Pre-Doctoral Training

As a BIMS predoctoral student, we hope that you will continue your PhD training in our highly renowned Basic and Translational Cardiovascular Research Training Program (CVTP). Our CVTP has over >50 outstanding NIH-funded mentors who are part of the University of Virginia Robert M. Berne Cardiovascular Research Center (CVRC). Our faculty mentors have broad biomedical research interests and their association with most degree granting programs and departments provides enormous opportunities for your selection of rotation projects, and selection of a PhD thesis advisor who specializes in your desired area of research focus. You will then have the opportunity to compete for a position on our NIH training grant in Basic and Translational Cardiovascular Research* which for more than 40 years has been producing scientists who go onto highly successful independent research and leadership positions in academia, the pharmaceutical industry, biotechnology companies, and government research scientist-administrative positions. The training grant and CVRC work together to provide:

  1. Stipend support, health insurance, and tuition and fees.
  2. Travel money to attend and present your research at national and international scientific meetings.
  3. Specialized cardiovascular biology and disease courses; monthly research in progress sessions, journal clubs, grant writing workshops and grant brewing sessions; a weekly seminar series; a trainee-run professional career development course with expert guest lecturers from a wide range of scientific disciplines and types of research careers.
  4. Clinical rotations with cardiovascular clinical scientists to provide you exposure to patients, current therapies, and overall treatment approaches and deficiencies.
  5. Internships; which include partnership with industry, and study abroad as part of our Dusseldorf University research and training alliance.
  6. Financial support to take external classes on specialized topics (e.g.,https://www.mbl.edu/education/courses/optical-microscopy-imaging ; Advanced Research Training Courses at the Woods Hole Marine Biological Laboratory https://www.mbl.edu/education/courses/; and the annual NAVBO Vasculata Course http://www.navbo.org/events/vasculata2019 just to name a few of the options).
  7. An individual training program customized to your skills, competencies, and professional aspirations.
  8. Finally, a unique team-based training environment where you will closely interact with other students, post-doctoral fellows and faculty, in addition to your doctoral mentor or co-mentors, and thesis committee members.

* NIH restricts training grant support to permanent residents and citizens of the US.

Application Information

Each May, Training Grant nominations and applications will be submitted through the BIMS Program Administrators. Documents for the Cardiovascular Research Training Program include:

  • Current CV
  • Personal Statement (include your experience in labs, research, etc.)
  • Undergraduate and Graduate Transcripts.
  • Official GRE and/or MCAT scores
  • Nomination Letters (up to 4 of them)

Contact Mary Sheffer or call 434-243-9943 with any questions.