All CBI-appointed students are required to complete an 8-10 week Student Sabbatical.

• Prior to the Student Sabbatical, trainees submit a proposal (see below) that outlines a self-contained project relevant to the student’s thesis work and/or intended career path.  The site of the  sabbatical may be in academic, industry, or government laboratories or support career development in scientific publishing, communications, patent law, or other science-related field related to the trainee career interests.  The Student Sabbatical proposal must be approved by the CBI Program Committee.
• It is strongly recommended to complete the Student Sabbatical during the period of CBI financial support, but exceptions can be approved.
• As the goal is to broaden training and professional development, these laboratories will preferably be located outside the University of Michigan and Ann Arbor, often in more distant sites, including out of state and overseas.  It is generally expected that the student will physically move to the sabbatical site, but flexibility is available for individuals with personal situations that restrict more distant locations.
• While the preference is for the sabbatical to be completed over a single time block, if necessary it may be approved for completion over more than one visit.
• Once the student has returned to the University of Michigan a 1-2 page written report describing the entire experience is due within 30 days (see below).

Student Sabbatical Proposal format and requirements 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 (3-5 pages):
  • 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
• 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.

Student Sabbatical Completion Report.  This report is due within 30 days of sabbatical completion.  The format and requirements are:

• Cover Page
• One-two page Completion Report including:
  • 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.

Previous Student Sabbaticals

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