The Stowers Institute for Medical Research has announced the formation of its graduate programme: the graduate school of the Stowers Institute for Medical Research.

The graduate school of the Stowers Institute for Medical Research will offer a research-based PhD degree in biology. Students will perform thesis research in the Stowers Institute's laboratories working at the cutting edge of modern biological inquiry under the direct supervision of outstanding faculty – the investigators of the Stowers Institute, who will also be the courses' instructors. The first students will enter the programme in September 2012.

The mission of the graduate school is to train a superb cadre of students from around the world to pursue innovative and creative investigations in the biological sciences. All successful applicants will share a demonstrated ability to perform biological research, as evidenced by previous research experience. The novel programme focuses on extending the ability of those students through immediate immersion in research, coupled with training that stresses highly critical thinking in combination with in-depth training in the latest methodologies. Upon completion of their training, each student is expected to be able to identify interesting biological problems; devise and create interdisciplinary approaches to those problems; and execute those investigations using the best tools available. The programme strives for completing the PhD degree in biology in an average time of five years from matriculation.

“As we designed this new and quite novel graduate programme at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, we had but one goal in mind: create a stimulating interdisciplinary program for students who have a demonstrated ability to do scientific research that immerses them in an environment built upon cutting-edge investigation in many facets of modern molecular biology,” states R Scott Hawley, PhD, Dean of the graduate school, American Cancer Society Research Professor, and Investigator at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research.

“Success in advanced research often stems from asking the right questions, and no group asks or inspires more interesting questions than graduate students. The launch of our own graduate programme allows us to enhance training opportunities for graduate students while complementing our successful collaborations with other graduate schools. I am confident that the innovative programme designed by Dr Hawley and our faculty will attract, train, and inspire talented graduate students from around the world,” said David Chao, PhD, president and CEO of the Stowers Institute for Medical Research.

The Stowers Institute for Medical Research is a non-profit, basic biomedical research organization dedicated to improving human health by studying the fundamental processes of life.