As part of the CBI Training Program it is a requirement that all appointed students complete a Student Sabbatical by the end of your graduate studies (preferably by the end of 4.5 years in the graduate program). The Student Sabbatical proposal must be submitted by July 1 of the end of the student’s first year of support. The proposal must be approved by the CBI Program Committee before funding for the appointed student is terminated. Once the student has returned to the University of Michigan, from the Sabbatical, a one-two page written report, describing the entire experience, will be due within 30 days. The background of the Student Sabbatical is as follows:

• Students will write a proposal that outlines an “advanced rotation experience”, preferably in a research collaborators laboratory. The site of the 10 week sabbatical may be in academe, industry, or government laboratories. These laboratories may be physically located in Ann Arbor, but will preferably be located outside the University of Michigan, possibly in more distant sites, including out of state and overseas.
• It is expected that the student will physically move to the laboratory of the collaborator for the period of the sabbatical. If necessary, the sabbatical may be done over more than one visit.
• The proposal should describe a self-contained project that is relevant to the student’s thesis work.
• A letter of approval by the advisor shall be obtained and submitted within the package.
• A letter of agreement from the host scientist shall be obtained and submitted within the package.
• At the end of the sabbatical, a short report of research experience will be submitted to the program committee. This report is due within one month of completion of the Sabbatical.
• Advisors, for each Fellow, will receive correspondence on all communications regarding the sabbatical.

The format and requirements of the Student Sabbatical Proposal are as follows:

• Cover Sheet
• Letter of Support from the Student’s Advisor
  •  Proposals should include a letter from the UM advisor supporting the choice of the sabbatical plan and explaining how the sabbatical will supplement the training that would otherwise be provided during the course of your Ph.D. studies.
• Proposal Letter (minimum of three pages and a maximum of five)
• Letter of Support from Sabbatical Host
  • A letter of support from the sabbatical host mentor is not required. Communication with the host mentor should occur prior to submission of the sabbatical proposal to ensure that the opportunity will materialize in a fashion consistent with what is described in the proposal.

The requirements of the 3-5 page Proposal Letter are as follows:

• Background of Research/Studies at U of M
• Preliminary Work – explanation of ongoing work in your lab
• Actual proposal of the work to be completed at the Host location lab/industry
• Explanation of how the work completed on your Sabbatical relates to your thesis research at U of M.

Once the sabbatical has been completed, a written Final Sabbatical Report, explaining and detailing your experience, will be due within 30 days of your arrival back to the University of Michigan’s Campus.

The format and requirements of the Student Sabbatical Completion Report are as follows:

• Cover Page
• One-two page Completion Report

The requirements of the Completion Report are as follows:

• Explanation on the work completed at the Host location lab/industry, and what was achieved
• Explanation of how the work completed on your Sabbatical relates to your thesis research at U of M
• While it is unlikely that a research publication will have been submitted or written during this period, it is important that you inform us of any publications that were written as a result of the Sabbatical. Of course, if a paper has been written on this subject, we welcome this as an appendix to your report.

Student Sabbatical Proposals

For more information about the CBI Training Grant E-mail: CBI.Gen.Info@umich.edu