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Pre-doctoral Grants are awarded to qualified students who are enrolled in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences at UTMB. These fellowships are awarded on an employment rate of a twenty-hour week (half-time) for a period of one year. This twenty-hour week has been established in order to allow pre-doctoral fellows to earn supplemental income without jeopardizing the McLaughlin Fellowship. If a pre-doctoral fellow works in another job or area on campus (UTMB) in order to supplement his salary, the appointment cannot exceed twenty hours per week. Pre-doctoral fellowships may be renewed with the approval of the McLaughlin Fellowship Fund Committee for one additional year.

Pre-doctoral awards are made for a period not to exceed two years, but fellows must demonstrate acceptable progress each year in their renewal applications. The renewal applications do not compete with new applications. McLaughlin pre-doctoral fellows receive a stipend matching that established by the Dean of the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences for state-sponsored teaching and research assistantships, which is presently $25,000 per year.

According to the Bylaws of the McLaughlin Endowment, “fellowships shall be for research and not require any other services to the University such as routine teaching or clinical duties.” “The Fund may also support meetings, symposia, and colloquia in the area of infection and immunity.” “Expenditures of the Fund for programs other than fellowships normally shall not exceed one-third of the annual available income of the Fund.” In this regard, the McLaughlin Endowment has held local Colloquia for pre-doctoral and postdoctoral fellows annually for many years. The annual McLaughlin Symposia features outstanding lecturers and provides a platform for exchange of scientific information among participants. The McLaughlin Endowment is investigating new ways in which it might enhance research and training in infectious diseases and immunology, in conjunction with extramural programs.

All McLaughlin pre-doctoral fellows must maintain a B average, as required of the Graduate School. McLaughlin pre-doctoral and post-doctoral fellows are expected to make research progress that is reported to the McLaughlin Committee at the time of fellowship renewal each year. In addition, the fellows are expected to report their observations in peer-reviewed journals. Our hope is that every fellow will develop into a productive scientist with a successful scientific career.

In an attempt to make fellowship funds extend to as many fellows as possible, all McLaughlin fellows are expected to make a good faith effort to obtain support from external agencies. The fellows that are successful in obtaining fellowships that replace over 6 months of McLaughlin support receive a bonus of $1500, and are awarded the title of “McLaughlin Scholar”. If the support obtained from the external source is less than that received through the McLaughlin Fellowship, the McLaughlin Committee will make up this salary difference.