Biostatistics is a growing field that has become indispensible in advancing medicine and improving health. Yet nation-wide there is a critical shortage of biostatisticians with postgraduate-level training. The Summer Institute for Training in Biostatistics (SIBS), funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, is a 6-week program to stimulate undergraduate students’ interests in pursuing a graduate program in Biostatistics. It also exposes the students to exicting career opportunities in health-related fields.
The application of Biostatistics is deeply rooted in daily life situations as illustrated in the headlines such as:
- Dark chocolate may make one’s blood vessel more flexible, hence reducing the risk of heart attacks
- Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in the ambient air may have long-term impact on cardiovascular diseases
- Hormone replacement therapy for post-menopausal women increases the risk of cancer; a compelling evidence which led to early stop of the Women’s Health Initiative study
- Low birth-weight is related to higher adulthood mortality and morbidity
- How effective is the swine flu vaccination?
If you ever wonder how scientists collect and analyze data to gather evidences and address questions and hypotheses that arise from our daily life, the SIBS is for you! If you ever wonder what careers can both cultivate and benefit from your interestes and skills in quantitative sciences and health, the SIBS is for you!
The USF SIBS will be offered from May 17 to June 25, 2010, as well as in the summers of 2011 and 2012. Application for admission to summer 2009 program will be accepted starting on Nov 30, 2009 and ending on March 15, 2010. But early application is strongly encouraged as review of applications and offer of acceptance are on a rolling basis until all positions are filled.
The program features...
- Six-week living and studying on the Tampa campus of University of South Florida
- Field visits to various healthcare service and research settings; hands-on training and lectures with top biostatisticians, epidemiologists, and clinicians; analyses of real data sets from landmark studies
- College credits (4) that can be transferred back to the participant's home institution
- Access to university computing systems, libraries and other facilities.
- A wide variety of extracurriculum activities
- Tuition and fees, living, food, and travelling all paid for by the program
Participants in the six-week program will...
- Meet expert biostatisticians, clinicians, and epidemiologists who are actively conducting medical, health, and clinical research, learn about their work, share their passion and professional experience, and hear their life stories
- Learn about exicting opportunities for graduate studies, a professional career as a biostatistical scientist in health-related fields
- Learn the principles of biostatistics from experts in the field
- Gain hands-on experience in analyzing real data collected in landmark clinical trials and observational studies
- Participate in field work in clinical and health research settings
Who is eligible?
- US citizens or permanent residents
- Undergraduate students as well as students beginning graduate studies in Fall of 2010
- Strong background and interest in mathematics, sciences, or other quantitatively- oriented fields of study
- Minority and women are strongly encouraged to apply
- Enrollment is limited to 25 students
Financial Support
- Fees and tuition are paid for by the program
- Housing, meals, expense of traveling to and from the program are also paid for by the program
- Some extracurricular activities are covered by the program