Due to limited funding, having an assistantship does not guarantee tuition remission. Training Grants Several institutional training grants from NIH agencies provide support for epidemiology students. Students who apply for training support must be in a program leading to the Ph.D., or must have a prior doctoral degree. Under NIH provisions, trainees must be United States citizens or Permanent Residents. The grant pays tuition and fees, in addition to a stipend.
Postdoctoral stipends depend on the trainee's years of experience.
However, the student's career interests and research project must be within the area for which the grant is funded. Present department training grants fund a number of students studying issues in cancer, cardiovascular disease, environmental, and nutritional epidemiology. Faculty participating in administration of each grant select the trainees. Application forms are available from the Student Services Office. Certain related programs on campus also fund epidemiology students through NIH training grants, including the Carolina Population Center, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center , Sheps Health Services Research Center , the Center for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention , and some medical and dental programs.