All admitted doctoral degree students are given full financial support as teaching assistants, graduate research assistants, or through one of many university or external fellowships. The minimum stipend for graduate student employees in BME is set each academic year by the Graduate Studies Committee Executive Committee. The minimum annual stipend for the 2019-20 academic year is $26,000.
Financial support benefits include a competitive stipend, paid tuition and fees, and health insurance coverage for the duration of the student’s degree program. Financial support is contingent upon satisfactory progress toward the PhD degree as determined by the student’s supervisor, the Graduate Advisor, the Graduate Studies Committee, and the Graduate School. Students admitted to the MSE program are eligible for, but not guaranteed, financial support.
Incoming PhD students are nominated for institutional fellowships. At this time, there are no institutional fellowships at the Cockrell School or Graduate School level to which students apply independently. Other funding opportunities that do require student applications are the Imaging Science and Informatics Portfolio Program and Fellowship (details below) and the Biomedical Big Data Training Grant through the Department of Statistics and Data Sciences.
Imaging Science and Informatics Portfolio Program and Fellowship
*note: this program is not accepting applications for the 2019-20 academic year
The overarching theme of this program is to train comprehensive imaging scientists in the skills necessary to identify clinically relevant problems. Topics include: developing instrumentation, sensors, and contrast agents to form images appropriate for the problem; and analyzing the resulting imaging data using signal processing, mathematical modeling, visualizations, and informatics techniques to improve the prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment of human diseases. View this flyer for more information. If you are interested in applying to this program, contact the BME Graduate Coordinator.
Portfolio Program
The basic requirement to complete this portfolio program is 12 hours of coursework (4 courses), which provide the requisite core knowledge for an imaging scientist. Learn more about portfolio programs at The University of Texas at Austin Graduate School.
Required Courses for Portfolio Completion (12 credit hours)
- BME 381J.3 Biomedical Imaging Modalities (3 credit hours)
- Elective in Image Processing (3 credit hours)
- Elective in Modeling and Visualization (3 credit hours)
- Elective in Data Mining and Informatics (3 credit hours)
Some, but not necessarily all, of these courses may count toward your doctoral degree requirements as well. Additionally, optional coursework, seminars, and externship opportunities are available to portfolio students.
Fellowships
The Department of Biomedical Engineering was awarded a Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award (NRSA)training grant from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), an Institute within the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This grant includes competitive fellowships to support selected biomedical engineering doctoral students in the Imaging Science and Informatics Portfolio Program. The prestigious one-year fellowship includes a stipend, funds for educational and research supplies, and two semesters of tuition.
To be eligible for the fellowship, one must be an admitted doctoral student in Biomedical Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. After admissions to the BME doctoral program, candidates will have the opportunity to request consideration for the fellowship.
This very prestigious fellowship supports interdisciplinary training through an extended support network of faculty and clinical mentors, toward the goal of becoming a comprehensive imaging scientist. Students with research interests outside of imaging sciences and informatics have been successful at diversifying their training through this program, while having the honor of being a Ruth L. Kirschstein Fellow.
Additional Required Courses for Fellowship Recipients (6 credit hours; 2 courses):
In addition to the 12 credit hours (4 courses) required to complete the Portfolio listed above, Kirschstein Fellowship Recipients must complete the following additional 6 credit hours (2 courses):
- BME 381J.8 Functional Imaging Lab (3 credit hours)
- Elective in Imaging Instrumentation or Contrast Mechanism (3 credit hours)
Fellowship recipients complete a total of 18 credit hours (6 courses) as described above for the Portfolio Program and Fellowship. Again, some or all of these courses may count toward your doctoral degree requirements as well. The program directors and the Graduate Advisor are available to help students select their elective coursework. Discuss with the Graduate Advisor and Graduate Program Coordinator.
Visit the Tax Considerations for Graduate Students page for tax information.
