Master's Eligibility and Application Instructions

Master's Program Eligibility - All Candidates:

  • Must be a US Citizen, Non-Citizen National, or Permanent Resident (Proof of legal status required)
  • Must have the ability to devote full-time 75% effort (50% for surgeons) to the MSCTI
  • Must have primary appointment or be employed at a Weill Cornell CTSC partner institution
  • Only one re-submission for each application is allowed
  • Medical students and Medical Doctors (MDs), MD/PhDs, senior residents, fellows
  • Veterinarians (DVM), Osteopaths (DO), Dentists (DDS, DMD), or Physical Therapists (DPT)
  • Post-doctoralPhDs seeking a career in clinical and translational research
  • Faculty members from any of the partnering Weill Cornell CTSC institutions
  • PhD candidates in Nursing School, those with Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN), Master of Science in Nursing (MSN), and Doctorate of Science in Nursing (DNS) degrees
  • Certified Physicians’ Assistants and Clinical Research Project Coordinators/Aides with a bachelor’s degree

Application Instructions   

Applications must comply with submission requirements. Missing or incomplete documents or information will disqualify application for review.

 Application Instructions and Checklist

To access your application login to WebCAMP. Click on Protocol Authoring and Review. Under the Abbreviated Title column click on Your Master’s Research Project Title to access your application. Links to required application sections (Trainee Application Form, Biosketch and Supporting Documents) are in the upper left hand side of the application page.

A.     Trainee Application Form

  1. Click on your current citizenship status to proceed
        a. Personal and demographic information – A valid employer issued/institutional email is required.
        b. If you are not selected for the Master’s Degree program and wish to be considered for the Advanced                           Certificate Program please check the box notifying the program office(please note, a letter of support from                 your department chair/division chief is required).
       c. Is this a re-submission?  Answer 'yes' if the current application is a re-submission of a prior application that              was not selected for funding/admissions. Resubmissions must outline/highlight changes from previous                      submission. No more than 2 resubmissions are allowed.
      d. Project Summary – Briefly describe (250 word or less) your project written in plain language so even a non-                scientist can understand the importance of the project. Include the project’s broad, long-term objectives,                    specific aims, research design, methods, significance, and innovation.
      e. Multidisciplinary Integration - Briefly describe (250 words or less) how a multidisciplinary approach is                        integrated into this proposal.  A multidisciplinary approach is one that brings experts from biomedical or                    physical sciences with non-biological disciplines including biostatistics.
      f. Mentors - Click on [add], fill in required information.  Two mentors are required, but list no more than 3                     mentors. A Primary Mentor must be designated, each mentors’ role must be listed. All mentors must have                   active or recent (federal or foundation) funding. Mentors cannot be listed on more than 2 active CTSC                         applications or current awards (including CTSC Seed Awards). Of the two mentors:

        -One must be designated to serve as a Clinical research mentor and one a Basic Science or Public Health mentor
        -At least one mentor must have active NIH funding.
        -Both must have a strong history of mentorship and a clear collaboration/mentoring plan.

         At least 2 mentors, including the primary mentor, must be from different Weill Cornell CTSC partner                           institutions and from different disciplines. NIH definition of different disciplines will have priority                                 (areas outside biology, e.g., computer science, imaging, chemistry, mathematics, informatics, engineering,                 behavioral science, health services/ outcomes research, and biostatistics). A mentor’s institution will be                       determined by their primary appointment.

B.      Biosketches

  1. Upload individual PDF files for the applicant and mentors; new NIH Biosketch format is required.

C.       Supporting Documents – Please Upload Attachments as individual PDF files.

1.    Research Proposal: Projects must have a translational or clinical research focus. Pre-clinical studies should have near-term potential to translate into patient-oriented research. Clinical Trials (phases I or II) are permitted. Emphasis is placed on drug discovery, targeted therapeutics, biomarker or device development and novel technologies; projects focusing on health needs of LGBTI and underserved populations and/or directly impacting health outcomes in the community; pediatric and women’s health studies; life course studies of disease; and studies incorporating biostatistical methodologies and design.  Limited to 3 single-spaced pages (at least ½ inch margins, no smaller than 11pt Arial font) to include:

  • Hypothesis and specific aims
  • Scientific background for the study, citing appropriate references of work in the area by the investigator(s) and others
  • Research Plan (research team to be involved, experimental design, methods, statistics, timeline, innovation, human subjects and animal issues, if applicable)
  • References and supporting tables, figures, (2-3 additional pages are allowed)
  • First Name, Last Name in the upper left hand corner

2.    Career Statement (1 page or less) – Discuss your short and long-term goals and how acceptance to the Master’s program would impact your career and professional development.  Please include your First Name, Last Name in the upper left hand corner.

3.    Letters -  Must be addressed to “Master’s Degree Admissions Committee”, on departmental letterhead, signed, and emailed directly to ctsc-education@med.cornell.edu:

  • Department Chair/Division Chief Letter: must state a guarantee of 75% protected time (50% for surgeons).
  • Mentors Letters: Required from all mentors and the designated primary mentor’s letter must include a mentoring plan (click link for instructions).

4.       Proof of Legal Status: Provide verification of legal status (scanned copies acceptable):

  • US Citizen: U.S. Passport, Birth Certificate, Certificate of Citizenship, or Naturalization Certificate.
  • Non-Citizen National: a notary’s signed statement certifying that you have legal verification of such status.
  • Lawfully Admitted Permanent Resident:  a notary’s signed statement certifying that you have legal verification of such status and scanned copy of Permanent Resident Card (USCIS Form I-551).

5.       Transcripts and Test Scores – Upload digital copies of test scores and transcripts with application submission. Upon program acceptance, official documents will be required in hardcopy. Test scores include: MCAT, GRE and TOEFL. Transcripts from Undergraduate, graduate and/or medical school.

6.       Non-Refundable Application Processing Fee ($150):  Payable by WCMC departmental account or personal check made payable to Weill Cornell CTSC. Checks should be mailed or hand delivered to: Weill Cornell CTSC, 407 East 61st Street, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10065 Attn: Harley Lynch

C.       Submitting Your Master’s Degree Application

  1. Return to the “Application Status Page” (link in the upper left hand side of the page) and click on the blue “Submit Application” button.
  2. If you do not see the “Submit Application” button and feel that your application is complete, please click on the “Run Detailed Completeness Check” link to find out what is still missing, complete the missing items and repeat “step 1”.

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