Thesis Research

From the third year on, most of the student’s time is spent on original research and preparing a doctoral thesis.

• Jump To: Choosing a Mentor and Research Area
• The Thesis Advisory Committee
• GSAS Thesis Proposal

Choosing a Mentor and Research Area

Students typically choose their mentors at the beginning of the second year, and must choose no later than the end of the second year. Potential thesis students and mentors are encouraged to use the IPN Mentorship Agreement as a guide to set expectations for the trainee-mentor relationship.

Once a thesis mentor is identified, research toward the thesis begins. In the third year and after, the student will be engaged in full-time laboratory research in the mentor’s laboratory. If the student does not obtain a fellowship grant, they will be supported by the mentor from the third year onward.

Read Ben Barres’ editorial in Neuron for advice on choosing a mentor.

The Thesis Advisory Committee

The Thesis Advisory Committee is formed in the third year and includes at least three IPN faculty members with expertise in areas relevant to the student’s research, along with an established scientist from another institution. The outside thesis member is sometimes identified later than the members from Georgetown. The student’s thesis mentor is not part of the Thesis Advisory Committee, but attends the committee’s meetings.

Members of the Thesis Advisory Committee must be approved by the Student Advisory Committee (SAC) Chair. After approval, the student designates a committee chair, who helps the student to facilitate meetings.

The student meets with their committee at least once a year to discuss and evaluate their research progress. It is recommended that Thesis Advisory Committee meetings take place immediately after the annual Student Seminar. The committee chair completes a summary of the meeting using the Thesis Committee Meeting form. This form is available on DocuSign and will be initiated by the Program Coordinator.

GSAS Thesis Proposal

The student prepares a thesis proposal during their third year and submits it to the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences (GSAS) via the IPN’s Program Coordinator.

This short proposal defines an original and significant research problem, assesses the research literature critically, suggests feasible experimental approaches to the problem, and presents any available preliminary data in support of the approach.

The student should present their thesis proposal to the Thesis Advisory Committee at its first meeting in the third year. The Thesis Proposal Form will be initiated by the IPN Program Coordinator in DocuSign and signed by the thesis committee and IPN Program Director. The proposal, with any recommended modifications, should be formally accepted by the Thesis Advisory Committee by the end of the third year, and added to the student’s file.

After the proposal is approved, the student meets with their committee at least once a year to discuss and evaluate research progress and modify the initial proposal if required. It is highly recommended that meetings be held just after the Student Seminar talk, with another meeting scheduled about 5 months later if necessary. These meetings are an opportunity to present data and get feedback from the committee with regard to the direction and progress of the project. The student is encouraged to prepare an agenda and a short handout. The only role of the committee chair is to aid the student in running the meeting efficiently.