UTMB Health SPPH Handbook 2025-2026 by UTMB Health

SPPH

University of Texas Medical Branch

School of Public and PopulationHealth Student Handbook

Deans Message

I am delighted to welcome you to the School of Public and Population Health (SPPH) at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB). I am deeply honored to serve as inaugural Dean of this innovative school founded in 2022.

Public health training and practice at UTMB began its journey in the Department of Preventive Medicine and Population Health over 100 years ago in the Texas’s first School of Medicine. The COVID-19 pandemic, along with climate change and rising rates of obesity and other chronic conditions on the Gulf Coast, highlighted the need for increased numbers of well-trained public health practitioners and researchers in our region. As a result, UTMB and the University of Texas system approved the establishment of the School of Public and Population Health. The SPPH received full accreditation from the Council on Education for Public Health in December of 2023.

Our school’s number one goal is to improve health through impactful research, scholarship and practice –locally, regionally and globally. Working together as a school, as well as with our network of collaborators across the region and beyond, we will achieve this through leading innovative public health education, translational research, and evidence informed practice and policy through authentic collaborations in the Gulf Coast region, Texas, and the world. We highly value equity and respect in all of our endeavors with one another, other institutions, and our partners.

Our work focuses on the translation of research that addresses complicated public health issues through action. The school’s research expertise includes chronic and infectious disease epidemiology, disease prevention, aging, correctional health, climate impact, health disparities, health services, and ethics. We have developed innovative curriculum training tomorrow’s public health workforce and researchers focusing on collaborations that allows us to partner both with our local community members and practitioners and with renowned faculty across the region, state, country, and world.

We welcome you in joining us in our efforts to achieve better health for all!

SPPH Mission and Goals

Mission:

Leading innovative public health education, translational research, and evidence-informed practice and policy through authentic collaborations in the Gulf Coast region, Texas, and the world

Goals:

Goal1: Improve health through impactful research and scholarship, regionally and globally

Goal 2. Provide curriculum and experiences using innovative approaches that prepare students to improve health, regionally and globally.

Goal 3: Expand public health and community-based practice and service that improves health, regionally and globally.

Goal 4: Accelerate collaborations in research, education, and practice by diversifying our portfolio of resources and range of partnerships

Goal 5: Enhance online and other marketing capabilities to promote the SPPH and enhance student recruitment and enrollment

SPPH Student Association

The purpose of the Student Association at UTMB SPPH aims to represent the student body's perspectives on all aspects of student life and to affect positive change by working with the school administration. The Student Association will serve as a bridge between SPPH students, administration, and the communities we serve.

Activities and community projects

• Organize and facilitate public health projects sponsored or co-sponsored by the SPPH Student Association

• Organize student events, host seminars, social events, etc.

Professional Development for All Students

Professional Development (PD) is the continuous process of building knowledge, skills, and competencies relevant to the student’s future career or academic goals. Some key components of PD for students include:

• Career Advancement

• Communication Skills

• Leadership and Mentorship

• Networking Opportunities

• Power Skills Development

• Research and Publications

• Training, Workshops and Seminars

SPPH aims to provide programs, resources, and events to help the student with every step along the way to succeed in their chosen career. PD will come in many different forms (i.e., one-time events, writing workshops, mock interviewing sessions, individual development plans, mentorship, etc.). PD activities will build on the degree program core competencies, helping students transition smoothly from academic life to the professional world.

SPPH Foundational Public Health Knowledge

The UTMB SPPH ensures that all SPPH graduates are grounded in foundational public health knowledge. Grounding in foundational public health knowledge is measured by the student’s achievement of twelve learning objectives:

FOUNDATIONAL PUBLIC HEALTH KNOWLEDGE

1. Explain public health history, philosophy, andvalues.

2. Identify the core functions of public health and the 10 Essential Services

3. Explain the role of quantitative and qualitative methods and sciences in describing and assessing a population’s health.

4. List major causes and trends of morbidity and mortality in the US or other community relevant to the school or program, with attention to disparities among populations, e.g., socioeconomic, ethnic, gender, racial, etc.

5. Discuss the science of primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention in population health, including health promotion, screening, etc.

6. Explain the critical importance of evidence in advancing public health knowledge.

7. Explain effects of environmental factors on a population’s health

8. Explain biological and genetic factors that affect a population’s health.

9. Explain behavioral and psychological factors that affect a population’s health.

10. Explain the cultural, social, political, and economic determinants of health and how the determinants relate to population health and health inequities.

11. Explain how globalization affects global burdens ofdisease.

12. Explain an ecological perspective on the connections among human health, animal health, and ecosystem health (e.g., One Health)

SPPH Degrees

Master of Art (MA) in Bioethics and Health Humanities (BHH) Degree

Since 1988, the Institute for Bioethics & Health Humanities has been a leader in fostering critical bioethics and health humanities research through its graduate degrees. Our students engage a broad and interdisciplinary course of study encompassing health-care ethics, health law and policy, history of medicine, literature and narrative studies in health care, religion and health, medical anthropology, and social medicine. Our graduates are leaders and change-agents across a wide array of health-related fields.

Seminars

The Institute holds regular seminars and colloquia, open to all students and faculty members. Students and faculty who wish to present are encouraged to reserve a slot early in the year, as the slots fill quickly. Out-of-town visitors who can only present on a particular date will be given scheduling priority. For more information or to reserve a slot, please contact the department Coordinator. Seminars usually take place monthly. They are a more formal presentations given by external speakers. Students are expected to attend both types of meetings.

Work-in-Progress/Workshops are held weekly. These sessions are less formal than seminars and offer an opportunity for students and faculty members to present a work-in-progress for comments and suggestions or learn information or skills related to career development or scholarly activities. Students, faculty, and visiting scholars are encouraged to use the brown bag seminars to solicit feedback on work they intend to present elsewhere. Presenters are allowed 20 minutes to outline his/her work, followed by 25 minutes for discussion.

Course Requirements

For the MA degree in Bioethics and Health Humanities, 30 credit hours of graduate instruction is required. This includes four core courses and six electives. A student also completes a thesis. The core classes are:

• Introduction to Health Humanities

• Foundations in Bioethics

• Interdisciplinary Methods

• Histories of Health andBioethics

A student plan will be created with the Program Director upon enrollment to guide activities and expectations throughout the course. A full-time course load could look like:

Fall Semester 4 x 3-credit courses

Spring Semester 4 x 3-credit courses

Summer Semester 2 x 3 credit courses and candidacy preparation Spring Semester Thesis credit enrollment (thesis writing)

Students will meet with the Program Director on a monthly basis. The Program Director and student will

discuss potential thesis interests and supervision towards the end of the second semester (when enrolled full-time). Students will be paired with an appropriate supervisor(s) for their thesis and work on a proposal by the end of their third enrolled semester.

Thesis

Students seeking the MA degree in BHH must meet the Thesis Requirements of the SPPH. A thesis in Bioethics and Health Humanities should demonstrate knowledge, critical analysis, and application of key methodologies in a relevant bioethical and/or health humanities subject.

Master of Public Health (MPH) Degree

SPPH’s established values and goals guide the Master of Public Health (MPH) to accomplish the SPPH stated mission. Our goals reflect our primary functions: instruction, public health practice, translational research, and extramural service, as well as workforce development, resources and administration, and diversity. SPPH offers the five MPH concentrations that follow:

• Bioethics Concentration

• Biostatistics Concentration

• Epidemiology Concentration

• Generalist (MD/MPH) Concentration

• Public Health Practice Concentration

Competencies and Core Requirements

For a Master of Public Health degree, a minimum of forty-two (42) credit hours of graduate instruction is required. This includes 14 credit hours of MPH core courses, concentration-specific courses, the Applied Practice Experience, and the Integrative Learning Experience.

MPH Foundational Competencies and Core Requirements

Track Specific Competencies can be found on the SPPH website.

• MPH Bioethics Track

• MPH Biostatistics Track

• MPH Epidemiology Track

• Generalist (MD/MPH) Track

• MPH Public Health Practice Track

Applied Practice Experience

Candidates for the Master of Public Health (MPH) degree complete SPPH 6070 Applied Practice Experience (APE). The APE is an important, hands-on opportunity that allows students to practice the knowledge and skills they have learned in the classroom in a real-world setting. Students may complete their APE in a variety of settings, including governmental, non-governmental, non-profit, and for-profit agencies. The activities that are completed should be mutually beneficial to both the student and the selected site.

MPH students are to meet with either the Director of Public Health Practice or the Public Health Practice Coordinator at least one semester prior to registering for their APE in order to ensure that an appropriate site, preceptor, and project are selected.

During the APE, students will create at least two (2) products that benefit their site and demonstrate the application/practice of five selected MPH competencies. Product examples include project plans, grant

proposals, training manuals or lesson plans, surveys, memos, videos, podcasts, presentations, spreadsheets, websites, photos (with accompanying explanatory text), or other digital artifacts of learning. The five competencies that a student selects must be clearly demonstrated in the products created. Three (3) of the five competencies must be from the list of foundational competencies as outlined by CEPH, and the other two (2) competencies can be additional foundational competencies OR competencies for the student’s MPH concentration.

More information can be found in Appendix A

Integrative Learning Experience

Candidates for the Master of Public Health (MPH) degree complete SPPH 6016 Integrative Learning Experience (ILE). The ILE is a scholarly written product, supervised by a faculty mentor, that aligns with students’ educational and professional goals, demonstrates the synthesis of competencies attained during the MPH program, and represents the culminating experience of the Program. It is intended to provide students with the opportunity to explore a topic of public health significance in greater depth.

MPH students are expected to identify a faculty mentor the semester prior to registering for their ILE or the block they intend to take the course if pertaining to a medical student The ILE format can be a research study report, publication, scoping systematic review, community or organizational assessment report, program plan, program evaluation, or policy analysis paper. Students work with their faculty mentor to identify foundational and concentration competencies they will integrate and synthesize into their ILE deliverable. Students are instructed to select a minimum of four total competencies, including at least two (but no more than four) foundational competencies, and at least one concentration competency.

More information can be found in Appendix B and Appendix C (for MDMPH Students)

Master of Science (MS) in Aerospace Medicine (ASM) Degree

With the continued expansion of the aviation and aerospace industry, there is an immediate need to train more Aerospace Medicine board certified physicians. NASA is committed to returning humans to the moon and Mars (while simultaneously continuing low-earth orbit operations). The commercialization of spaceflight has expanded rapidly and opened novel job opportunities. Long-term, with the continued expansion of the field of aviation and the spaceflight exploration goals to travel to other celestial bodies, the need for Aerospace Medicine board certified physicians will continue to grow. The Master of Science curriculum in Aerospace Medicine aligns with the needs of Aerospace Medicine residents to prepare them for their careers.

The Aerospace Medicine MS is only available to medical residents in the Aerospace Medicine Residency program at UTMB.

Master of Science Capstone

Students in the Master of Science (MS) program are required to engage in research at a level appropriate to the degree program’s objectives. The MS program culminates with a discovery-based capstone project and paper that results in a high-quality written product and aligns with the student’s academic and professional goals. While similar to a master’s thesis in structure and type of deliverable, the capstone differs in that it may identify and answer a question of practical importance as opposed to contributing new knowledge to the field. The capstone is designed to be primarily completed during the semester of enrollment (in the final semester of the program); however, it is recommended that students begin planning their capstone project early in their graduate education.

This guide provides an overview of the steps required to complete a master’s-level capstone project and helpful resources to ensure your success. Students should also reach out for assistance from their faculty mentor throughout the research process.

More information can be found in Appendix D

Master of Science (MS) in Biostatistics Degree

The MS in Biostatistics has a statistics-intensive curriculum which requires multiple courses in biostatistics as well as statistical consulting activities. Each course has a rigorous assessment strategy that incorporates and assesses mastery of course content. Further, Statistical Consulting and the Research Practicum, generally taken in the 5th semester, serve as courses for integrating methods to foster discovery and translation of public health knowledge. These courses challenge students to integrate what they have learned across the multiple biostatistical analysis methods courses into a coherent strategy of population health discovery and translation.

Competencies and Core Requirements

For the MS degree in ASM, a minimum of thirty-two (32) credit hours of graduate instruction is required. For the MS in degree in Biostatistics, a minimum of thirty-six (36) credit hours of graduate instruction is required. This includes course work and a research/practicum project.

The MS in Biostatistics concentration and competencies can be found here: Curricular Plan Competencies

Master of Science Capstone

More information can be found in Appendix D

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Bioethics and Health Humanities (BHH) Degree

Since 1988, the Institute for Bioethics & Health Humanities has been a leader in fostering critical bioethics and health humanities research through its graduate degrees. Our students engage a broad and interdisciplinary course of study encompassing health-care ethics, health law and policy, history of medicine, literature and narrative studies in health care, religion and health, medical anthropology, and social medicine. We offer MA and PhD programs. Our graduates are leaders and change-agents across a wide array of health-related fields.

Seminars

Seminars usually take place monthly. They are a more formal presentations given by external speakers. Students are expected to attend both types of meetings.

A PhD in Bioethics and Health Humanities conforms to the policy requirements of the SPPH with the following extra specifications or exceptions.

Course requirements

Students in the PhD track complete 45 credit hours of graduate instruction. This includes four core courses and 11 electives. The core classes are:

• Introduction to Health Humanities

• Foundations in Bioethics

• Interdisciplinary Methods

• Histories of Health and Bioethics

A student plan will be created with the Program Director upon enrollment to guide activities and expectations throughout the course. A student also completes a dissertation while enrolled in research study credit hours. Students will meet with the Program Director on a monthly basis to review progress. Towards the end of a student’s course work, they will discuss topics of interest and potential supervisors for their dissertation.

Doctor of

Philosophy

(PhD) in Population Health Sciences (PHS) Degree

Population Health Sciences

Reductions in morbidity and mortality during the 20th century resulted in large part from effective health promotion and disease prevention programs. In the 21st century, these activities will continue to be central to improving population health and reducing health disparities. The Population Health Sciences PhD program focuses on conducting, communicating, and applying research aimed at the protection, promotion, and restoration of health in human populations. The program requires approximately 55 credit hours, a two-part qualifying examination, and a dissertation thesis. Students conduct research under the mentorship and supervision of nationally and internationally recognized faculty in areas including population health and aging, health disparities, cancer epidemiology, environmental health, and pharmacoepidemiology.

The Population Health Sciences PhD program has the following competencies:

1. Evaluate the roles that social, behavioral, environmental, or biological factors play in contributing to population health.

2. Develop and critically evaluate multidisciplinary theories, conceptual models, and research approaches used to examine population health research questions.

3. Analyze and interpret population health data using quantitative or mixed methods approaches.

4. Apply the highest ethical standards to population health research.

5. Communicate the findings from population health research and its implications to academic and nonacademic audiences.

The PhD in Population Health Sciences core requirements and competencies can be found here: Curricular Plan Competencies

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Rehabilitation Sciences (RS) Degree

Rehabilitation Sciences

Rehabilitation Sciences research is interdisciplinary and examines methods of prevention, intervention, and recovery associated with disabilities and chronic disease that limit a person’s ability to engage in meaningful personal, community, recreational, and vocational activities. Students in the Rehabilitation Sciences PhD program receive advanced training to conduct rigorous and innovative research that improves the functional independence and healthcare outcomes of people living with a disability. This program requires approximately 58 credit hours, a two-part qualifying examination, and a dissertation thesis. Students conduct research under the mentorship and supervision of nationally and internationally recognized faculty in areas including healthcare quality and outcomes, clinical and translational rehabilitation research, aging with disability, and traumatic brain injury.

The Rehabilitation Sciences PhD program has the following competencies:

1. Evaluate the roles that social, behavioral, environmental, healthcare systems, and biological factors play in contributing to functional independence.

2. Develop and use conceptual models to examine rehabilitation science and health services research related questions.

3. Apply research concepts or approaches to address specific research questions in rehabilitation science and health services research.

4. Describe the strengths and weaknesses of study designs for rehabilitation science and health services research.

5. Communicate the methods, findings, and implications of rehabilitation science and health services research to scientific and lay audiences.

6. Select methods to translate evidence from rehabilitation science and health services research into clinical-, community-, and policy-based interventions that promote functional independence.

The PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences core requirements and competencies can be found here: Curricular Plan Competencies

Qualifying Exams for PhD Students

Bioethics and Health Humanities Students

Qualifying Exams

Following the completion of coursework, BHH PhD students are expected to complete written and oral qualifying examinations within two semesters. The goal of the qualifying examination is to demonstrate sufficient knowledge and skills to write the dissertation. As such, the examination addresses the student’s 3 principal research areas for the dissertation. The specifics of the test areas will be

determined by the student’s qualifying examination committee in consultation with the student. To prepare for the examination, the student, advisor, and committee faculty will develop three bibliographies of relevant readings. The student must master this material.

More information can be found in Appendix E

Population Health Sciences and Rehabilitation Science Students

Purpose

All PhD students are required to take qualifying exams before being eligible for admission to candidacy. Students take qualifying exams at two time-points. Students complete the first exam at the end of summer 1 (August), which consists of three questions that are designed to be integrative, containing interdisciplinary components covering all core domains: biostatistics, epidemiology, research design, population health, rehabilitation sciences plus components of each specific program. Therefore, the intent of the examination is to evaluate the student’s command of key competencies related to both the core and his/her specific program.

Students complete the second portion of the qualifying exam during summer 2, in the form of a R03 grant proposal, which tests students’ readiness to conduct independent research with their knowledge in population health sciences or rehabilitation sciences research to their current research. The student must independently derive specific aims, hypothesis/es, significance, innovation, research approach, and write a complete proposal. Students may take each portion of the exam a maximum of two times, as detailed in this handbook.

More information can be found in Appendix F

Candidacy (All PhD students)

To be admitted into candidacy, your dissertation proposal must be submitted to your committee chair and circulated to the remaining members of your committee for review. For PHS and RS students, a private defense of the proposal is scheduled with the student and their committee. Once successfully defended, with the committee’s approval, the student can complete and submit the Application for Candidacy by the deadline stated in the Academic Calendar to advance to candidacy for the following semester. A student has a maximum of three academic terms following successfully passing their qualifying exam to form their dissertation committee, defend their proposal, and enter into candidacy.

More information can be found in Appendix G (for BHH Students) and Appendix H (for PHS/RS Students)

Dissertation Committee (All PhD students)

After PhD students have successfully completed the full qualifying exam, they have one year (three semesters) to form their dissertation committee and submit a defended dissertation proposal. A PhD committee typically has 5 faculty members: four UTMB faculty members and one faculty member or appointee from another institution. Of the UTMB members, at least three will be from the student’s program (one being the faculty mentor who typically serves as chair of the committee), and one whose primary area of scientific expertise is different from that of the faculty mentor. Those in the MD/PhD program may be required to have one additional member; consult with the MD/PhD program for more information.

See more detailed information on Candidacy in the Appendices.

Dissertation (All PhD Students)

To successfully complete the dissertation portion of your graduate program, you should follow the following course of action:

• Complete the final draft of yourdissertation.

• With your committee chair and members, set up a date for your oral defense. You must complete a Request for Final Oral Exam form (all forms can be found here). This form must be completed and turned into the SPPH Education Office at least 2 weeks prior to the defense date.

• On the day of your defense, you will have to have the members of your committee sign the Signature Page for your dissertation, as well as sign a Report of Final Oral Exam Form Often times, particularly if there are edits requested by the committee, all committee members will sign off on the signature page except for the Committee Chair, who withholds their signature pending successful completion of any required edits.

• After your defense, you will make any changes to your dissertation required by your committee and then, once final signatures are obtained by your committee and chair, you will submit it to your Program Director as an electronic Word document via email. They will run your final version through the iThenticate (plagiarism) software and will complete the associated form with this step in the process.

• Once approved, you will submit the final dissertation to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs in the School of Public and Population Health.

• The Associate Dean for Student Affairs will review the document and let you know if there are any additional changes needed, or if you can go ahead and upload it to the Electronic Thesis Dissertation (ETD) website. Do not upload your dissertation to ETD without approval from the Associate Dean for Student Affairs.

• Complete the Graduation Check List. You should make sure that all items on the checklist are complete and then turn them in to the Education Program Manager.

More information can be found in Appendix I

Academic Calendar

A student officially withdrawing from school during a fall or spring semester or a summer term that is 10 or more weeks in duration is entitled to a refund of tuition and certain fees, which as of the printing of this document is determined by enrollment services using the following schedule:

o Prior to the first-class day (less $15 registration procession fee) 100%

o During the first five class days ofthe term 80%

o During second five class days ofthe term 70%

o During third five class days ofthe term

o During fourth five class days ofthe term 25%

o After the 20th class day 0%

A student officially withdrawing from school during a summer term less than 10 weeks in duration is entitled to a refund of tuition and certain fees, as follows:

o Prior to the first-class day (less $15 registration procession fee) 100%

o During the first, second- or third-class day of the term 80%

o During the fourth, fifth or sixth class day of the term 50%

o After the sixth-class day ofthe term 0%

A student who drops a course prior to the census day of a semester or fourth-class day for a six-week summer term but who remains enrolled for other courses during that semester or term is eligible for a 100 percent refund of tuition and fees for the course dropped.

Policies and General Reminders

Title IX

UTMB is committed to maintaining a learning and working environment that is free from discrimination based on sex. Sexual harassment, sexual assault, relationship violence, stalking, and retaliation subvert the mission of UTMB. The Title IX Office works to ensure all university members have a safe place free from discrimination in which to learn and serve. Any person (student, faculty or staff) who believes that discriminatory practices have been engaged in based upon gender may discuss their concerns and file informal or formal complaints of possible violations of Title IX with the UTMB Title IX Coordinator.

Dr. Marquita M. Booker, JD

Executive Director of Internal Investigations and Title IX Coordinator

409-772-2112

Title.ix@utmb.edu

Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)

The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 CFR Part 99) is a Federal law that protects the privacy of student education records. The law applies to all schools that receive funds under an applicable program of the U.S. Department of Education.

Students with Disabilities

The Institutional ADA Office in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act as Amended (ADAAA) of 2008 and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is responsible for ensuring that students with disabilities are afforded and provided reasonable accommodations.

This office will be proactive in engaging in the interactive process and will maintain the highest level of confidentiality. See the Institutional Handbook of Operating Procedures 7.1.1 Students With Disabilities Act for more information.

Lela Lockett-Ware, OT, CDMS

Institutional ADA Officer

Lee Hage Jamail Student Center, Room 2.118 (2nd floor)

409-747-4818

adastdnt@utmb.edu

Student Ombudsman

Every member of the University - student, faculty, and staff - makes a commitment to strive for personal and academic integrity; to treat others with dignity and respect and to honor the rights and property of others. From time-to-time issues may arise that are not in keeping with our commitment to this goal. The Office of Student Ombudsman facilitates communication and assists students in reaching understandable resolutions. The Student Ombudsman Office is located in Suite 2.110, Lee Hage Jamail Student Center, 409-747-4820

Mistreatment or Unprofessional Behavior

The UTMB School of Public and Population Health is committed to fostering a supportive and professional environment. We do not tolerate discrimination, mistreatment, or harassment of any kind Examples of mistreatment include the following:

• Public belittlement or humiliation.

• Physical harm or the threat of physicalharm.

• Requests to perform personal services.

• Being subjected to offensive, sexist remarks, or being subjected to unwanted sexual advances (physical or verbal).

• Being denied opportunities for training or rewards, or receiving lower evaluations or grades, based solely on gender, ethnicity, or sexual orientation.

• Being subjected to racially or ethnicallyoffensive remarks.

• Being subjected to offensive remarks about one’s sexual orientation.

• Verbal or emotional harassment through neglect or creating a hostile environment.

• Inappropriate comments aboutappearance.

• Use of foul language.

• Retaliation or threats of retaliation against any student who, in good faith, reports mistreatment or unprofessional behavior1

Student Concerns and Grievances

SPPH is committed to creating a supportive environment where students are encouraged to put forth their best efforts and work consistently towards meeting their academic and professional goals. This includes enabling students to take the lead in and responsibility for meeting their academic and professional goals, while ensuring a comprehensive and appropriately rigorous course of study and opportunities for academic and professional development beyond the classroom setting.

SPPH recognizes that there may be instances where students may take issue with, express concern, or have a grievance related to their course of study at UTMB SPPH. These may include (but are not limited to) concerns about grades; challenges in communicating or interacting with a mentor, advisor, or chair; issues around meeting requirements of a given degree program.

SPPH students may have concerns or grievances around specific issues that may be covered by other UTMB institutional policies and procedures. For certain specific concerns, students may be connected to resources and procedures referred to within these specific UTMB IHOPs and resources, including:

- IHOP - 03.02.01 - Nondiscrimination, Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action

- IHOP - 07.01.01 - Students withDisabilities

- IHOP – 03.02.04 – Sexual Misconduct

- IHOP 3.2.5 Consensual Relationships

- IHOP 8.1.4 Workplace Violence

- IHOP – 07.01.03 – Student Conduct andDiscipline

- UTMB Title IX Office

For any concerns or grievances that fall under any of the above IHOPs, students should report them to a SPPH faculty member, SPPH leadership, or appropriate UTMB employee within a timely fashion, as appropriate according to or required by the appropriate UTMB IHOP policy or procedure.

For other concerns or grievances not covered by these specific IHOPS or SPPH policies and procedures, students are encouraged to first seek an informal resolution to their concern or grievance by contacting the appropriate office, beginning with the students’ course director, mentor, chair, or advisor. If not applicable, appropriate, or able to be resolved, students can also contact their program director, or the SPPH Associate Dean for Student Affairs is always available to assist students with addressing their concerns or grievances. The UTMB Office of the Student Ombudsman is also an available resource to assist students with concerns.

SPPH recognizes that while these informal measures very often resolve student concerns, there may be instances where informal methods do not satisfactorily resolve a student’s grievance or concern. In such cases, a student may elect to file a formal grievance using UTMB’s formal grievance mechanism. There will be no recriminations against students who file a formal grievance. However, students are strongly encouraged to utilize informal approaches, including discussing concerns with the Associate Dean for Student Affairs, prior to filing a formal grievance.

Students wishing to file a formal grievance should refer to UTMB IHOP 07.01.13 – Students General Grievance Procedure for next steps.

The formal grievance process is outlined in UTMB institutional policies, specifically IHOP 07.01.13Student General Grievance Procedures.

Grades and Academic Standing

The grades used by the SPPH to compute the grade point average are A, B, C, F, and S/U, where on a 100-point scale A=90-100, B=80-89, C=70-79, F=0-69. A grade of U is equal to an F. The grade point average is calculated on the 4.0 system. A grade is provided for each course taken in every term and shall be based solely on performance in that term. When a student retakes a course both grades will be computed into the overall grade point average.

To be in good academic standing, graduate students must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Any student who receives a final grade of F, WF (withdrawn failing), or U in a course(s) may be required by their program to retake the course and obtain a B or S grade or better pursuant to the restrictions listed in the Policies section 6.2.

No grade may be expunged from a transcript except for WF; and the latter may be expunged only if the student retakes the same course.

Grade Appeals

Any appeals for grading changes must be submitted to the course director responsible for grading within 5 business days after the student has been notified regarding a graded assessment. The course director must report any grade changes to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs.

Advising and Mentorship

The SPPH faculty advise and monitor the progress of graduate students throughout the students' tenure in the SPPH. This function is accomplished by a faculty advisor(s) who is responsible for introducing and orienting graduate students to the program and advise students regarding course registration. Faculty advising also includes support related to career goals and other activities outside of the regular courses such as, applied practice experience, integrative learning experience, research rotations, etc.

A student may change their faculty mentor at any time during their program. The SPPH must be notified of this change in mentor status. The Program Director is responsible for assisting the student in finding a new mentor. SPPH does not fund research costs related to student’s graduate training if a student changes mentors.

Course Load

A full-time course load for a graduate student is defined as nine credit hours per term. Students with graduate assistantships must be enrolled for a full-time course load to remain eligible (except in some situations where six hours is sufficient).

The maximum course load for a full-time graduate student is fifteen credit hours per term. Under exceptional circumstances students may be allowed to register for more than this maximum course load, and to do so must obtain consent of the graduate Program Director and the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs.

Adding and Dropping Courses

Courses may be added or dropped with appropriate approvals from the course director, Program Director, and Associate Dean for Academic Affairs. Students may drop or add full-term courses prior to the official census date (twelfth class day). For shorter-term courses, students have until the seventhclass day to drop or add courses. Students will be billed for the additional cost in tuition and fees for each course added.

Course Waiver and Substitutions

Course waivers and substitutions must be approved by the Course Director for the course being substituted or waived, the Program Director, and the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs. Students must make this request of their Program Director prior to registration for the course.

Incomplete Grades

Students may receive an "incomplete" (I) for classes grade A-F if they failed to complete all the required work of the course by the end of that term. Students must receive permission of the instructor. An "incomplete" (I) is valid for a period not to exceed one term. At this time, the student must have completed the required work of the course, and a proper grade must have been reported to the Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, or the "I" may be changed to an F.

Time Limitations

MA, MPH and MS Degrees

All requirements for the MA, MPH and MS degrees must be completed within six years from date of first admission as a regular graduate student. If work for the masters degree requires longer than a six-year period, permission to continue must be obtained from the student’s Program Director and the Dean of the SPPH or their designee.

PhD Degrees

There are three specific time limits for the doctor of philosophy degree:

• After successful completion of the required coursework students will be allowed to register for Research (6097) and after successfully passing the qualifying exam students will have a maximum of three (3) terms until they must enter candidacy. Failure to be admitted to candidacy by the end of the third term may be grounds for dismissal from the SPPH;

• All requirements for the doctoral degree must be completed within five years after admission to candidacy. Any student who fails to complete the requirements within this specified time may be required to reapply for admission to candidacy; and

• A final, approved copy of the dissertation and all related forms must be submitted to the Associate Dean of Student Affairs within 90 days of successful completion of the defense of the dissertation.

Leave of Absence

A leave of absence may be requested for medical, voluntary (personal), emergency, or administrative reasons. A student may be placed on administrative leave when required by the Program Director and Assistant or Associate Dean for Student Affairs. See SPPH Academic Policies for additional information about leaves of absence

Graduate Student Expectations

Expectations for student conduct and discipline are highlighted in UTMB IHOP 07.01.03 and within SPPH’s Academic Policies and Procedures.

Academic Integrity

University policy on academic dishonesty is clear: academic dishonesty in any form is strictly prohibited. Anyone found to be cheating or helping someone else cheat will be referred directly to the Associate Dean for Student Affairs for disciplinary action. Penalties are severe and may include dismissal from the University. The risks associated with cheating far outweigh the perceived benefits. Academic dishonesty includes citing someone else's work as your own. If you are unsure whether your planned action constitutes academic dishonesty, seek clarification from your instructor. Writing assignments for this course may be checked for originality using the iThenticate software.

Plagiarism and Cheating

Plagiarism involves the intentional or unintentional use of someone else’s work without properly acknowledging the original source. Plagiarism is considered academic dishonesty and can result in serious consequences.

Collusion with others to complete individual assignments is also considered cheating. This may include having someone write sections of your work for you or answers questions on your behalf in tests, quizzes, etc. but also includes purchasing written material from online vendors (ghostwriters/assignment contractors).

The LBJ Graduate Writing Center at the University of Texas at Austin has developed a thorough guide that goes over rules, forms of plagiarism, and an overview of citation styles. See Appendix C for the guide or you can find the electronic version here: https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/mes/_files/pdf/forms/plagiarism.pdf

• Do your own work. If you need assistance or guidance on an assignment, ask for help!

• Utilize the plagiarism guide included in this handbook. Be sure to properly cite all of your referenced material in your coursework in a consistent format!

• Plagiarism and cheating can result in serious consequences, so please avoid them at all costs!

• EndNote is a useful tool to help with citations and is available through the Moody Medical Library.

• New tools such as ChatGPT and Microsoft 365 plug-ins that can source relevant material for you or format different documents into other types of documents are powerful and useful tools. These can be used to aid in preparation of tasks but not as writing tools. You should never use text created by a third-party tool in your own work.

Moody Medical Library provides resources for plagiarism, including plagiarism checkers: https://guides.utmb.edu/c.php?g=527379&p=3605518

Use of Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Claude, Microsoft Copilot, and Google Gemini) can be used to promote learning and enhance educational experiences. Some faculty may encourage the use of

AI tools in the classroom to support student innovation and creativity and promote critical thinking while others may not allow the use of generative AI tools under any circumstances. The use of generative AI may also be limited to specific assignments or activities. If you have questions about the use of AI in a class, you must ask the course instructor about allowable use on assignments and projects. Students should be familiar with the limitations of generative AI and understand that its use may interfere with their learning outcomes.

The unethical use of any AI tool in the completion of submitted coursework, exams, research, or other academic requirements is prohibited. The unethical use of generative AI tools includes uses that give a student an unfair advantage on an assignment (e.g., copying and pasting text). When using generative AI technology to assist with academic work, students are expected to uphold academic integrity standards and clearly indicate the contributions of AI-generated content in accordance with academic citation guidelines. Students are also responsible for the accuracy of the content from generative AI.

Sample Citation: OpenAI. (2023). ChatGPT (Mar 14 version) [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/chat

Other ethical issues, that should be considered in the use of AI or Machine Learning platforms are their direct and indirect environmental impacts, which are significant and unsustainable and many of these companies’ models are based on intellectual theft (Rogers, 2024; Ren and Wierman, 2024; Chesterman, 2024). As developing scholars, understanding and employing your own ethical compass in your practice is important, this means being able to justify and standby your actions which is a key part of your professional integrity. When using tools, researching their practices, and deciding whether they align with your values and goals, and whether their use can be justified is part of your professional work. Finally, the use of generative AI should be consistent with UTMB policies on Student Conduct and Discipline (IHOP Policy 07.01.03). Unethical use and policy violations will be reported to the SPPH Associate Dean for Student Affairs and may result in academic sanctions, probation, suspension, or expulsion.

Come to Class

Attending all scheduled classes is required. If you need to miss a class, let your professor know in advance Attending and being on time for class is important because it demonstrates respect for your course director and peers, avoids disrupted learning, and allows you to fully engage with the material. Absences and regular tardiness may result in a required meeting with your Program Director and Associate Dean for Student Affairs and a reduction in your course grade.

Graduate school is more than attending class.

Unlike undergrad, graduate school involves active participation in class. Be sure to stay on top of readings and other assignments so that you can participate in class discussions/activities.

• Expect a challenge!

• Just because something does not seem applicable to you does not mean that it is irrelevant.

• Graduate school is an opportunity to immerse yourself in topics and experiences of interest to you.

Personal Presentation:

• Graduate students are expected to adhere to institutional policies related to personal appearance, and dress appropriately for their role within UTMB Health.

• Students working in clinical or other areas at UTMB Health should adhere to that area’s

guidelines.

Checking and responding to UTMB email

• You should be checking your UTMB email AT LEAST once per day. Staff has been instructed to only use UTMB email to communicate with students and not personal email addresses.

• This is the most frequently used tool that faculty and staff use to communicate important information to you.

• Be responsive. If someone asks you a question through email, do your best to get back to them within 24-48 hours.

• Allow faculty and staff 24-48 hours to respond to your emails before sending a follow-up email.

• If you email multiple staff/faculty about the same issue, put them all on the same email chain, so as not to cause confusion.

Email etiquette:

• Address professors, staff, and other students in a professional manner

• Use complete sentences and be concise.

• Do not use text abbreviations/lingo.

Laptop and Phone Etiquette

• Technology is a tool that may be useful in some classes.

• All electronic devices should be put on silence/put away during class, unless they are being used to take notes or for an in-class activity. (No social media, Netflix, checking and returning personal or professional emails, etc.)

• Professors can tell when you are not payingattention.

• If you have a family emergency or are expecting an important phone call, let your professor know before class has started so that they have a heads up!

Scheduling meetings with professors/staff

• You should always try to schedule meetings with faculty and staff before showing up to their offices, preferably 48 hours in advance of the proposed meeting time. Be respectful of their schedules. Email them to set up an appointment so they can have that time set aside to help you to the best of their ability.

• If you are running late or need to reschedule, try to let the person know ASAP!

• Be respectful of professors’ time. Come to meetings prepared.

Course Evaluations

We are required to provide an evaluation for all didactic courses. Students are strongly encouraged to complete the evaluation form about the course. We use the feedback to improve the courses and program.

Compliance Training

Graduate students are expected to complete a variety of training and health activities, along with other UTMB Health employees, that are part of a comprehensive program to ensure the health and safety of employees, students, and patients. Graduate students should expect to be required to:

• Complete a series of online annual training courses by the deadline stated by the Office of Compliance

• Complete other activities as requested. Students who fail to comply with these requests will not be allowed to register for classes until they have complied. Students receiving stipends or other support who fail to comply with these requests will be suspended from their employee position, and stipend payments will cease.

Graduation

Degrees are awarded at the end of the Fall, Spring, and Summer terms; but formal, public ceremonies are held only once a year at a Spring Commencement Ceremony. Students are required to be enrolled during the term the degree is awarded. Degrees are conferred on the last day of class; however it takes 6-8 weeks for diploma’s to arrive in the mail.

Other Resources and Contacts

● UTMB Student Links & Resources

● New Student Welcome Guide

References

Rogers, R. (July 11, 2024) “AI's Energy Demands Are Out of Control. Welcome to the Internet's HyperConsumption Era”, WIRED, Accessed via: AI's Energy Demands Are Out of Control. Welcome to the Internet's Hyper-Consumption Era | WIRED

Ren, S. and Wierman, A (July 15, 2024) “The Uneven Distribution of AI’s Environmental Impacts” Harvard Business Review, Accessed via: The Uneven Distribution of AI’s Environmental Impacts

Chesterman, S. (2024) Good models borrow, great models steal: intellectual property rights and generative AI, Policy and Society, https://doi.org/10.1093/polsoc/puae006

Appendices

Appendix A

MPH APE (information from syllabus)

Assessments:

1. Proposal

• This form (available through UTMB WebForms; link in Blackboard) should be completed after you have identified the agency or organization where you will carry out the planned Applied Practice Experience project. In this form, you will:

o Specify the organization/agency you will be working with

o List the name and email for your Site Preceptor.

▪ A Preceptor is the professional at your site who will mentor you during the experience.

▪ NOTE: DOUBLE CHECK that you have listed their email correctly since this is the email address that is used to send the form onto your preceptor for them to approve.

o Briefly describe your planned project and the two (2) deliverables you will create. Indicate how your activities will contribute to the mission of the host agency or organization.

o Identify the five (5) competencies your deliverables will meet – competency list is available in Blackboard

o Agree to the responsibilities as outlined

• Once you’ve completed the required fields, submit the form so your identified preceptor can review and submit it before it comes to the Course Director for final approval.

2. Final Reflection

• As you wrap up the APE, you are required to complete a reflection about your APE experience. Complete instructions are available in Blackboard, but the required sections include:

o Cover Page

o Abstract

o Introduction

o Organizational analysis

o Project description

o Self-evaluation of competencies

o Conclusion

3. Preceptor Evaluation

• This form (available through UTMB WebForms; link in Blackboard) should be completed as you are wrapping up the APE. You will:

o Identify each of your five selected competencies and describe how you achieved them, by identifying the specific experiences and tasks you performed and how those are evident in your deliverables.

• Identify your two products/deliverables (and others, if needed) and include a brief description of each.

• Attach your products/deliverables

• Once you’ve completed the required fields, submit the form so your identified preceptor can complete their evaluation (including evaluation of competency attainment, attitudes, and deliverables), before it comes to the Course Director.

o DOUBLE CHECK that you have listed their email correctly since this is the email address that is used to send the form onto your preceptor for them to approve.

o Your preceptor also needs to be done their part by the deadline, so you should complete your part at least 3-5 business days before this date.

4. Instructor Evaluation

After the preceptor evaluation form is submitted, please upload your deliverables to the Blackboard page for the course. You must upload at least two deliverables, but there is room to upload more, if needed. The Course Director will use the rubric below to evaluate your deliverables and the competencies you have selected. Your grade for the Instructor Evaluation will be posted in Blackboard by the day grades are due for the semester.

Appendix B

ILE for MPH (information from syllabus)

ILE Planning

• Each student will meet with their MPH advisor every semester to discuss their ILE.

o Students should begin planning and preparing for the ILE well before they plan on registering for the course.

o Students are encouraged to be creative and to align their ILE with their professional goals and/or their Applied Practice Experience (APE). NOTE: if ILE is aligning with APE, the student must communicate with both the MPH Program Director (who is the course director of the ILE) and the Director of Practice, course director of the APE.

o Students will meet with their MPH advisor to identify or refine their professional goals and interests to determine an ILE project.

• During the semester that the student is registered for the ILE, each MPH student will need to have a UTMB faculty member that aligns with their professional goals and interests for the ILE.

• Although it is not required, the ILE may be developed and delivered in a manner that is useful to a community partner. If the product is developed with and delivered to an external stakeholder, the stakeholder should serve as the student’s co-chair.

• NOTE: the ILE must be completed during the last year of the MPH program. If a product or publication was completed during the first year of the MPH program, that cannot be used as the ILE, rather the ILE can build off of this project. If the student has questions about this, contact the MPH Program Director.

• NOTE 2: if the student is submitting a traditional manuscript, it is acceptable to have co-authors; HOWEVER, THE STUDENT MUST BE THE ONLY WRITER OF THE WHOLE ILE. The student can receive feedback from co-authors, but the writing cannot be divided amongst co-authors to count towards the ILE.

ILE Proposal

• Each student will meet with the chosen faculty member and develop a proposal outlining the ILE plan.

• The ILE Proposal will be due at the beginning of the registered semester.

• The proposal should include:

o Description of the ILE project (including objectives or purpose, activities, timeline, and proposed final product)

o All ILE’s must have gone through UTMB IRB approval BEFORE starting your project. Please visit https://www.utmb.edu/provost/resources/research-regulations-and-compliance/irb/home for more information. Please provide proof that the proposal has been reviewed by the UTMB IRB. Note: some projects may not require IRB approval. If you are not sure, please contact the MPH Program Director

o Identification of foundational and track competencies the ILE project will help you attain:

▪ Foundational Competencies: Select at least two foundational competencies but no more than four. Select the competencies the project/paper will best address.

▪ Concentration Competencies: Select at least one concentration competency. Select only the competencies the project/paper will best address.

ILE Final Product

• The ILE will culminate in a high-quality written product, which can include a research paper, a manuscript submitted to a peer-review journal, a rapid review, a policy paper, a program evaluation report, a program plan, a data analysis project with accompanying report, or other comparable products.

o NOTE: the ILE must be completed during the last year of the MPH program. If a product or publication was completed during the first year of the MPH program, that cannot be used as the ILE, rather the ILE can build off of this project. If the student has questions about this, contact the MPH Program Director.

• The final product must be double spaced, Arial or Times New Roman, 12-point font.

• Citation style: AMA or APA and must be consistent throughout the paper and reference section.

• Students will submit their final product to their faculty mentor, the course director, and external stakeholder (if applicable).

• The faculty mentor (and external stakeholder, if applicable) will evaluate the student’s performance and abilities using the ILE Rubric.

• At the end of the ILE final project, the student must list competencies and how they met them:

o Foundational Competencies: Select at least two foundational competencies but no more than four. Select the competencies the project/paper will best address.

Concentration Competencies: Select at least one concentration competency. Select only the competencies the project/paper will best address.

o Note: If the competencies have changed since the ILE proposal, because the paper/project changed, that’s okay.

• At the end of the ILE final project, the student must include an “Implications for policy/practice” section:

o This additional section should be a paragraph or two (or more if appropriate) describing how the ILE informs policy and/or practice in public health.

Presentation

• MPH students are required to present a poster at the Annual Public Health Symposium (or a national conference). Students have the option to present their ILE or Applied Public Health Practice Experience (APE) project.

SUGGESTED ILE TIMELINE

Timeline

Semester prior to ILE registration

Every week during enrolled semester

ILE Activity

Develop ILE concept (topic, paper-type) with the MPH Program Director and chosen faculty mentor

Develop a proposal of ILE plan, get feedback from faculty mentor, and finalize proposal

- It is recommended that students schedule periodic meetings with their faculty mentor to review progress and address any issues

- Share sections of rough draft with mentor to assure student is progressing and meeting requirements

- Submit final draft paper to faculty mentor (make revisions from faculty mentor) and obtain faculty mentor’s signature on the MPH Certification form for ILE

One month prior to last day of semester

No later than the last week of semester

- Once the final draft is approved by faculty mentor, immediately submit to the MPH Program Director through email and Blackboard portal

- The MPH Program Director will ensure all required sections are included and will run an iThenticate report. Should the student need to make edits based on these two items, the MPH Program Director will email the student back for edits.

Submit:

1. Final, approved ILE paper on Blackboard portal, and

2. MPH Certification form for ILE with faculty signature to the MPH Program Director through email

Faculty have numerous responsibilities outside of teaching and mentorship. Please work with your faculty mentor on a plan so you are able to complete your ILE in a timely manner.

ADVANCED PREPARATION

Students must complete all foundational coursework prior to enrolling in ILE. Students must receive permission from the instructor to enroll.

ILE for MD/MPH (information from syllabus)

ILE Planning

• Each student will provide their ILE topic and mentor prior to the registered (BSHS) period.

o Students should begin planning and preparing for the ILE well before they plan to register for the course.

o Students are encouraged to be creative and to align their ILE with their professional goals and/or their Applied Practice Experience (APE). NOTE: if ILE is aligning with APE, you must communicate with both the Program Director and the Director of Practice.

o Students will identify or refine their professional goals and interests to determine an ILE project.

• Each MPH student will need to have a faculty member within UTMB that aligns with their professional goals and interests for the ILE.

o Student must check in with Program Director about the chosen ILE topic and UTMB faculty mentor.

• NOTE: the ILE must be completed during the last 2 years of your MD/MPH program. If a product or publication was completed during the first 2 years of the MD/PH program, that cannot be used as the ILE, rather the ILE can build from this project. If you have questions about this, contact the Course Director and the MD/MPH program director.

• NOTE 2: if you are submitting a traditional manuscript, it is acceptable to have co-authors; HOWEVER, YOU MUST BE THE ONLY WRITER OF THE WHOLE ILE. You can receive feedback from co-authors, but the writing cannot be divided amongst co-authors to count towards the ILE.

ILE Proposal

• Each student will meet with the chosen faculty member and develop a proposal outlining the ILE plan. The proposal should include:

o Description of the ILE project (including objectives or purpose, activities, timeline, and proposed final product)

o All ILE’s must have gone through and determine whether UTMB IRB approval is needed BEFORE starting your project. Please visit https://www.utmb.edu/provost/resources/research-regulations-andcompliance/irb/home for more information. For those needing IRB approval, you will need to provide proof that your proposal has been reviewed by the UTMB IRB. For those in which IRB determined that it does not need further review as it is a program evaluation or quality improvement/assurance project, please include this letter for proof.

o Identification of foundational and track competencies your ILE project will help you attain:

▪ Foundational Competencies: Select at least two foundational competencies but no more than four Select the competencies your project/paper will best address.

▪ Concentration Competencies: Select at least one Generalist concentration competency. Select only the competencies your project/paper will best address.

ILE Final Product

o NOTE: the ILE must be completed during the last 2 years of your MD/MPH program. If a product or publication was completed during the first 2 years of the MD/PH program, that cannot be used as the ILE, rather the ILE can build from this project. If you have questions about this, contact the Program Director.

• The ILE will be counting for another medical school requirement (BSHS); therefore, the final product must be a minimum of ten pages, double spaced, Arial or Times New Roman font.

• Citation style: AMA or APA and must be consistent throughout the paper and reference section.

• Students will submit their final product to their faculty mentor, the course director, and external stakeholder, when applicable.

• The faculty mentor (and external stakeholder, if applicable) will evaluate the student’s performance and abilities

using the ILE Rubric.

• At the end of the ILE final project, the student must list competencies and how they met them:

o Foundational Competencies: Select at least two foundational competencies but no more than four. Select the competencies your project/paper will best address.

o Generalist Concentration Competencies: Select at least one concentration competency. Select only the competencies your project/paper will best address.

o Note: If your competencies have changed since your ILE proposal, because your paper/project changed, that is okay.

• At the end of the ILE final project, the student must include an “Implications for policy/practice” section:

o This additional section should be a paragraph or two (or more if appropriate) describing how your ILE informs policy and or practice in public health.

Presentation

• MPH students are required to present a poster at the Annual Public Health Symposium (or a national conference). Students have the option to present their ILE or Public Health Practice Experience project.

SUGGESTED ILE TIMELINE

Timeline

2 periods prior to ILE registration

Every week during enrolled period

ILE Activity

Develop ILE concept (topic, paper-type) with Program Director and chosen faculty mentor

Develop a proposal of your ILE plan, get feedback from faculty mentor, and finalize proposal

- It is recommended that students schedule periodic meetings with their faculty mentor to review progress and address any issues

- Share sections of rough draft with mentor to assure you are progressing and meeting requirements

- Submit final draft paper to faculty mentor (make revisions from faculty mentor) and obtain faculty mentor’s signature on the MPH Certification form for ILE

Two weeks prior to last day of enrolled period

No later than the last day of enrolled period

- Once final draft is approved by faculty mentor, immediately submit to Course Director through email and Blackboard portal (“MDMPH Class of ____”)

- Course Director will assure all required sections are included and will run an iThenticate report. Should you need to make edits based on these two items, the Course Director will email you back for edits.

Submit:

1. final, approved ILE paper on Blackboard portal (“MDMPH Class of ____”), and

2. MPH Certification form for ILE with faculty signature to Course Director through email

Faculty have numerous responsibilities outside of teaching and mentorship. Please work with your faculty mentor on a plan so you are able to complete your ILE in a timely manner.

ADVANCED PREPARATION

Students must complete all foundational coursework prior to enrolling in ILE. Students must receive permission of the instructor to enroll.

Appendix D

MS Capstone

Introduction to Capstone

The research preparation process begins with many steps as outlined below. Students should begin planning and preparing for their capstone project well before they plan to register for the course. It is important to begin talking to your program director or faculty mentor early in your graduate program to ensure you are completing the appropriate steps to be successful in completing your final project.

There are several resources available to students through UTMB and the SPPH. More information can be found in the ‘Student Resources’ section at the end of this guide.

Capstone Planning

• Requirements to begin

o Students must complete all foundational coursework prior to enrolling in the capstone course.

• Timing

o Capstone courses are self-directed and occur during the student’s last semester in the program (Spring 1 for ASM residents; Fall 2 for Biostatistics students).

• Finding a mentor

o Students should begin to discuss potential research topics and research goals with their faculty advisor or Program Director early in your program. Based on your research interests, your program director may be able to help identify a faculty advisor

o Each student will select or be matched with a faculty mentor that aligns with their academic and professional goals and interests for the project.

• Selecting a topic

o The faculty mentor will work with the MS student to identify an appropriate topic.

• Registering for credits

o Students should enroll in SPPH 6013 Capstone for their final semester.

Capstone Proposal

• Developing your proposal

o Preparation of the capstone proposal is an interactive process that requires students to work closely with their faculty mentor to develop a project plan.

• Review of proposal

o Students should work with their faculty mentor to establish how they will review drafts of the proposal. Students should update the proposal based on their mentor’s suggestions and comments.

• Approval of proposal

o Students must receive approval for their final proposal from their faculty mentor.

o Students must complete and submit the Capstone Proposal Completion Form

o Students may be required to submit a UTMB Institutional Review Board (IRB)* application or an application to the appropriate IRB for the agency overseeing the work. It is the responsibility of the student and their faculty mentor to determine which approvals are required, to apply for, obtain, and maintain all such approvals.

* Research that involves human subjects must be conducted in compliance with UTMB’s Institutional Research Board policies to protect the rights of human subjects. If the study includes human subjects, the student must collaborate with his/her faculty mentor to apply for IRB approval before any research activities are conducted. You may visit the UTMB Institutional Review Board Home (utmb.edu) website for more information. Some projects may be non-regulatory activities.

Capstone Deliverable

• Complete proposed work

o The requirements for this step vary considerably from project to project. The successful and timely completion of any project requires communication, organization, and time management. It is essential that students meet with their faculty mentor to develop a work plan and timeline.

• Capstone format

o The capstone format should be a paper with an abstract, introduction, methods, results, discussion, and conclusion.

o An alternative format may be used with approval of the program director and faculty mentor.

• Prepare the document(s)

• Final written deliverable requirements

o Students will submit their final product to their faculty mentor.

o The faculty mentor will evaluate the student’s performance and abilities using the capstone rubric.

o Students are required to present their capstone project at an appropriate forum, including a UTMB symposia, external conference, or audience of faculty and peers.

• Assessment [rubrics, self-assessments, etc.]

*For MS in Aerospace Medicine please obtain additional Capstone instructions from Program Director.

Appendix E

Qualifying Exam BHH

The goal of our program is to create interdisciplinary scholars with broad knowledge and applied skills that they can use in the diverse career settings they choose post-graduation. To that end the PhD program through its various stages (course work, qualifying exams, research proposal and dissertation) moves from the broad to the specific and from skill learning to skill application. The qualifying exam represents the transition phase between coursework to research work and should prepare students for the focused work in a specific area/topic required for their dissertation. Dissertations can look different for those students pursuing a MD/PhD or a clinical ethics consultant role, versus those choosing an academic career path, and the qualifying exams will reflect this.

This document first sets out some guidance for Qualifying Exam preparations and the timeline for preparation and sitting exams. The formal description of the written and oral component process is provided on page 3. The overall timeline for the PhD qualification and the expected time commitment for the QE portion and candidacy is included on page 4. This timeline is a guide for those aiming to complete the PhD in four years (related to GA funding) and may look different for students enrolled part-time or student with external funding for empirical work.

Qualifying Exam Preparations

1) Qualifying Exam Committee

A committee consists of one Chair and two other members. The Program Director will initiate discussions with students in their regular check-ins regarding Chair selections and plan in advance of the end of their coursework period. The Chair will then initially work with students to determine their area of interest and what three suitable topics might be for qualifying exams (sometimes these discussions can occur prior to the formality of becoming Chair or the student enrolling in research hours). In deciding these factors, the Chair and student will work together to consider other faculty members the mentor team. The Director of Graduate Studies and Department Chair will approve the committee composition.

2) Mentor team collaboration and expectations

Mentoring teams should meet at the beginning of the relationship without the student and the Chair should lead a discussion about expectations, communication, workflow, etc.

It is expected that the QE Committee Chair will meet with the student at least at 2-4 times during their reading phase to check in on their progress and to discuss readings. Chairs may choose to meet more often, this is the minimum level expectation. Additionally, there may be further communication by email.

Similarly, the minimum expectation for committee members is that they should at least meet 1-2 times to set the list and then discuss the readings (additional email correspondence is likely also). Meeting more than minimum expectations is member/student dependent. Non-Chair members should discuss any significant ideas or changes they have about the direction or content of the dissertation with the Chair rather than with the student to avoid confusion and possible conflicts between goals for the dissertation

3) Reading Lists

The QE Committee Chair will be responsible for oversight of timely list creation and coherence across lists, as well as monitoring timely student progress. Lists should be created collaboratively between faculty and students (this process can vary and is not prescribed: it can involve all committee members working together on all three lists with the student, or involve faculty committee members working with the student separately, this should have been agreed in an initial meeting). Students can begin reading while the lists are still being created, that is a final list does not have to be confirmed for work to begin.

Lists should be relevant texts to the area that will support the student for the qualifying exams and in their dissertation work, noting that they will, of course, read more during their dissertation phase specific to their inquiry. The goal of the reading lists is to give students a preliminary grounding in reading required for their dissertation research and allow them to demonstrate the ability to synthesize and analyze a range of work on a specific topic

in written and oral form. List lengths will vary by the nature of the topic and the mix of sources (books, articles, or other media), ratio of previously covered texts to new texts, etc. As a rough guideline a list will generally have 10-15 individual texts at the lower end (where these are more likely to be books) and around 30-50 at the higher end (where the proportion of articles is higher). The total of readings across all three lists should generally not be less than 30 or exceed 150, exceptions may occur but must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies. Committees and students should determine a timeline for developing and completing the reading lists. Lists may start longer and be cut as work progresses; emphasis should be placed on completing prioritized readings within the qualifying exam timeline. Reading lists may be centered around a foundational topic to the work to be done in a dissertation, or maybe aligned directly with a chapter, especially for those completing Dissertations by Publication. This will vary depending on the goals of the student, the nature of the dissertation and what is most useful.

4) Question Setting

The timeline regarding questions and exams is set out below. In determining the questions for exams. The chair should encourage the student to start thinking about these through the reading process and refine their thinking over time (as they read and understand more). Different committee chairs may encourage individual conversations with each committee member regarding the question for their topic, etc. or discuss the questions as group – again this is not prescribed and will work differently for different student-committee dynamics. What is key is that the student is prompted to think about what a good question might be to test their ability to synthesize learning & engage in critical analysis in the given area. The committee may choose to further refine or edit questions initially provided by the student if they think the questions do not challenge the student to go beyond the descriptive and use their learning to show knowledge of the area rather than rehearsal of information. The timeline then for questions are the formalities around their submission and sign off. The discussion and negotiation of questions can begin earlier and be collaborative. The Chair is ultimately responsible for setting questions.

Exam process

The Chair will be responsible for the communication, meeting arrangement and overall management of the exam process, keeping the Director of Graduate Studies informed along the way. All committee members will read the exam responses submitted by the student and in discussion decide whether a student can progress to the oral examination. At an oral examination all committee members can ask students questions based on their exam responses. These typically last 60-90mins. On completion of the oral exam, the committee confirms its decision of pass or fail. The Chair then communicates this to the student.

The interactions, lists, and questions, and examinations for each individual student and committee are likely to look very different based on area of interest, dissertation plans, group dynamics, learning styles, career goals, etc. The above information is meant to be provide guidance around the expectations of this process. Should you have any questions or issues, please consult the Director of Graduate Studies.

Timeline

1. Student submits draft questions (they have discussed them somewhat prior with individuals, but the submission should be all three questions simultaneously and formally communicated to Chair/committee as this starts the clock for the next phase). Ideally a student will be advised to do this on a Monday for ease of time-keeping.

2. QE committee has two weeks to finalize questions

3. QE Committee Chair then sends the student the three questions (third Monday post step 1).

4. Student has two weeks to submit answers

5. QE Committee have 3 weeks to determine whether written answers are satisfactory

6. If satisfactory QE Chair on behalf of committee with the student will set a date for their oral examination at a time that is convenient for all.

7. Post-exam QE Committee will deliberate and assign a grade of pass or fail.

8. This grade will be communicated to Graduate Program Coordinator via a written evaluation form asap postexam (1-2 days).

QUALIFYING EXAMINATION REQUIREMENTS

Following the completion of coursework, BHH Ph.D. students are expected to complete written and oral qualifying examinations within two semesters. The goal of the qualifying examination is to demonstrate sufficient knowledge and skills to write the dissertation. As such, the examination addresses the student’s 3 principal research areas for the dissertation. The specifics of the test areas will be determined by the student’s qualifying examination committee in consultation with the student. To prepare for the examination, the student, advisor, and committee faculty will develop three bibliographies of relevant readings. The student must master this material.

Written Examination

The written portion of the examination consists of 3 questions related to the student’s dissertation topic. The student will develop at least 3 questions for each research area and the faculty may use these as a jumping off point for the written examination questions; faculty have 2 weeks to solidify questions after submission.

The QE chair (who will generally be the student’s primary faculty advisor and must be a member of the core BHH faculty) will send the student the 3 questions and the student has 2 weeks to submit three answers to the QE chair. The student’s examination committee will review the student’s answers and, within 3 weeks, determine if they are satisfactory. As part of the deliberation, each committee member must complete and submit a written evaluation form to the Graduate Program Coordinator.

Each answer should be between 3,000-5,000 words plus a bibliography. Any concerns regarding clarification of the exam or the procedures must be directed to the Chair of the Qualifying Examination Committee, the Graduate Program Director, or the Graduate Program Coordinator. In taking this examination, each student is expected to comply with UTMB’s Honor Pledge and academic integrity policies. The student must neither seek nor receive help from anyone on any aspect of answering the questions or writing the exam. However, students can use available resources (e.g. their notes, books, internet).

The committee will deliberate and assign a grade of pass or fail. Students who receive a grade of pass will move on to the oral part of the examination. Students who receive a grade of fail will be given one more opportunity to take the qualifying examination with different questions. The timeline for this will be discussed and agreed between student and QE committee, and confirmed by the Program Director. It does not involve new reading although some re-reading would is reasonable in addressing new questions.

Oral Examination

If the student’s performance on the written examination is deemed satisfactory by the committee, the advisor will schedule the oral examination. The goal of the oral exam is to demonstrate command of the field of study and confirm readiness to begin the dissertation.

Following the oral examination, each committee member must complete and submit a written evaluation form to the Graduate Program Coordinator. The committee will deliberate and assign a grade of pass or fail. Students who receive a grade of fail will be given one more opportunity to take the oral part of the again qualifying examination with different questions based on their written exam.

Appendix F

Qualifying Exam PHS/RS

Students complete the PHS/RS qualifying exam in two phases. Students take Phase I after completing the first year of coursework. Phase II is taken after completing the second year of coursework. Phases I and II include a written component and an oral defense.

The qualifying examination for doctoral students in the PHS and RS programs is designed to meet the academic standards of the graduate faculty and needs of its students and to be in accordance with The University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) School of Public and Population Health (SPPH) requirements for doctoral-level examinations. The Qualifying Exam Oversight Committee (QEOC) in conjunction with the students' Qualifying

Exam Committee (QEC) develop, administer, and grade the exam.

The qualifying exam is designed to be integrative – it contains interdisciplinary components covering all core domains: biostatistics, epidemiology, research design, and population health plus components of each specific program. Therefore, the intent of the examination is to evaluate the student’s command of key competencies related to both the core and his/her specific program. Students must pass the qualifying exam as part of the process of becoming doctoral candidates. Students may take Phases I and II of the exam a maximum of two times each, as detailed in this handbook.

Eligibility

Students who intend to take the qualifying exam must submit a Qualifying Exam Application and have passed all of their required core courses for the given stage of their qualifying exam.

Applying for the Qualifying Exam

Prior to taking the exam the students will complete and submit a qualifying exam application which requires the student to identify (with the help of the program director) a co-chair for the qualifying exam committee, who will serve, in part, as a grader.

Phase I Examination

The written portion is a take-home examination, and the student is given one “work” week (e.g., Monday 8:00 AM through Friday at 5:00 PM) to complete the examination. There will be three questions, each to be answered in 10 double-spaced pages (unless otherwise specified on the actual examination). The first and second questions will assess the student’s ability to apply and integrate fundamental concepts and methods in epidemiology, research design, and biostatistics. The third question will be to critically evaluate a scientific manuscript. All questions will be vetted and approved by the QEC.

The exam is administered via email as open-book and open-source. Students are not allowed to speak to anyone about the content of the exam before, during, or after taking it. If students have questions about the exam, they may ask the Program Director (or their designee) only, as instructed on the QE instructions. If any issues, problems, or personal difficulties arise during the qualifying exam written component that may affect the student’s performance on the exam, the student should notify the Program Director (or their designee) as instructed on the exam’s directions.

The written exams are graded by the QEC and other appointed faculty, and each question has two graders. The first two questions will be graded by QEC members, and two other faculty appointed by the QEC. The third question will be graded by the student’s program director (or their designee) and one other faculty chosen by the student and the Program Director. Graders will independently evaluate the student’s response and then meet to reach a consensus grade. Written feedback from both graders will be synthesized and summarized. The resulting grade and summarized feedback will be forwarded by the primary grader to the Program Director. Once grades for the three questions are received and the final score is calculated the final results are communicated to the student’s Program Director and QEC chair. The student’s QEC chair then provides the result of the written component and accompanying feedback to the student.

The student will be notified in writing of the outcome and details on the grading for each question within 2 weeks of the examination by their QEC Chair. A copy of the correspondence is also sent to the student’s Program Director. Students who pass the written portion of the exam will advance to the oral defense.

Grade Determination:

Each question is worth 33* points. The exam is graded as Pass/Fail and is determined as a function of both the overall total of points achieved and the number of points awarded for each question, as detailed below:

• 33 points possible for Q1 & Q3 and 34 points for Q2.

• Minimum passing score is a 70

• Each question needs at least 25/33

• Overall, at least 70/100 points

• Conditional Pass – points equal over 70 cumulative, but less than 25 on one question.

• Pass = 25 or more on each and overall 70 or more

• Fail = overall below 70, or 2 or more under 25

The student’s progression through the QE process and determination of the student’s final outcome of the exam is evaluated as follows:

• If students pass all 3 written questions, they then proceed to the oral exam within 2 weeks. If the oral component is passed, then the students have passed Phase I of the QE.

• If students pass all 3 written questions and achieve an overall score of 70 or higher on the written component but fail the oral component, they must retake the oral within 3 weeks. If the oral component is failed a second time, the students must re-take the entire QE within 3 months.

• If students pass 2 out of 3 written questions (scores of 25 or higher) and achieves an overall score of 70 or higher on the written component, they then proceed to the oral within 2 weeks. If the oral is passed, then the students will have 3 weeks in which to be given the opportunity to rewrite an additional QE question. If the rewrite is passed, then the students have passed the QE. However, if this case the oral is also failed or the re-write is failed a second time, the students must re-take the entire QE within 3 months.

• If students fail 2 or more questions (scores of less than 25 each) or achieve an overall score of below 70, then the students must re-take the entire QE within 3 months.

Any students who are retaking the exam must submit a new Qualifying Exam Application for the second exam date, the deadlines and dates of which will be all determined by the QEOC as needed. Students may take the exam a maximum of two times. If the exam is failed twice, students can no longer proceed with their training program and will be required to meet with their Program Director and Associate Dean of Student Affairs regarding potential alternatives.

Phase I Oral Exam

Following receipt of scores and feedback on the qualifying exam written component, students will be encouraged to meet with each grader to further debrief on their progress. Students who meet the standard for progressing to the oral component of the qualifying exam are to then coordinate with their QEC chair to secure and reserve a 2-hour block of time and location to conduct the oral exam component. The oral component of the exam should take place within 2 weeks of receiving feedback from their written component.

For students not meeting the standard for progressing to the oral exam will be instructed on scheduling their second attempt.

The purpose of the oral examination is to:

• Assess ability to respond to questions in an oral format;

• Assess ability to engage with colleagues in a professional and scholarly manner;

• Assess possible weaknesses in skills and knowledge revealed by the written examination; and

• Further explore the students’ knowledge, skills, and preparation to conduct mentored dissertation research.

The primary grader of each question will be expected to be present at the oral examination. Students will be examined by addressing concerns or questions related to the written component on a question-by-question basis and may also be asked additional questions related to their specific research agenda. The oral component of the qualifying exam should not last more than 2 hours.

Phase II Qualifying Exam

Students complete Phase II of the qualifying exam during summer 2. A student will write an R03 grant proposal, which tests students' readiness to conduct independent research. The proposal must be an original piece of work independently completed by the student on any research topics in population health sciences or rehabilitation. The student must independently derive the hypothesis, design specific aims, plan research approaches, and write the proposal. Students are not allowed to use or paraphrase previously written grants (from graduate courses, predoctoral training grants, or from grants submitted by their mentor(s) or ask scientific input/critiques from the mentor(s). The committee will confirm the originality of the final draft with the mentor(s) based on the proposal's abstract and title. Each student will be required to sign a disclaimer indicating that the candidate produced the entire document. The rules concerning plagiarism outlined in the UTMB/SPPH policies will be strictly followed.

The research proposal must have the following sections. The page limits for each section will be based on an NIH R03 application (here).

1. Project summary (30 lines): This section is a succinct and accurate description of the proposed work. State the application's broad, long-term objectives and specific aims, referring to the health relatedness of the project. Describe concisely the research design and methods for achieving the stated goals. This section should be informative to other persons working in the same or related fields and understandable to a scientifically or technically literate reader.

2. Narrative (3 sentences): Describe the relevance of this research to public health. Be succinct and use plain language that a general, lay audience can understand.

3. Specific Aims (1 page): State concisely the goals of the proposed research and summarize the expected outcome(s), including the impact that the proposed research results will have on the research field(s) involved. List succinctly the specific objectives of the research proposed.

4. Research Strategy (6 pages): Include sufficient information to evaluate the project, independent of any other document. Be specific and informative and avoid redundancies. While preliminary data are not required, you may include it/them in the research strategy section. If your hypothesis and proposal are based on preliminary data from your lab member/s, or other publications, this should be clearly stated (or cited).

a. Significance and Innovation (1 ½ - 2 pages): The purpose of these subsections is to justify the need for what will be proposed. The significance subsection explains the positive effect of your research on public health and furthering scientific knowledge. The innovation subsection explains the new and substantially different ways you hypothesize your research topic and how your approach innovates science.

b. Approach (4 pages): Organize your Approach section to address the research design for each specific aim. 1) What do you intend to do? 2) Why is the work important? 3) What has already been done? 4) How are you going to do the work? 5) What are the expected outcomes, the

potential problems, and what alternative approaches are you considering? 6) What data will be used to complete the research and appropriate methods will be used to analyze the data.

Figure 1 shows the process for completing the written portion of the Phase II exam. Students will have two months to write their proposal and submit it to their committee for review and grading. Students who receive a passing grade will advance to the oral defense of their proposal. Students who receive a failing grade must complete a research rotation with their primary mentor to address weaknesses in their proposal. The student will revise their proposal and submit it to their committee for review and grading. Students who receive a passing grade on their revised proposal will advance to the oral defense. Students who receive a failing grade on their revised proposal can no longer proceed with their training program and will be required to meet with their Program Director and Associate Dean of Student Affairs regarding potential alternatives.

Appendix G

Candidacy BHH

After PhD students have successfully completed the qualifying exam, they have 1 year (3 semesters) to form their dissertation committee and submit a dissertation proposal. Students apply for candidacy on completion of their coursework and with a confirmed research proposal. The Department of Bioethics and Health Humanities provides a research proposal template that will be completed with your supervisor. A PhD committee typically has 5 faculty members: four UTMB graduate faculty members and one faculty member or appointee from another institution. Of the UTMB members, at least three will be from the student’s program (one being the faculty mentor), and one whose primary area of scientific expertise is different from that of the faculty mentor. Students must be in good academic standing in all courses.

Dissertation Proposal Format

PhD students need to complete a research proposal with their primary supervisor to enter candidacy (administrative details regarding candidacy are available in the Student Handbook). To do this they should provide a completed research proposal to the Graduate Program Director. After approval students are expected to present their proposal in a BHH WIP session.

A student and supervisor will work together on the research proposal. A research proposal should contain the following:

1) A description of the proposed work in a one-page format decided in conversation with your committee chair. Formats can included:

a. an NSF Project Summary (Appendix A)

b. an NIH Specific Aims page (Appendix B)

c. an NEH one page summary (Appendix C)

d. another suggested format discussed and approved by the Director of Graduate Studies.

These descriptions should make clear what is novel about the work, what contribution to the literature is intended, and what is going to be achieved. Supervisors and students should discuss which is more suitable for their work. These templates are there to help organize the work in a succinct and clear format but are not an indication that funding is expected, nor that the project particularly fits with a particular funder (i.e. a purely theoretical piece of work could be described using the NIH template for its organization despite the fact that theoretical work alone is rarely funded by NIH).

2) A chapter outline with a listing of each chapter and 200-300 words describing what it will cover. Chapters may change over the course of the work but it is important to set out with a plan.

a) Traditional Dissertation Outlines: These will likely include an introduction chapter, a literature review chapter, 2-3 chapters covering the work (i.e. methods and results, or conceptual and critical analysis over multiple chapters, etc.) and then a discussion chapter.

Chapters in the traditional dissertation should be around 7000 words (there may be a shorter chapter of 5000 words or a longer chapter of 10000 words, but in general 7000 words is the expectation).

b) Dissertation by Publication: These require an introductory and discussion chapter alongside three manuscript chapters.

An Introductory Chapter situates the work and ties the three manuscript chapters together and a Discussion Chapter critically analyzes what the work adds, its limitations, and what future work is needed. Each of these chapters should be around 5000-7000 words long.

Each of the three manuscript chapter descriptions in the proposal should mention the journal to be

targeted (if not already submitted) and the article type, where original research is the norm, although a review may also be included (narrative, scoping, systematic, etc.). Exceptions will need justification to these types will require justification. Manuscripts may have been written before the dissertation phase, but cannot be work done before PhD enrolment. Manuscripts should be either single-authored or the candidate should be the primary author with a statement about what work was done on the manuscripts by each author included in an accompanying document and confirmed by co-authors.

3) The following details or answers to questions should be provided on a final page:

a. Supervisory Team

b. Timeline (preferably in a gantt chart)

c. Does your work require funding?

i. If yes, funding plan

d. Does your work require IRB approval?

i. If yes, what is the timeline for achieving this (include specific steps, re training, submission, etc.)

e. What if any contingency plans do you have in place in case issues arise in the funding, logistical, or scholarly aspects of your work.

f. What preliminary publishing/conference plans do you have to showcase your work?

BHH Sub Appendix 1

To draft an NSF Project summary:

Describe the research and/or activities that will be conducted during your project. Base your Project Summary off your Project Description. Some samples

• What is the knowledge gap?

• What are the overall objectives, specific objectives and the proposed research approach?

• What is the research goal?

• How is your proposal creative & original?

• What is the education goal of the proposed project and how does this goal fit with the PI’s long-term educational goals?

• What is the educational approach?

• How are the research and education components integrated? Intellectual Merit

Provide a statement of intellectual merit.

• What is the current state of knowledge in the field, and where is it headed?

• What will your research contribute to the state of knowledge and advance the field?

• Why will your contribution be transformative?

• What will your research do to enhance or enable other research in this field?

• Why is your research important for the advancement of the field? Broader Impacts

Provide a statement of the broader impacts.

• What are the desired societal outcomes and how will those benefit the society at large?

• How will activities result in advancement?

• What are the possible applications of your research, why would the general public care?

o Does it have any economic, environmental, social benefits?

o Does it help with the involvement of underrepresented groups in research and education activities?

• How will your proposal benefit your organization?

(Adapted from: Texas A&M Corpus Christi – Research and Innovation Office materials)

BHH Sub Appendix 2

Thinking of what problems/solutions can be broadly in the fields of bioethics and health humanities, a proposal using this template would follow something akin to this format (adapted for the area):

The “Problem” Paragraph

• Hook: What is the problem being addressed and why is it important? (1-2

• sentences)

• The Known: What do we currently know about the hook problem? (2-5 sentences)

• The Unknown (Gap): What do we still need to learn or accomplish to (further)

• resolve the hook problem? (1-2 sentences)

• What’s Needed: What would have to be done to bridge the knowledge gap? (1-2

• sentences)

The “Solution” Paragraph

• Objective: What are you are seeking to accomplish to bridge the gap (overarching

• goal/objective)? (1 sentence)

• Rationale: What is the key assumption(s) (overarching hypothesis/thesis) and how did you

• arrive at it (premise) that recommends this objective as a means of bridging the

• gap? (2-4 sentences)

• Qualifications: What makes you as an investigator and this environment uniquely

• suited to obtain this objective? (1-2 sentences)

The “Aims” (mini-)Paragraph(s) (one for each aim)

• Title: What will this part of your project address? (one sentence)

• Hypothesis: How do you think things actually operate with reference to this Aim? (1

• sentence)

• Approach: How will you test this hypothesis (method)? (1-2 sentences)

• Expected Outcome: What result from this test would serve to confirm your

• hypothesis (“prediction”)? (1 sentence)

The “Impact” Paragraph

Assuming your research aims are met, what important things will become possible that are not currently; i.e., how will it impact the field with specific reference to the hook problem. For Ks, how will the work impact you as a candidate? (1-3 sentences).

(Adapted from Matt Kushner, 2017)

BHH Sub Appendix 3

To draft an NEH Summary, you should cover the following elements:

• Significance and contribution

• Organization, concepts, and methods

• Competencies, skills, and access

• Final product and dissemination

Examples of NEH Narratives can be found here (The Freedom of Information Act: Sample Grant Application Narratives | The National Endowment for the Humanities (neh.gov) under the heading “Division of Research Programs” and then “Fellowship”). These are generally three pages long including the workplan. For the IBHH proposal you need only write one page (as part of the workplan is covered in other elements of the proposal document).

Appendix H

Candidacy PHS/RS

Students must submit an application for admission to candidacy and an approved dissertation research proposal. Students must be in good academic standing in all courses to be eligible to enter into candidacy. After PhD students have successfully completed their coursework and Phase I and II qualifying exams, they have one year (three semesters) to form their dissertation committee, submit a dissertation proposal, and present their proposal to the committee.

Proposal Format

A formal written proposal is required for a dissertation or thesis. The proposal should address the following questions:

1. What do you intend to do?

2. Why is the work important?

3. What has been done already?

4. How are you going to do the work?

The program director will provide a research proposal template that the student will complete with their primary mentor. This research proposal should be typed single-spaced.

Title Sheet

Title of the research project followed by your name and a 200-word summary of the proposed thesis/dissertation research. One page

Research Plan

A. Specific Aims or Problem Statement: State concisely and realistically what the research described in the proposal is intended to accomplish. What hypothesis is to be tested or what question is to be addressed? Do not exceed one page.

B. Significance: Briefly sketch the background (or literature review) to your thesis/dissertation proposal, critically evaluate existing knowledge, and specifically identify the gaps which the proposal is intending to fill. State concisely the importance of the research described in the proposal by relating the specific aims to longer term objectives. Do not exceed three pages.

C. Research Accomplishments to Date: If you have conducted any research pertinent to your thesis/dissertation proposal, briefly describe your results. Also, list relevant courses or other experiences which enhance your competence to perform the proposed research. Do not exceed four pages of written text. (Additional pages may be used for figures, graphs, tables, etc.)

D. Methods: Briefly discuss the research design and procedures to be used to accomplish the specific aims of the proposal. If any new methodology is being used, describe its advantage over existing methodology. Include the kinds of data to be gathered (when applicable) and the means by which the data will be analyzed and interpreted. The discussion should provide sufficient evidence that the specific aims are attainable. It is not necessary to include detailed methodological/technical protocols. Do not exceed ten pages.

E. Literature Cited: Cite the pertinent literature in the text and provide the complete reference list in the Literature Cited section. Each citation must include the names of all authors, the name of the book or journal, volume number, page numbers, and year of publication. Although no page limitation is specified for this part of the proposal, make every attempt to be judicious in compiling the biography. It should be relevant and current. It need not be exhaustive.

F. Supervision and Facilities: Name the person(s) proposed to be immediately responsible for supervising your thesis/dissertation research and laboratory (or other facilities) where most of your proposed

research will take place. If the proposed project involves collaboration with another institution, give evidence that the collaborator(s) agrees to participate.

G. Human Subjects: Include all human research-related instruments to be used in this study, sample of subject consent form(s), and instructions to subjects as appropriate.

H. GANTT: All research proposals submitted as part of the candidacy packet must include a section giving the expected timeline of the proposed project. That section must include a GANTT chart giving duration and completion targets for all major aspects of the research, including all aims and sub-aims.

Oral Defense of the Dissertation Proposal

Once a student has written their dissertation proposal, they will send it to their committee members for review. The student must then give an oral presentation summarizing the proposed research to their committee members. This presentation assesses a student’s ability to discuss the relevant literature, justify the importance of their research, describe the methods and techniques they will use, and answer the committee members’ questions. After the student’s presentation, the committee members will have a discussion to decide whether the student successfully defended their proposal and if any revisions are necessary before entering candidacy.

Dissertation Committee

A PhD committee must have a minimum of 5 faculty members: four UTMB graduate faculty members and one faculty member or appointee from another institution. Of the UTMB members, at least three will be from the student’s program (one being the faculty mentor who serves as the committee chair), and one whose primary area of scientific expertise is different from that of the faculty mentor.

Appendix I

Dissertation Format (All PhD Students)

Traditional Format

The traditional dissertation format typically includes five chapters, including Introduction/ Background/ Significance, Literature Review, Methods, Findings, and Discussion/ Conclusion. The template can be found here:

Three-Paper Option

Students earning the PhD degree in Bioethics and Health Humanities (BHH), Population Health Sciences (PHS), or Rehabilitation Sciences (RS) must meet the Dissertation requirements of the SPPH. Students may select a three-paper (publication) dissertation option. Students must receive approval of this option from the Dissertation Supervisory Committee Chair. The following must be met for the threepaper dissertation option:

• The student must be first author and primary researcher and writer;

• The three articles must be thematically related, as determined by the Dissertation Supervisory Committee;

• The three articles must be formatted as significant manuscripts:

o For PHS/RS, this would include the student’s original research, systematic review, or meta-analysis, and

o For BHH, this could include the student’s original research paper(s) and one scoping review, or narrative review;

• For PHS/RS there must be three chapters linking the three papers: 1) an introduction, background, significance chapter, 2) a brief description of methods and 3) a discussion/conclusion chapter;

o For BHH students, two linking chapters are required: 1) an introduction chapter that includes a background and significance of the work and a summary/rationale of subsequent chapters, and 2) a discussion chapter providing an in depth linking of the work and overall analysis as well as conclusion.

o The student must have worked on all papers as a matriculant in the PhD program (work conducted prior to matriculation shall not count towards the dissertation);

• The student must have worked on all papers with the Dissertation Supervisory Committee chair or other faculty mentor, as approved by the Dissertation Supervisory Committee chair;

• The three papers and additional chapters must be approved by the student’s Dissertation Supervisory Committee;

• At least one paper needs to be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal; and Authorship credit should be extended to Supervisory Committee Members as appropriate based on committee member contributions and standard practices for attribution of authorship within the field.

Regardless of format, Any SPPH student seeking the PhD degree must write and publicly defend a dissertation based on independent research. The dissertation must represent an original and significant contribution to scientific knowledge.