Skip to main content
College of Veterinary Medicine 
Veterinary Hospital

Comparative Medicine and Translational Research Training Program (CMTRTP)

We offer fellowships to provide post-graduate (DVM) research opportunities for veterinary specialists in well-funded laboratories that will lead to a doctoral degree (PhD).

The NIH T32 funded the NC State Comparative Medicine and Translational Research Training Program (CMTRTP), established by the faculty in the College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) and the Comparative Medicine Institute (CMI) at North Carolina State University, offers fellowships to provide post-graduate (DVM) research opportunities for veterinary specialists in well-funded laboratories that will lead to a doctoral degree (PhD).  The training program emphasizes comparative and translational research and provides experience in multidisciplinary research programs designed to prepare trainees for an early career development award and a rapid transition to independence in a research-intensive career, with a priority on developing fellows for faculty positions in academia.

Eligible applicants will have completed their DVM and specialty residency training either at NC State or another college of veterinary medicine. Excellent academic credentials, prior research experience, and outstanding letters of recommendation emphasizing the potential for the applicant to become a productive, impactful clinician scientist are expected. CMTRTP fellows will be enrolled in the Comparative Biomedical Sciences (CBS) graduate program for the PhD. CBS is an umbrella graduate program consisting of seven concentration areas (Cell Biology, Neurosciences, Immunology, Pathology, Infectious Diseases, Population Medicine and Epidemiology, and Pharmacology). The CBS program has defined curricula for each concentration area with a number of electives available to all CBS students and allows students to take elective courses available in other graduate programs.

Program Features

  • Associate membership in the Comparative Medicine Institute
  • Annual Fellowship Stipend: based on NIH post-doctoral pay scale
  • Travel Allowance: $1,000 per year
  • Tuition and Health Insurance: Fellow’s tuition and health insurance will be paid by the program.
  • Eligibility for Comparative Medicine Institute funded pilot grants.
  • Coursework: During the fall each year, trainees will participate in a capstone CMTRTP seminar course that emphasizes translational research, animal models of disease and application basic discoveries. The CMTRTP also has a monthly professional development course seminar designed to address topics essential for a successful career as a veterinary clinician scientist. Fellows will take a grant writing course introducing the fundamentals of preparing a successful grant and are eligible to participate in the CVM wide K Club, for those fellows and early faculty members preparing an NIH K Award application. Fellows will complete all the PhD requirements for the CBS graduate program including CBS 662: Professional Conduct in Biomedical Research.
  • Participation in an annual research symposium sponsored by the CVM and an annual research retreat organized by the Comparative Medicine Institute.

Funding and Application Process

CMTRTP fellowships are made possible through funds from NC State and an NIH T32 training grant. Fellows are selected by the CMTRTP Executive Committee based on the CBS graduate program application submitted online (https://applygrad.ncsu.edu/apply/) or (for applicants already enrolled in the CBS graduate program), an application packet sent to the program director Dr. Sam Jones (see below for details). Funding for the second and third year is contingent upon satisfactory progress during the preceding year(s) of the fellowship and the availability of funds.

The College of Veterinary Medicine and the CMTRTP welcome visits by prospective applicants to learn about the training program and the CBS graduate program, and to meet with training faculty members and current fellows. Scholarships to offset travel expenses are available upon request. Please contact our Research Training Specialist, Shannon Brooks (sebrooks@ncsu.edu) to schedule a visit and to inquire about travel scholarships.

Application deadline is December 1st 5:00pm.

Applicants who are not already enrolled in the CBS graduate program at NC State as a PhD student are required to submit a graduate school application for the CBS graduate program through the NC State Graduate School website.

Applicants already enrolled in the CBS graduate program will submit the following to Dr. Sam Jones.

  1. Letter of intent/personal statement
  2. Complete academic transcripts
  3. Three letters of recommendation
  4. Curriculum vitae

Eligibility Requirements

  • Student must be enrolled full time (or admitted to) the Comparative Biomedical Sciences research doctoral program at North Carolina State University by the beginning date of the fellowship.
  • Student must have completed their DVM specialty training at NC State or another college of veterinary medicine. Student must have an outstanding undergraduate and graduate academic record as evidenced by the cumulative grade point average.
  • Student must be a citizen, non-citizen national, or a permanent resident of the United States.
  • Student must select one of the training faculty members listed above as their major advisor or co-advisor. (This may be done after rotating through 1-3 laboratories).

Faculty