Program Information

The program goals are to:

1. Provide rigorous training, including co-mentored thesis research, on how biological systems implement feedback control and how to use control theory to analyze native systems and design these and biohybrid and bioinspired systems;
2. Create a vibrant community of students, faculty, and workforce partners to generate transformative advances in biological and bioinspired control;
3. Develop and deliver training in critical professional skills including communication, ethics, and teamwork in a manner tightly integrated with students’ technical training; and
4. Empower students to define their career paths via individualized professional development activities that progress from skill exploration to skill development to skill application.

This program builds on strengths of individual graduate programs and career development resources at BU, including:

1. Newly designed, program-specific courses and bootcamps that use case studies and technical instruction to develop a common language and a shared body of technical skills in the community of graduate students and faculty;
2. Workshops and related events timed throughout the program that focus on the development of specific professional skills and provide opportunities for networking and community building;
3. Transdisciplinary research in the field of biological control, with co-mentored projects by leading investigators, across multiple participating graduate programs, at the forefront of biological control; and
4. Internships with external partners in an array of workforce sectors. Graduates of the program will meet the growing demand for individuals who excel at understanding complex, interconnected biological systems and are adept at working in the team-based environments that are required for transformative research initiatives in biological feedback control. This program will prepare our cadre of scientists and engineers to spearhead an expanding interface between biology, physical sciences, and engineering, as well as new opportunities involving biotechnology and autonomous systems. In addition to the core participants, BU has many faculty who are part of the growing ecosystem of research and training in biological control (see People). Both groups of faculty can serve as advisors/co-advisors for students in the program.

NRT Trainee Timeline

Stipend Support

A limited number of NSF stipends are available for U.S. citizens and permanent residents, however one does not need to be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident to be a trainee. Potential trainees will receive full stipends from university fellowships for their first 12 months in the PhD program, during which time they take courses and complete up to three laboratory rotations to assist them in matching into a research lab. For the trainees receiving NRT-funded stipends, those stipends will begin in Year 2 of their PhD program and continue for 12 months. Research assistantships, typically through faculty research grants or external fellowships, will provide the stipend funding for all other semesters.

With support from:

NSF DGE #2244366