Policy on UNMC Graduate Student Research Mentors at other Institutions

Faculty members who leave UNMC and accept a position at another institution may continue to mentor UNMC graduate students for whom they already serve as chair of the student’s Advisory Committee,¹ provided that:

1. The faculty member retains NU Graduate Faculty status;²
2. The student has achieved Ph.D. Candidacy (M.S. students must be within 1 year of anticipated degree completion, as determined by their Advisory Committee);
3. There is an MOU in place between UNMC and the faculty member’s primary institution assuring compliance with UNMC requirements (IRB, IACUC, Graduate Studies policies/guidelines, safety, etc.); and
4. The faculty member must arrange for the graduate assistantship to be paid through funds left at UNMC. In this special situation, the student will continue to receive a tuition waiver until degree completion.

A UNMC graduate student who has not yet committed to pursue their research under a specific faculty member’s mentorship may choose to have as their research mentor a Graduate Faculty² member whose primary employer is outside of the NU system, but only with the following stipulations:

1. There must be an MOU in place between UNMC and the faculty member’s primary institution assuring compliance with UNMC requirements (IRB, IACUC, Graduate Studies policies and guidelines, safety, etc.);
2. The faculty member cannot chair the graduate student’s Advisory Committee;
3. The faculty member must arrange to pay the graduate student’s stipend and tuition (i.e., tuition will not be waived if the grant supporting the student’s research is held outside of UNMC or other universities within the NU system);
4. The student is ineligible for UNMC Graduate Studies Assistantships/Fellowships, or for Graduate Studies incentives linked to funding of external fellowships; and
5. The faculty member is ineligible for any Graduate Studies incentives associated with the student’s application for (or receipt of) NIH F-awards or similar external fellowship funding. Only faculty whose primary employer is UNMC are eligible for these incentives.

In both scenarios detailed above, the Graduate Program Committee and the UNMC Dean for Graduate Studies (or designee) retain the option to disapprove appointment of the student’s advisor or the advisory committee composition if the situation is deemed unacceptable to the student or the University.

Approved by UNMC Graduate Council: November 4, 2021

______________________________________________________________

1 The Graduate College Handbook refers to Advisors/Advisory Committees for M.S. students, and Supervisors/Supervisory Committees for Ph.D. students. In this document, the terms Advisor and Advisory Committee are meant to be applicable to both degree programs.

2 Requires a volunteer (adjunct) or part-time appointment to the UNMC faculty.