Graduate Student Exchange Program

Applications are due to Vanderbilt University by April 1, 2026.

To apply, go to the REDCap Application Portal.  

Graduate students admitted to candidacy, in their 4th year and above (Ph.D. student - 4th year and above; MSTP student - GS3 and above), and working in UAB research laboratories focused on microbiology and/or immunology are eligible to apply for a 4‑week, in‑person research exchange program at one of the following partner institutions:

• Vanderbilt University
• Duke University
• University of Utah
• University of Pennsylvania
• University of California, San Diego

Program Overview

The Graduate Student Exchange Program offers trainees the opportunity to be immersed in a research laboratory at a partner institution through a short‑term exchange. This experience is designed to help students:

• Expand technical and experimental skill sets
• Complement or extend their dissertation research
• Gain valuable scientific and professional insights from faculty and trainees outside their home institution

Program Structure

One (1) student from each participating home institution will be selected to travel to a partner (host) institution for approximately four (4) weeks. During the exchange, students will work in a host laboratory with the goal of establishing a collaborative bridge between their dissertation laboratory and the host laboratory.

Program Activities

Participants will engage in the following activities:

• Travel to the partner institution
• Conduct research in the host laboratory
• Present a seminar on dissertation research at the host institution
• Attend laboratory meetings across multiple research groups
• Engage in professional and cultural experiences at the host institution and surrounding area
• Submit a short written report summarizing the exchange experience to the oversight committee
• Travel to Nashville, TN to present a poster on the exchange experience at the VI4 Annual Research Symposium the following spring

Financial Support & Eligibility

• Travel and lodging are covered by the HSOM Immunology Institute
• Applicants and their dissertation mentors must be members of the HSOM Immunology Institute to be eligible (Apply here)
• The student’s dissertation laboratory will continue to cover stipend, insurance, and fees during the exchange
• Approved research costs associated with the exchange will be covered by the host laboratory

Application Process

Step 1: Vanderbilt Application

Applicants must visit the Vanderbilt University website (organizing institution) to review FAQs and complete the REDCap application. Required materials include:

• Recent CV or NIH Biosketch
• Dissertation project summary (maximum 150 words)
• A 100–150 word statement addressing:

1. 1. Why you are interested in participating in a graduate student exchange program
   2. Relevant prior experiences or skills
   3. What you hope to gain from the experience
   4. Your long‑term career interests and goals

Step 2: Submission to the Immunology Institute

Applicants must submit a complete application packet to caball@uab.edu, including:

• Personal statement (No more than 1 page) incorporating:

1. 1. Their interest in the program and how they believe the program will benefit the education, training, and career development
   2. The type of lab that they would like to be immersed in (i.e. specific research focus, specific technology, specific lab type (wet lab, dry lab, translational, etc.)
   3. Specific labs that might be a good fit for their goals (provide more than 1 and more than 1 of the institutions)

• Provide a copy of the information submitted on the Vanderbilt REDCap website (dissertation description and program interest)
• Recent CV or NIH Biosketch
• Signed letter of support from dissertation mentor including the following information:

1. 1. Endorsement of participation
   2. Agreement to continuing paying the student stipend+benefits while the student is participating off-site in the program
   3. Brief outline of why your student would be a good fit for the exchange program and how participation in the program will benefit the education, training, and/or career development of your student

Step 3: Review Committee Presentation

Selected applicants will be invited to attend a review committee meeting during the first or second week of April. Applicants will give a 10‑minute presentation outlining:

• Expected outcomes of the exchange experience
• How the program supports their training and career goals
• Why they should be selected as the UAB candidate for Summer 2026