It stands for Integrative Graduate Education Research, a program invented by the National Science Foundation to improve the graduate experience.  

Can I apply if I am not a U.S. Citizen or Naturalized Resident?

Sorry, but the answer is "no". Please apply instead to our traditional graduate educational program by contacting the department most closely allied to your research interests.  If you are accepted to LSU, you may experience many "spillover" benefits from the IGERT project, but NSF guidelines forbid us from admitting you into the IGERT program.  International students can participate in IGERT teams, though.  We are disallowed from providing stipend support or travel, but they may share other benefits of the team. 

What is Macromolecular Studies? 

Good question!  At LSU, we define it very broadly as the science and engineering of polymers and biopolymers.  It turns out that certain concepts--for example, radius of gyration, loss modulus, glass transition, electrophoresis, sedimentation--are important for anyone who studies large molecules, supermolecular structures, colloids, and materials made from all these.  Our curriculum is designed to take anyone with a reasonable background in quantitative science or engineering and make them experts in this area.   Physicists will learn organic chemistry (a little!), organic chemists will learn biochemistry (enough!), etc.  This takes place on top of the normal training in each student's home department.  You will be educated broadly and deeply.   The reward comes when you seek a job. 

I'm a doctor, Jim, not a magician!

Poor Bones!  That Star Trek doctor was always being thrust into some situation for which he was underprepared.  Don't let it happen to you.   Perhaps you are an analytical chemist.  When you graduate, you may be asked to work on macromolecules; about 50% of all chemists work in polymers, prepared for it or not.  That's because it is a very, very long way from the tiny molecules you learned about to most useful products.  Or perhaps you want to make new, improved drugs that Bones never imagined.  These too are often large molecules, as are the systems that deliver them, as is the packaging.  Planning to work on the human genome?  DNA is a large (huge!) molecule, as are most of the devices used to aid in its sequencing.  Interested in photonic bandgap materials?   You don't think they'll really be made from aluminum tubes for microwave operation, do you?  They will be made from polymers, as will be the "smart" detectors in your next automobile, the packaging on that next speedy Intel computer chip, and the disk for that new DVD burner we'll all want soon.  To you engineers destined to determine the strength of composites, it actually does matter that they are made of polymeric compounds.  If you are a student wondering whether or not you're macromolecular enough, have a look at the research topics.   Some of our faculty also belong primarily to another discipline, spending only a portion of their time with polymeric systems.  Others are world leaders in the   polymer and biopolymer community.  It's a spicy Louisiana scientific gumbo, and that's what makes it work.  If you never heard of macromolecules before, you may be our ideal student. 

What are the employment opportunities in Macromolecular Studies?

Outstanding.  A major objective of NSF's IGERT program is to train students in areas where industry, government and academic institutions are experiencing a shortfall.  The approval of our proposal is itself proof that Macromolecular Studies is a hot area.  Our graduates may work in industries ranging from pharmaceutics to petrochemicals, government laboratories devoted to commerce, health or energy, small teaching colleges and major research universities.  An important benefit of the CMC program is that students have opportunities to sample these locations during their training.  This makes it easier to decide which type of environment is right for you.  CMC-IGERT has contacts with the legal and business communities and entrepreneurship certificate programs at LSU.  Students aspiring to start their own  company, or work for a dot-com upstart, can prepare. 

What if I get to LSU and find I want to do something else? 

We won't understand it, but we will allow it.  Each department has a wealth of interesting topics to study.  Indeed, one of the things that makes Macromolecular Studies at LSU "click" is that we do have such strong colleagues with whom to share ideas and resources.  Of course, IGERT resources are directed only towards macromolecular students.  If you do elect to leave the program, that automatically returns you to a traditional support mechanism, but these are very good. 

What degree is offered?

Students receive Ph.D. degrees in their main area of study (Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Education, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Textiles, Veterinary Medicine).  Students are expected to abide by all the requirements of their home departments.  IGERT participation demands additional effort.   Students who complete all CMC-IGERT requirements qualify for a degree certification in Macromolecular Studies (subject to university approval). 

I only want a master's degree.  Is that possible? 

No.  If you intend to stop with a master's degree, please apply for traditional support.  We can also recommend other universities in this case.  Just call.  

What is the take-home pay (i.e., after tuition) of an IGERT fellow? 

The Federally mandated minimum is $30,000/year plus tuition for a total support package of about $34,500/year.  Some IGERT students earn more than this.  No IGERT fellow gets more than $30,000/year from the IGERT grant but some find other forms of support. 

What determines the pay?

Not what but who!  And the answer is...you!  IGERT is your chance to develop and practice entrepreneurship. But not until the 2nd year. 

During the first year, which may begin the summer before fall classes start, you will probably be supported by non-IGERT funds.  The total take-home pay varies according to the departmental commitment and teaching requirement, but IGERT students.   You may qualify for special awards from the Graduate School or other on-campus sources, and IGERT does not intefere with these.  It may augment them, depending on availability of funds!  When you receive your letter of acceptance, it will specify the exact compensation.  

As your career advances, you can improve your financial situation by finding special opportunities to collaborate with off-campus laboratories.  Some industrial partners provide extra compensation for IGERT students.  This can be quite lucrative, and it is an excellent opportunity to see what industrial Ph.D. scientists do.  It also gets your foot in the door for a future job!  Similar opportunities exist in government labs.  For example, if you were to enter into a collaboration at the National Institutes of Standards and Technology near Washington, DC, you would typically receive the per-diem rate to support your stay there.  But the reward isn't really monetary:   the real reward is the chance to do great research at great facilities.  You can also "scope out" a possible "finishing school" experience (see below). 

IGERT fellows are actively encouraged to seek other fellowships, internships and grants (usually with their faculty co-advisors' help).  What we do in case they succeed depends on performance.  Example 1:  an underperforming fellow finds $20,000 support from another grant.  We might reduce IGERT support to keep that student at a total of $30,000 (this lets us place new applicants in the program).  Example 2: a superior IGERT fellow finds $20,000 support from another grant.  We might not reduce IGERT support very much or be able to devote more funds to minigrants or other support to that student.  Either way, students in good standing remain eligible for minigrants and other benefits of the program.  You have nothing to lose by trying to find your own funding, and everything to gain. 

Another IGERT advantage is that teaching is not an "either-or" proposition.   You can retain your stipend AND add teaching to supplement your income.  We will probably not let you teach to the exclusion of research, but if you have a need for extra cash, love teaching, and have boundless energy, IGERT will not say "no".   If your performance suffers due to excessive teaching, we will point that out. 

What is the duration of the IGERT Fellowship

Usually between 2 and 4 years of stipend support, but students in good standing can continue to write minigrants while on other forms of support.  They may also apply for "finishing school" experience near the end of their graduate career.  The situation is reviewed each semester. 

What is apprenticeship?  Why is it needed? 

Apprenticeship is a short period in your graduate career during which you will work directly with a senior investigator, usually your research advisor.  It is needed because, in traditional graduate education, your advisor spends a lot of time finding money for your support.  You might be "trained" by senior graduate students and/or postdoctoral researchers who scarcely know more than you.  IGERT gives the money to you directly, so your advisor has more time to spend in the lab working with you.   This is especially important at the beginning of your career.  Later, it's fully expected that you work and think independently. 

How do I get to be an apprentice?

During your first semester, you will hear presentations by IGERT faculty who have developed a team research concept.  The work must be in a new area that neither faculty member could do alone.  (Ideally, you will become that new person with unique talents to go it alone!).  The faculty will describe the objectives, off-campus research opportunities, other support for the project, and interdisciplinary/interdepartmental skills required from the graduate student team.    They will also indicate where such training leads in terms of permanent employment after you graduate.  Students interested in joining these teams will work together with the faculty to devise a clear plan (we call it Form A) including what to do if one student were to drop out, become ill, etc.  The faculty advisors also promise to give back to the program in some way (we call that Form B).  Midway through the first semester, or at any time really, the faculty then go to the IGERT leadership and nominate you as part of a team.  If you are on-track with your coursework, the IGERT committee will approve this nomination.  Shortly thereafter, you begin working side-by-side with your advisor on a "minithesis".   This will last 2-6 weeks and may or may not be related to your eventual research project.  It will culminate in a written report.   You get to see the entire research process--from startup to writeup--in a short span of time.  Getting your Ph.D. degree is then mostly a matter of doing the same thing on a larger scale.  

What if my team is not accepted? 

Normally it will be, so don't worry!  The worst case scenario is that you are still a member of a great department, and will receive the traditional levels of support it offers.  Faculty can re-apply immediately if a team project fails on the first try.  The faculty are well-versed in what it takes so, once again, do not worry.  

What if I don't want to work in a team?

IGERT is not for you then.  Please reconsider--it offers major advantages.   And don't worry--we planned ahead to give you plenty of opportunity for individual creativity.  You can even get your own money and do what you wish, write the paper all by yourself, and travel to a meeting to present it.  But all that comes on top of the team project. 

What is an Artisan?

In traditional graduate programs, students take a qualifying exam in year 2.   The faculty determines whether the student is a suitable candidate for the Ph.D. degree at this point.  Most students pass this exam.  The CMC-IGERT program rewards passing by giving you extra opportunities.  Probably the most important is the ability to write "minigrants"--small grants to support research (suppose you have your own idea you wish to try); write a single-authored paper (prestigious); travel to a great lab to learn new methods; scout out a possible post-graduate opportunity, etc. 

What is a Craftsperson?

IGERT Fellows who are about 6 months shy of defending their Ph.D. will present their data (probably not completely written into thesis form yet).  This "data defense" gives the faculty an opportunity to spot problems in time to correct them prior to the final defense.  Students who impress at this point are declared "Craftperson"--someone who knows macromolecular systems from top to bottom, who can work with their hands and mind and heart to the betterment of society through science.   Being so designated has a very tangible reward:  the student can do a "predoc" or "finishing school" experience at another great laboratory anywhere in the world.  It is even possible to roam from one lab to another, looking at different ways of doing things...and different places of possible future employment.  At our expense!  This is a great way to find out if that super scientist you have been hoping to work for as a postdoc is also a good person.   It gives said super scientist the chance to see you, too, before committing a lot of cash to your support.  Use the finishing school experience to see other great centers of macromolecular training, make contacts for an academic or industrial or government career, etc. 

What extra responsibilities do I have as an IGERT student?

In addition to the normal requirements of your home department, you must:

• Complete 3 of 4 core courses in Macromolecular Studies.
• Agree to work in interdisciplinary team research.
• Perform a small community service project. 

  Example 1:  tutoring at-risk children (bona fide teachers will guide you).

  Example 2:  help a high-school student with science fair project.

  Example 3:  early identification of talent in colleges, universities or elsewhere.

• Attend two short classes designed to raise the ethical standard (Professional Conduct & Opportunities and Science and Technology in Service to the Community).  These classes await university approval (likely).
• Attend IGERT seminars regularly.
• Keep proper records, including your likes and dislikes about the program. 
• Provide the IGERT statistician with information he needs to evaluate the program. 
• Participate in site visits from panels designed to test if our IGERT is working. 

Is it worth the trouble? 

Absolutely! In addition to opportunities for unprecedented pay, IGERT provides many other benefits. 

• Minigrants to do your own research, write a single-authored paper, travel to domestic and international meetings.
• Contacts, contacts, contacts!  ("Gonnegtions", as they said in "The Godfather"). 
• Off-campus co-advisors.  World-famous experts who can help you...and who will know you when it comes time to write those letters of recommendation. 
• Finishing school:  you name the place with the coolest science that you need to launch your career, and we'll send you there for up to 6 months.  Once you get your foot in the door, perhaps your new home will find a permanent position for you.  We think potential employers will like what they see!
• Philosophy--IGERT is about putting the Ph. back in Ph.D.  You will be actively challenged to develop a philosophy of science and teaching, through:  challenging courses; early chances to exercise creativity (hint:  it doesn't always work out like you think!); community service project to develop science that is relative to the people who pay for it--consumers and taxpayers. 
• Helping to reshape/improve graduate education.  This is especially important to students bound for an academic research career.  Our program may be among the best anywhere for such students.  Students headed for industry or government labs also benefit from a great deal of practical education. 

How long does it take? 

Four to five years, but this largely depends on you!  Here's a typical timeline. 

Does IGERT support last throughout my entire graduate school career?

Not anymore.  We originally wanted to support students from cradle to graduation, but NSF will not allow it.  We hope that teams which started using new students will use early results of your research as preliminary data to support competitive grants to Federal and private agencies.  This enables the IGERT program to admit new students, and provides you with a real feather in your cap (a funded proposal will look great on your resume).  Typically, the new grant would pay for your salary and supplies, but you would remain eligible--especially eligible, because you did something great--for the other things IGERT provides, like minigrants and finishing school.  

Since about Fall of 2004, it has been our policy to use IGERT funds to support the LAST 2-3 years for students who have demonstrated their abilities, creativity and commitment by participating in the program without stipend support as "IGERT Associates".  

You can get "kicked out" of IGERT--but only by deserving it:   repeated failure to attend seminars; blowing off your classes (not trying--we admire those who try, and work with them until it leads to success); failure to meet other commitments, such as the community service project.  "Kicked out" just means returned to a traditional support program.  

The best way to stay in the program is to use it:  write creative minigrants and do great things. 

Who are some of your partners? 

• DSM-Copolymer (Geleen, The Netherlands and Baton Rouge)
• Dupont (Wilmington, Delaware)
• Dow (Plaquemine, Louisiana and Freeport, Texas)
• Exxon (Baton Rouge)
• USDA Labs (New Orleans)
• Max-Planck Institute (Mainz, Germany)
• Middle East Technical University (Ankara, Turkey)
• General Electric (Indiana)

Must I be involved with these partners?

No!  We are always trying to find new partners.  Ideally, the off-campus participant would take a very active role.  The minimum off-campus participation would be someone who serves as an expert consultant on your faculty committee.  They can come from any first-rate science or engineering program--academic, industrial or government. 

 

I just interviewed at LSU and think I might be interested in IGERT.  How do I get started? 

To become an IGERT student, please examine this very website (http://igert.LSU.edu -- think of this site as the "Handbook for the Recently Deceased" in the movie, Beetle Juice):  confusing, but it's all in there!  Look at Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Human Ecology and Chemical Engineering web pages to see if there were two or more professors here with whom you might consider working on an innovative new project.  Does NOT have to be the "officially macromolecular" professors now on this website.  We have students scattered all over Chemistry, Chemical Engineering and other departments. Does the personality of the place suit you? Ask yourself if you are willing to do the extra stuff IGERT requires (the 4 low-key courses that mix biologists, chemists, l engineers and others; the seminars; the annual retreat; the ethics and community service stuff, and the reporting forms). You can preview a lot of this from the IGERT website plus the course website (http://russo.chem.LSU.edu/msweb). There IS extra commitment to IGERT, but it works both ways: we are extra-committed to seeing that you succeed. If, after all that, you are still interested just let your host know so that we can factor IGERT into your offer. IGERT offers always include an escape clause: you can always resign your fellowship and become a teaching or research assistant at the prevailing pay rate. 

       There is an "ideal" schedule for becoming an IGERT student, but people find all kinds of different paths to us. We're flexible. Here's the ideal:   come during the summer ahead of graduate school for 8 weeks of Macromolecular research and the Science & Technology in Service to the Community course. The latter is a one-credit (about 2 hrs per week for 8 weeks) easy course that looks at great successes and failures of science, entrepreneurship, etc. The research is in one or more of the nominally "macro" research labs. We pay you, and it's pretty low key. No strings are attached, and you can back out of IGERT at any time. But we hope you use the time to work with IGERT-involved faculty (this can be almost anybody) to start crafting an innovative, interdisciplinary research plan or at least learn a bit about Macro. Even though you might be working to create a new project with 1 or 2 professors (maybe one of them is even in a different department...or university!) you are required (some departments) or encouraged (other departments) to interview with other professors. Assuming they don't lure you away, you submit your plan to the review panel (3 professors, one each in Chemistry, Biological Sciences and Chemical Engineering). Most plans are approved and then you become an "apprentice". It is NOT very hard to write the plan, and your professors will help. There's even a form for it--you can see several examples under "research" on the IGERT web: http://igert.lsu.edu/research.htm 

Can a team consist of LSU professors and professors elsewhere? 

Yes.  There must be at least one LSU professor involved and each team must have an off-campus participant of some sort.  Most teams have two LSU professors involved, but we're keen on the idea of reaching out to experts elsewhere. 

IGERT seems very complex; is there a simple way for students to know where they are in the program? 

It IS complex.  But we try not to get lost in the details.  We  have introduced the "Milestone Checker", located at:

http://igert.lsu.edu/ActiveServerPages/CurrentStudents.asp

(By the way, several new students are not shown. We are always behind; that's a characteristic of this thing--there is always too much to do. Good students make it worthwhile, and the IGERT fellows are really a nice group).

Well, it depends.  Ideally, 2 or more students with different backgrounds would form a team with 2 or more PhD advisors with different backgrounds, on or off campus.  Ideally, that would happen right away.  Sometimes, it takes longer—especially to get the 2^nd student member. 

Questions related to the notion that IGERT students should take an active role in defining their projects. 

Are students really expected to design their own projects? 

Why would I, as a professor, help a student write the IGERT starting proposal to pursue their crazy ideas, when my own funded research is waiting to be done?

Spend your existing funds on fast postdocs or international students who are not eligible for IGERT!  Allowing IGERT-interested students to pursue their own ideas--at IGERT expense and with a fairly small time commitment from you--is key to developing the next generation of creative scientists.  You will still have enormous influence, and might find new projects through the interdisciplinary requirements of the programs. 

How do I cite NSF-IGERT support in published work, oral presentation or poster?

"This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. DGE-9987603"

For additional details about press releases, TV, etc., see the NSF's Grant Proposal Guide:  http://www.nsf.gov/pubsys/ods/getpub.cfm?gpg