The written dissertation research proposal must be submitted to the Multidisciplinary Advisory Committee at least four weeks in advance of the oral presentation. Once the document is submitted to the MAC, students must meet with their committee members individually or as a group to receive preliminary feedback, address necessary changes, and get final approval to move forward with the Dissertation Proposal Oral Presentation. The format of the document should follow an NIH proposal but reduced in size. The proposal should be six pages in total with no more than 1.5 pages dedicated to Specific Aims, Background, and Significance/Rationale. The research question, hypothesis and null hypothesis should be clearly articulated. Students should place emphasis on the methodology to be employed, including study design and statistical analysis. Justifications for the approaches chosen should be articulated, and potential pitfalls and alternative approaches highlighted. Preliminary data may be included. Bibliography, surveys and/or other validated or to-be-developed instruments, questionnaires, tables and figures that may be needed, will not be counted toward the page limit.
The format of this proposal shall be as follows:
Font: Use Arial, Helvetica, Palatino Linotype or Georgia typeface in black with a font size of 11 points or larger. Symbol font may be used to insert Greek letters of special characters, however, the font size requirement still applies. Type should be no more than 6 lines per inch.
Page Margins: Use at least one-half inch margins (top, bottom, left and right) for all pages.
Figures, Graphs, Tables, Charts, Legends, Footnotes: You may use a smaller type size (no smaller than size 10 font). Color may be used in figures; however, all text must be in black font color, clear and legible.
Questionnaires, surveys, other validated or to-be-validated instruments: The same font size as outlined for the proposal document should be employed.
After passing the Written Comprehensive Qualifying Exam, students must register for 25-30 credits of CLR0020 Doctoral Thesis, depending on the requirements of their track. Once a student has completed all required doctoral thesis credits, they should register for CLR8000 Thesis Continuation, for which no tuition is charged, but which ensures that students remain active.
Admission to candidacy for the PhD in Clinical Research constitutes a promotion of the student to the most advanced stage of graduate study and provides formal approval to the candidate to devote essentially exclusive attention to the research and the writing of the dissertation.
To qualify for admission to candidacy, students must:
Be in good standing
Have completed all required coursework with a minimum of a B or better in all required coursework as per their declared track
Earned a cumulative GPA of 3.0
Have passed the Written Comprehensive Qualifying Exam
Have received approval of the proposed subject and plan of the dissertation from the respective MAC following a successful Dissertation Research Thesis Proposal Oral Presentation
The oral presentation of the dissertation research proposal must be completed no later than nine months after the successful completion of the written comprehensive qualifying examination. All students should submit a Dissertation Research Proposal Oral Presentation Registration form at least four weeks prior to the Dissertation Proposal Oral Presentation, and no later than February 28 of year three.
To schedule the oral presentation of the dissertation research proposal (or re-presentation), the dissertation mentor and the student should check the proposed date with the MAC members and communicate the proposed date with the CLR Program office to find out which member of the PhD Oversight Committee will be available to attend the presentation. Once a date has been established the student will need to submit a copy of the Dissertation Research Proposal Oral Presentation Registration form with the appropriate signatures to the Program Manager at least four weeks prior to the presentation. The student is responsible for scheduling the presentation and should communicate with the Program Coordinator to find a room for the presentation if needed. The student is responsible for communicating the final date, time and location to the individuals involved in the presentation and to the program office. The student should also email their written thesis prospectus to their committee members, the member of the PhD Oversight Committee attending the presentation, and to the Program Manager at least four weeks prior to the oral presentation to give committee members sufficient time to review the written thesis. Failure to register and provide the appropriate information to the committee members and program office in a timely manner may result in a cancellation of the presentation. If a student does not register for a presentation that is conducted, the Clinical Research Education Program reserves the right to require a re-presentation or to require a notarized statement from the student and the MAC certifying the number of times the student has presented.
The Dissertation Research Proposal Oral Presentation will be conducted by members of the student’s MAC and will be led by the chair of that committee. The chair of the committee must enforce all rules of the examination, including those pertaining to the role of the mentor. In addition, a member of the PhD Oversight Committee must be present during the Thesis Proposal Oral Presentation.
The student's mentor should be present during the Dissertation Research Thesis Proposal Oral Presentation. However, the mentor must remain silent throughout the entire process including the questioning phase of the presentation. The purpose of the mentor’s presence is to allow him/her to assess first-hand the student’s performance in order to subsequently assist them in addressing the observed deficiencies. If the mentor fails to remain silent, they may be asked by the chair of the committee to leave the room. Before the Oral Presentation begins, the student and mentor will be asked to leave the room for a few minutes so the committee can discuss the student’s performance to date, the structure of the exam, the written thesis proposal and raise any specific points that would be important to discuss during the presentation. Once this review is completed, the student and mentor will be called into the room and the presentation will commence. The student should present using PowerPoint slides. Copies of the slides should be provided to the MAC on the day of the presentation. The student’s portion of the presentation should be approximately thirty minutes long.
The purpose of the Oral Presentation is to assess the working knowledge of the student’s respective field of inquiry and the ability to demonstrate critical thinking and sufficient acumen regarding clinical research design, and analytical methods as they relate to their chosen field of inquiry. The committee should evaluate the student’s ability to:
Evaluate and synthesize relevant literature
Articulate and elaborate on specific aims
Evaluate any preliminary data of relevance to the project which may be available
Discuss experimental designs, qualitative and/or quantitative methods, and alternative strategies and methods for analysis, as it applies to the work planned
Once the committee is finished asking questions, the student and mentor will be asked to leave the room. At this point the MAC will take into account both the written proposal and the Oral Presentation and vote on whether the proposal is accepted, and if accepted, whether with minor, major or no revisions. Following this discussion, the student and mentor will be asked to re-enter the room and the chair of the committee will discuss the committee's decision. All members of the MAC should sign the Dissertation Research Proposal Oral Presentation Voting form at the end of the presentation. The form must be returned by the Chair of the committee to the CLR Program Manager immediately following the presentation. In addition, if the committee determines that further work is necessary, the Chair will provide this information in writing to the student, mentor and the CLR program within 7 days of the presentation.
No extensions will be granted for the oral presentation except under extenuating circumstances. Requests for extensions of established examination deadlines should be made at least 4 months prior to the deadline. Students who fail to meet the examinations deadlines will be placed on academic probation.
The following voting options are available to the MAC:
Satisfactory without revisions
Satisfactory with minor revisions (no re-presentation to the committee required)
Satisfactory with major revisions (re-presentation to the committee required)
Unsatisfactory
The student whose oral presentation is deemed unsatisfactory or satisfactory with major revisions will be given one additional opportunity to address the particular area(s) of weakness. Students will need to submit a Dissertation Research Proposal Oral Re-Presentation Registration form to the Clinical Research Education Program Office formalizing this request. The conditions and timing for a re-presentation must be established at the time of the initial presentation.
The re-presentation must occur within 6 months of the initial presentation if the initial outcome was "Unsatisfactory" or within 4 months if the outcome was "Satisfactory with Major Revisions." The information concerning a re-presentation should be communicated to the student and the CLR program by the MAC, in writing, within two days of the initial presentation. A student (with support of the mentor) may request to change the membership of an individual(s) in the re-examination MAC from that of the MAC Examination Committee. However, the student can request a change only if 1) there are major changes to the proposal and the existing committee members do not appropriately represent the expertise necessary, given the changes to the project or 2) if there is a major conflict identified by the student and mentor. The student must receive approval from the CLR program leadership, prior to registration for the re-examination in order to proceed with a change in committee member. In rare instances, the MAC may refuse the student the opportunity to redress the proposal where students have failed to show sufficient research progress and ability.
The student and mentor must extend an invitation to an outside individual who is an acknowledged expert in the field to serve as an examiner during the dissertation defense. This person will be a voting member. Altogether, the dissertation committee will therefore consist of the five MAC members chosen for the Dissertation Research Proposal Oral Presentation, plus the additional outside examiner. See Section Five for more information on selecting an outside examiner.
Option One: Submit three first-authored manuscripts that have been accepted for publication in peer-reviewed journals. The three manuscripts must be thematically related to one another and to the dissertation proposal that was approved by the student’s MAC and represent an original new body of work. In addition, each manuscript must be individually approved by the MAC in order to ensure that the above conditions are met. The manuscripts must be accompanied by an introductory chapter that discusses the implications of the research findings and provides a description of plans for future research.
Option Two: Submit a more traditional dissertation that includes, at a minimum, chapters describing background, methods, analyses/results and conclusions of the dissertation project.
Either option must involve a substantive piece of original and independent research grounded in an appropriate body of literature and theory. High priority—both during the process of selection of the dissertation research topic and in the evaluation of the product of the dissertation research—will be placed on the extent to which the project is innovative and advances the field in which the student is working.
The written work must conform to the Mount Sinai Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences format, as outlined in the Depositing Your Dissertation Guide.
When the student has completed the written thesis, it must be read and approved by the MAC. The student should submit the thesis to each member of the committee as early as possible, but no later than four weeks before the defense. Committee members may reschedule the examination if not given the appropriate amount of time to prepare for it. Before the final scheduling of the defense, the student must meet with their committee to get approval to defend. The student must once again complete the Progress Report form, obtain signatures from the entire MAC, and submit the form to the Program Manager no later than four weeks prior to the defense to indicate that the student has been given permission to defend their thesis.
Students and the dissertation research mentor(s) should be aware that revisions and even additional work/analysis may be requested by the MAC. In either event, the MAC should decide and indicate in writing whether the whole committee needs to be reconvened to consider the new draft or whether a subcommittee (or just the Chair of the Committee) may approve the revised draft.
To schedule the thesis defense and seminar, the thesis mentor and the student should check the proposed date with MAC members before submitting the appropriate registration form. The student will need to submit Dissertation Defense and Seminar Registration and Progress Report forms with the appropriate signatures, to the Program Manager at least four weeks prior to the defense. The student is responsible for scheduling the defense and should communicate with the Program Coordinator to find a room for the exam. The student is also responsible for communicating the final date and time to the individuals involved. Failure to register in a timely manner may result in a cancellation of the Defense. If a student does not register for a dissertation defense that is conducted, the Clinical Research Education Program reserves the right to require a re-examination or to require a notarized statement from the student and the MAC certifying the number of times the student has been examined.
The thesis defense is comprised of two parts, the public seminar and the closed session. Both parts must take place on the same day with the public seminar preceding the closed session. The public seminar will consist of a 45-60 minute PowerPoint presentation on the student’s work, open to the Mount Sinai scientific community, and will serve as the presentation to the MAC. The committee chair must make sure that all members of the MAC, the outside examiner, the mentor(s) and a member of the PhD Oversight Committee be present for the public seminar, since the student will not repeat the presentation during the closed session. The MAC and mentor(s) will be asked to remain silent during the public seminar and will reserve their questions for the private closed session. It is the responsibility of the student and mentor to appropriately announce the seminar to the public via email, and to the program at least four weeks prior to the Seminar. Once the student notifies the Program Manager of the date and location of the public seminar, the program office will communicate the information to the Graduate School in Biomedical Sciences office which will in turn send a school wide email to announce the seminar.
The closed session of the thesis defense will take place after the public seminar. Once again, the committee chair must make sure that all members of the MAC, the outside examiner, the mentor(s) and a member of the PhD Oversight Committee be present for the defense. Only the MAC and the outside examiner are considered voting members. The defense should take roughly two hours. Student’s mentors must attend the defense but must remain silent throughout the entire process. The purpose of the mentor’s presence is to assess first-hand the student’s performance in order to subsequently assist them in addressing the observed deficiencies. If the mentor fails to remain silent, they may be asked by the chair of the committee to leave the room. Copies of the presentation slides used during the public seminar must be provided to the MAC during the closed session. There is no limit to the number of questions the MAC might ask or the duration of the closed session. Once the committee has completed their questions, the student and the mentor will be asked to leave the room so that the committee members can discuss the outcome of the defense. The student is then asked back into the room and the decision and comments are shared with the student.
The student is expected to bring the Report of Dissertation Defense form on the day of the defense. This form must be signed and returned immediately following the completion of the defense to the Program Manager. If the Committee determines that there are revisions to be made, the information will be communicated to the student in writing. The student will need to submit an Approval of Revised Dissertation form once the revisions have been made.
By February 1, students must notify the Registrar of their intent to deposit their thesis in order to be included in the Commencement exercises of that year. Commencement information will be sent during the spring semester to the student’s last email address recorded with the Graduate School Office/Clinical Research Education Program.
Once the student has successfully defended their dissertation, they will have a maximum of three months to deposit their written dissertation to the library. Students who have not deposited their thesis within three months after their successful defense will be administratively withdrawn from the program. In the event that a student decides at a later date to either deposit or obtain a transcript they will need to pay a required fee.
After successfully defending the dissertation and making all revisions, the student should deposit the dissertation electronically according to the instructions in the Depositing Your Dissertation Guide.
Students should submit the online Student checkout form and the Graduating Student Exit Survey (which will be emailed) before depositing the dissertation. Failure to do this can result in a delay of the student’s graduation.
The dissertation may be deposited at any time during the year, but the following deposit deadlines and enrollment requirements determine the date of the degree. No degree will be awarded unless the thesis is deposited by one of the required due dates listed below. The degree is awarded on September 30, January 31, or the date of the ISMMS annual Commencement in May. Students depositing by the January or April deadline will receive their diploma at Commencement. Those students who have a dissertation defense scheduled between April 15 and June 15 may be eligible to participate in the spring Commencement ceremony even though they have not met the April 15 dissertation deposit deadline. In cases where a student is allowed to participate, the diploma will not be awarded at graduation. Only students in good academic standing will be offered this courtesy. Good academic standing should be understood to mean that all coursework has been completed with passing grades and the student’s mentor/committee fully expect the student will successfully defend the dissertation prior to June 15. If either of these criteria is not met, the student will not be allowed to participate in the spring graduation ceremony.
It is important to note that physical diplomas are produced only once per year by ISMMS. Students who do not meet deadlines for a May graduation will not receive a diploma until the following May after they have completed all degree requirements. The PhD in Clinical Research itself can be conferred on two other occasions, September 30 and January 30, following completion of all degree requirements. If necessary, prior to receipt of the actual diploma, students can request a letter from ISMMS Registrar’s office verifying that they have completed the degree requirements and confirming that the degree has been conferred.
If the student fails to deposit their thesis by the end of their seventh year in the PhD program, their dissertation mentor must petition the Dean in writing for permission to extend the student’s status. The petition must include a timetable for completing the dissertation and must also be signed by the student.
PhDCR students should consult the table below to determine the appropriate dates and deadlines for milestones and the associated required paperwork.
| Milestones | Form(s) to Submit | Important Dates and Deadlines |
|---|---|---|
Declare PhD track
By the end of year one
Form Multidisciplinary Advisory Committee
(MAC)
By March 31 of year two
Complete all required coursework
No form required; reference relevant PhD track checklist for required coursework specific to your track
By the end of year two
Pass Written Comprehensive
Qualifying Exam
Exam takes place in June of year two, after the student has completed the Integrative Problem Solving Course in Clinical and Translational Research sequence (CLR0012, CLR0014, and CLR0015).
The exam registration form is due by May 31 of year two. In exceptional cases, a student may be given permission to delay the exam to June of their third year.
Students who fail the qualifying exam will be given the opportunity to retake the exam in January of the following year.
Pass Written Dissertation Research Proposal and Oral Presentation
Registration form and written proposal is due by February 28 of year three, and no later than four weeks prior to presentation date. Written proposal should be uploaded to Blackboard
Oral presentation must occur by March 31 of year three. Voting form must be submitted to Blackboard within 24 hours of presentation.
A re-presentation must occur within six months of the initial presentation if the initial outcome was "Unsatisfactory;" or within four months if the outcome was "Satisfactory with Major Revisions." All completed forms should be uploaded to Blackboard.
Annual progress report
Annually, beginning in the fall of year three, through to the dissertation defense, candidates should meet with their MAC to assure that the student is making good progress and achieving the required milestones. The student and the MAC should complete the Progress Report form and upload it to Blackboard following their meeting.
Graduation
Graduation Application form (will be emailed to students)
February of the year of your intended graduation
Written dissertation and defense
At least four weeks prior to the defense
To be completed and returned to the Program Manager immediately following the defense
Form should be signed after dissertation revisions have been completed, and before dissertation is deposited. Students with minor revisions must obtain the signature of MAC chair. Students with Major Revisions must obtain the signature of all MAC members.
Student checkout and dissertation deposit
and Graduating Student Exit Survey (sent via email)
ProQuest Dissertation Deposit and Depositing Your Dissertation Guide
Checkout form and survey should be submitted prior to depositing the dissertation
Students have a maximum of three months after their defense to deposit. The dissertation must be properly formatted, according to the requirements of the Depositing Your Dissertation Guide.
Students who wish to participate in May graduation ceremonies should deposit no later than April 15. The degree will be awarded on the conferral date following the final deposit (September 30, January 31 or date of May commencement).