderson Cancer Center Fellowship

This full Fellowship with benefits is awarded to a GSBS Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D. student whose research is being conducted at MD Anderson Cancer Center.
Students must have recently (within the last academic year) advanced to Ph.D. candidacy or be advanced to candidacy within one semester.
Students must be conducting research that is directed towards a cure for some type of cancer.
Recipients of this fellowship are asked to acknowledge this award on publications resulting from work done, all or in part, during the year of the award.
Application cover sheet and instructions (should be sent in a single pdf file)
Deadline: August 3, 2012
Current Award Recipient:
- Sarah Klein

Andrew Sowell-Wade Huggins Scholarships

A $5,000 Scholarship supplementing the standard GRA assistantship awarded to a GSBS student.
Applicants must have recently advanced to Ph.D. candidacy and must be conducting cancer related research as part of the applicant's degree program. One recipient of this Scholarship is designated the Sylvan Rodriguez/Cancer Answers Award Scholar. This honor is bestowed upon the student who, besides scientifically qualifying for the Scholarship, also best exemplifies the qualities of the late Sylvan Rodriguez, a beloved Houston journalist, well known for his community spirit.
Application cover sheet and instructions(should be sent in a single pdf file)
Deadline: October 1, 2012
Current Award Recipients:

Drew Deniger
Brian Pickering
Daniel Robertson
Andria Schibler

Sylvan Rodriguez/Cancer Answers Award Scholar

Qingshan (Carly) Yang

Andrew Sowell-Wade Huggins Professorship and Graduate Fellowship in Cancer Research

A novel recognition that is awarded to both a GSBS student and his/her supervisory professor
Award is based on the academic performance of the student, the quality of his/her research proposal, and his/her potential for future contributions in the area of cancer research; plus the overall contributions of the student's supervisory professor to the area of cancer research and to graduate education at the GSBS
Student must be advanced to Ph.D. candidacy
Faculty advisor must hold a Regular appointment on the GSBS faculty and must have directed at least two GSBS students to their Ph.D. degree
Recipients of this Fellowship acknowledge this award on publications resulting from work done, all or in part, during the year of the award.
Joint application must be filed by the student and advisor
Application cover sheet and instructions (should be sent in a single electronic document)
Deadline:
Current Award Recipients:

2011-2013: Aarthi Goverdhan & Mien-Chie Hung, Ph.D.
2009-2011: Angela Alexander & Cheryl Walker, Ph.D.
2007-2009: Nicole Bohnenstiehl Pinaire & Timothy J. McDonnell, M.D., Ph.D.
2005-2006: Jing Zhang & Gary Gallick, Ph.D.
2002-2004: Yvonne Evrard & Sharon Dent, Ph.D.
2001-2002: Jane Shi & William Plunkett, Ph.D.

The George M. Stancel, Ph.D., Fellowship in the Biomedical Sciences

Established in 2011 to honor long time GSBS Dean and faculty member, Dr. George M. Stancel.
This $4,500 award recognizes a GSBS doctoral student who recently passed candidacy in the last year, making exceptional progress and demonstrating potential as a creative and independent scientist.
Program Directors will be invited to nominate up to two students based on designated research focus.Research focus changes each year as designated by the GSBS Dean.
This year’s research focus: "Bioinformatics and Computational Biology"
Current Award Recipient:

Francis Anthony San Lucas

Sam Taub and Beatrice Burton Endowed Fellowship in Vision Disease

This is a $2,000 Scholarship established in 2004 to recognize a GSBS student whose research is in the area of vision and vision disease.
Applicants must be degree seeking students in good academic students standing at GSBS.
Applicants must be advanced to Ph.D. candidacy prior to rewarding of the Scholarship.
Application cover sheet and instructions (should be sent in a single pdf file)
Deadline: August 6, 2012
Current Award Recipient:

Jennifer Churchill

Tzu Chi Scholarship Award for Excellence

The Tzu Chi Foundation provides this $1,000 Scholarship to recognize and assist outstanding GSBS doctoral students
Successful applicant will be able to demonstrate both excellence in academic achievement and persistent community involvement
Students must be in Ph.D. program; in good academic standing in GSBS; and making timely progress towards completion of their degree.
Application coversheet and instructions(should be sent in a single pdf file)
Deadline: October 12, 2012
Current Award Recipients:

Tamara Laskowski
Brittany Parker

President James T. Willerson/Nancy Beamer Willerson Endowed Scholarship in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences

These Scholarships were established in honor of former UTHealth President James T. Willerson and his wife Nancy who were long time supporters of the GSBS
The Director and selected faculty of the Program in Genetic Counseling nominate admitted students based upon academic excellence
These Scholarships are both $1,000 that will be applied to the tuition and fees of the recipients. The Scholarships can be extended for a second year provided the recipients continue to demonstrate outstanding performance in academics and progress towards completion of their degree.
James T. Willerson, M.D., Scholarship Recipient:
o Stephanie Thompson

Nancy Willerson Scholarship Recipient:
o Katherine Dempsey

Roberta M. And Jean M. Worsham Endowed Scholarship

This award of $1,500 fosters exceptional students working in the fields of the Behavioral or Neurosciences, primarily addiction or obsessive/compulsive behavior
This award is formally presented during Brain Awareness Week in March.
Application cover sheet and instructions (should be sent in a single pdf file)
Deadline: December 5, 2012
Current Award Recipient:
o Sarah Eagleman

The Wei Yu family Endowed Scholarship

This endowed scholarship was established in 2011 to thank GSBS for providing Dr. Yu with his Ph.D. education and to provide support for post-candidacy students who work in the broad area of virology.
This is a $1,200 Scholarship available to GSBS post-candidacy students with good academic standing; making timely progress towards their Ph.D. degree (M.D./Ph.D. students must be registered as a GSBS student); and conducting research in the broad area of virology.
Application cover sheet and instructions (should be sent in a single pdf file)
Deadline: December 7, 2012
Current Award Recipient:
- Janani Krishnamurthy