LaMP Program Overview, Eligibility and Application

• Attend 2 units/quarter of LaMP core courses:
  • Fall and Winter Quarters: “Core Concepts and Methods in Learning, Memory, and Plasticity” 
  • Spring Quarter: “Translational Approaches to Learning, Memory, and Plasticity Disorders” (didactic and interview/video sessions that span clinical, cognitive, systems and molecular aspects of each disease).
• Participation in a career development weekly meeting (Q1-3).
• Completion of RCR training (may have been done previously within past 4 years).
• Training in grant writing during career development meetings and over the summer, followed by the required submission of an NRSA (or equivalent) grant at the end of the funding period.
• Participation in all-hands LaMP Program meetings.
• Attendance at a LaMP speaker series, including networking meetings with the speakers.
• Participation in an annual program retreat, where each trainee will present their research progress.
• Participation in the yearly training program evaluation.
• Students and their LaMP faculty trainers are expected to commit to participate in this program for 3 years (i.e., attend the new all-hands meetings and annual retreat) to create a program community.

Eligibility

• Students may apply for Years of 2 or 3 of their graduate training.
• Be in good academic standing within their graduate group.
• Work on a project related to LaMP research.
• Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
• Work in one of the approved LaMP Trainers’ labs (listed here). New faculty are encouraged to join the program by submitting a faculty trainer application.

Application Process

Application materials are submitted by email to the Program Director, Karen Zito (kzito@ucdavis.edu). The deadline to apply is midnight, April 11th. Selection is competitive and based on academic performance, the relevance of the applicant's proposed research and career goals to LaMP, representation of trainees across fields, and the potential of the applicant to benefit from and contribute to the LaMP training program.

Application Materials

Use Arial, 11pt font, 0.75 in margins, single spacing

• NIH formatted biographical sketch.
• Concise plan with title describing your current doctoral dissertation research (purpose and progress to date), its relevance to the LaMP fields and your career goals (2-page limit, references not included).  Please include a section on how the LaMP training program will enhance your training. Carefully distinguish between what you have accomplished from work performed by others. 
  • If you have not yet selected your research lab, please describe the 2 labs that you are deciding between, what your thesis project might be in each, and why you want to join LaMP (1 page per lab, references not included).
• Summary (2-page limit, references not included) of all of your research experience to date. List any relevant materials, especially publications and abstracts submitted or accepted.
• Copies of your graduate and undergraduate academic records and GRE scores if you have them (unofficial copies are acceptable).
• Signed statement indicating that the trainee and LaMP mentor agree to comply with the requirements of the LaMP training program (see application for signature form). 
  • If you have not yet selected a thesis lab, this statement is required prior to appointment.  
• One letter of recommendation from the LaMP mentor (who must be an approved LaMP Trainer). 
  • If you have not selected a thesis lab, include letters from the two mentors that you are deciding between.