See here for more information and updates.

See here for more information on how to express thanks, donate, and show your support!

GBS will be hosting a live chat with GBS Associate Dean, David Schneider, and GBS office every Wednesday at 10am. This will be a weekly forum to discuss the current state of affairs, as well as any other topics you'd like to bring to the discussion; even if it's just to check in with us.

Go to the Canvas page and select "Canvas Login". Once logged in, students should see the course on their dashboard. If you do not, you will need to do the following:

• Select “Courses” on the left side
• Select “all courses” under the list of courses
• Place a star next to “COVID-19: Basic Safety & Awareness….”

This will make the course populate on the dashboard. Students can also click on the title when they see it under all courses to complete it without selecting the star. The training should take less then 20 minutes.

See here for further information on resources through UAB eLearning.

If you see or suspect unethical or illegal behavior, you may report your concerns anonymously by contacting The University of Alabama System EthicsPoint, operated by Navex. Call toll-free 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. 1-866-362-9476

Call for answers to your COVID-19 questions

The new UAB GuideSafe Hotline — 205-934-SAFE (7233) — has been established to give employees and students a single source for answers to common COVID-19 questions.

See the UAB Academic Calendar for general UAB registration open and close dates.

To determine your specific time for registration:

• Enter Blazernet
• Select Registration in the top banner
• Select "Add, Drop or Withdraw Classes"
• Your "Time Tickets" will indicate when your registration opens and closes for each semester.

GBS Registration Deadlines:

• Fall- July 1
• Spring- December 1
• Summer- May 1

Please note that GBS Registration deadlines are different than UAB registration deadlines.

If you have any further questions, please contact the GBS Curriculum Manager.

Students may access the Graduation Planning System (GPS), details below, and theme training plans to indicate your required courses each semester. Each theme's requirements are different!

If you have any further questions, please contact the GBS Curriculum Manager.

The Graduation Planning System (GPS) is UAB's new degree auditing system. The audit will be utilized to approve student degrees upon graduation and track academic requirements throughout the program.

You can access the Graduation Planning System (GPS) by entering Blazernet and selecting the GPS icon along the right listing of icons. If it is not available there, you can access by selecting “Student” in the top banner then selecting GPS.

If you have any further questions or change requests to your GPS audit, please contact the GBS Curriculum Manager.

You may search the class schedule here by selecting GBS as the department.

To Register:

• Enter Blazernet
• Select Registration in the top banner (This section will indicate when your registration will open.)
• Select "Add, Drop or Withdraw Classes"
• Select the term
• Insert the CRN of the course(s) you wish to register for.
• Select Submit Changes

GBS Registration Deadlines:

• Fall- July 1
• Spring- December 1
• Summer- May 1

Please be reminded that you must register for a total of 9 hours each semester.

If you have any further questions, please contact the GBS Curriculum Manager.

All GBS students are expected to complete three advanced courses during their PhD training.

If you are interested in receiving credit for a course that is offered off-campus, listed as two-hours, or listed outside of GBS, you will need to complete the Advanced Course Verification Form. This form must be completed before the course is taken.

The theme director, course director, and mentor will have two weeks from the date of submission to indicate disapproval to the GBS Curriculum Manager.

If you have any further questions, please contact the GBS Curriculum Manager.

Tutoring is available for first-year GBS students in the core courses (GBS 707, 708, and 709). Student tutors will be chosen from GBS peers.

If you would like to request tutoring, please contact the GBS Curriculum Manager.

Grade Replacement Request Form

The Graduate School Grade Replacement Policy allows a graduate student who repeats a course taken at UAB to request a grade replacement in which the grade for the first course will be excluded from their GPA calculation.

If you have any further questions, please contact the GBS Curriculum Manager.

Sponsored Programs Information Network (SPIN) is a database of research funding opportunities that can be used to search and set up email notifications for a wide variety of funding sources.

For guides and training on how to use SPIN, log into the Integrated Research Administration Portal (IRAP).

The National and International Fellowships and Scholarships office supports all UAB students and recent alumni applying for nationally-competitive fellowships and scholarships. These prestigious awards provide funding for education abroad, research, graduate school, and other academic enrichment opportunities. We support applicants through every stage of the process – from identifying possibilities to crafting a personal statement to preparing for a finalist interview.

The Graduate School has established an incentive plan designed to encourage more students to apply for individual fellowships. The Graduate School will provide a monetary incentive for students to APPLY FOR individual fellowships funded by extramural agencies or foundations. If a student’s application is funded, the student will receive an additional financial reward.

Learn about details and eligibility.

For information and resources on NIH training grants, including but not limited to T32 and F Awards, visit the following page.

Graduate Student Travel
Graduate students who are traveling for professional reasons may apply to trips for the purpose of attending a scientific conference or learning new techniques. With appropriate documentation, travel costs can be paid by grant or other sources. The specific documentation required will be determined by the student’s status as a graduate research assistant (GRA) (employee policies apply) or as a trainee/fellow (i.e., funded by a training grant or individual fellowship). For information, please visit the Trainee Travel policy.

International Professional Travel
All UAB-Related Foreign Travel Requests must be made online through the UAB Forms site. UAB policy requires prior approval through this online request process for all UAB-related foreign travel, including for all students who participate in Study Away programs and/or travel overseas as part of UAB-related activities.

Students may direct questions to the Office of Study Away at 205.975.6611 or via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

GBSO Travel Award
An award of up to $400.00 is available for eligible graduate students who are attending an extracurricular academic/professional conference. The award is offered as a supplemental reimbursement to cover expenses related to transportation, lodging, poster printing, andregistration. These awards are not meant to reimburse for required UAB credit generating activities or for activities that are not primarily professional in purpose. For more information please visit the GBSO website.

GSG Travel Grant
Currently, each graduate student in good academic standing who will be enrolled at the time of travel and at the time of reimbursement is eligible for one Travel Award of $400.00 each academic year and a maximum of two while enrolled at UAB. GSG has three application windows per year corresponding to the semester in which the travel occurs (Fall, Spring, and Summer). For more information please visit the GSG website.

The Graduate Student Emergency Loan Program (GSELP) provides a mechanism to assist graduate students in financial need due to unexpected costs. See details and apply here.

UAB's Office of Financial Aid provides financial counseling and support for students as it pertains to student loan forgiveness, income based repayment plan, deferment, etc. You may contact the Office of Financial Aid at (205)934-8223 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

DISCLAIMER: GBS cannot provide legal tax advice to students. Students should consult the IRS website or a licensed tax professional for up-to-date tax information and guidelines.

IRS Resources

• Tax Information for Students
• Estimated Taxes
• Foreign Students and Scholars

UAB Resources

• Federal and State of Alabama Tax Filing Requirements / Scholarships & Fellowships
• Non-US Citizens Tax Information
• Non-Resident Tax Information

To sign-up for parking, students must have a UAB One Card ID before a parking permit can be purchased. Fees for parking are added to student accounts and must be paid by the deadline to avoid late fees. Students can manage their account via the Parking Portal.

Health Insurance for students enrolled in GBS programs is mandatory. Single-coverage student health insurance through United HealthCare (UHC) is available at no cost to students. Family coverage is also available at a low cost to the student. Students can sign up for health insurance through their Student Portal located in BlazerNet.

Students who already have their own personal insurance have the option to waive United HealthCare student coverage. To opt out of United HealthCare, a waiver stating that he/she has major medical insurance that is comparable or superior to the student plan must be signed.

Additional information can be found here.

The NIH has encouraged institutions to develop Individual Development Plans (IDPs) for all graduate students and postdoctoral researchers supported by NIH awards. Use of IDPs is to be reported in all progress reports submitted after October 1, 2014, using the Research Performance Progress Report (RPPR).

Individual development plans are important tools in career planning. It is required that all GBS students participate in IDP instruction, with each newly matriculating student receiving initial IDP instruction by October 1 of their year of entry. The Graduate School offers IDP instructional sessions that include participant initiation of IDP using the Science Careers website tool myIDP. Individual themes may also establish their own IDP instruction and related requirements. MSTP students will participate in MSTP-organized IDP training rather than GBS theme-related IDP sessions.

Primary responsibility to assure that GBS students receive IDP instruction resides with the GBS curriculum manager. A record of IDP must be provided to the Graduate School by October 1st, to be forwarded to and monitored by the UAB Compliance Office. A session sign-in list or screen shots of the myIDP personal information summary page can provide evidence of participation.

The initial IDP information session is scheduled for incoming students during the entering fall semester. The GBS office will arrange these sessions with first-year students.

For more information, please visit UAB IDP.

Students are responsible for certifying their efforts every time an HR or financial change is made to their account. Students will receive an email when recertification is needed. If this is not completed correctly, all financial records can be locked which will hinder payment requests.

Students will not need to certify their efforts while on a fellowship.

For more information, please reference Effort Report Training. To sign up for training, contact the GBS Finance & HR Manager.

The Graduate School has initiated a new application for degree process, entirely online. You may access the application online through Blazernet by selecting "Links/Forms" and selecting "Apply for Graduate Degree/Certificate".

Students are responsible for verifying that all academic requirements have been met, indicated by the GPS audit. The application for degree will not be approved until all requirements are met.

If you have any further questions, please contact the GBS Program Administrator.

Build relationships, develop leadership skills, and have fun by joining a student organization at UAB. See the sampling below and the full listing of student organizations for ways to get involved.

• AAO: Asian American Organization
• AAUW: American Association of University Women at UAB
• Association of Bangladeshis at UAB
• AIS: Association of Indian Students at UAB
• BGSA: Black Graduate Student Association
• Chinese Society at UAB
• FSA: Filipino Student Association
• GBSO: Graduate Biomedical Student Outreach
• GCAT: Graduate Career Awareness and Trends
• GRADient
• GSG: Graduate Student Government
• ICA: Indian Cultural Association
• ISSA: International Student and Scholar Association
• MSA: Muslim Students' Association
• Nepalese Student Association at UAB
• SACNAS: Society for Advancement of Chicanos & Native Americans in Science
• SALSA: Spanish and Latino Student Association
• Taiwanese Student Association
• Full list of UAB Student Organizations

Feedback from undergrads, grad students, postdocs and faculty at UAB indicates that stress, anxiety and mental health concerns are increasing across campus. To address these concerns, in part, UAB has subscribed to Kognito's At Risk training, an online interactive simulation platform that includes interactive role-play conversations to support student mental health and wellness. This training is designed for faculty, staff and students with learning objectives that include:

• increase knowledge and awareness of mental health and suicide
• identify the warning signs of psychological distress
• build skills to lead conversations with students in distress

Each training module requires between 30 – 45 min to complete; modules are available on-demand 24/7 with unlimited free access for the UAB community.

Access Instructions

1. Using a compatible browser such as Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox, navigate to the Kognito site.
2. Create a new account by selecting “Click Here” above the email and password fields.
3. Follow the prompts and enter the appropriate enrollment key;
Faculty/Staff: uabfas
Students: uabus
4. Follow the on-screen instructions to access the simulations page.
5. Select the desired simulation tile and click “Launch” to begin the simulation.

Student Counseling Services offers students of all backgrounds, races, religious beliefs, sexual orientations, gender identities, abilities, ethnicities, and cultures a safe place to discuss and resolve issues that interfere with personal and academic goals. We recognize and honor the complex intersectionality of all aspects of a person’s identity and presenting concerns.

UAB cares deeply about the overall health and wellbeing of our entire campus community. In an effort to reach those in need, UAB has established the UAB CARES Suicide Prevention Initiative as a result from our leadership’s charge to be an effective resource for all. UAB President Ray Watts, Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs and Provost Pam Benoit, and Vice President of Student Affairs John Jones have developed a comprehensive and coordinated suicide prevention strategy for the UAB enterprise. No matter who you are in the UAB community, remember that you matter, and you are important. UAB is here and there is help available today.