The Chemical Physics Program offers students the option to do their Ph.D. thesis research at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under the joint supervision of participating government scientists and Maryland faculty.
Background: The main campus  of the National Institute of Standards and Technology, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce, is in Gaithersburg, MD, a half-hour drive from College Park. Formerly the National Bureau of Standards, NIST has the primary national responsibility for developing and maintaining standards of physical measurement. The agency is charged with assisting industry in the development of technology and procedures needed to improve the quality of manufacturing production.
The University of Maryland at College Park and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, MD, together constitute one of the largest research centers in North America in atomic, molecular, and optical science, and in related areas such as chemical kinetics and surface science. For the graduate student, the joint program combines Ph.D. study in a leading research university with exposure to the environment and opportunities of a major national laboratory. Program Summary: As part of the Chemical Physics Program of the University of Maryland, the Joint Graduate Program is governed by the academic regulations of the University. In addition, students accepted into the program are expected to carry out research in a NIST laboratory during the summer following the second semester. Students take courses in the physical sciences at the University of Maryland, while Ph.D. thesis research in the AMO sciences may be carried out at the National Institute of Standards and Technology under the joint supervision of a NIST scientist and University of Maryland faculty member. Students interested in admission to the Joint Graduate Program should apply to the Chemical Physics Program, stating their interest. These applications will be reviewed by a committee of University faculty and NIST participating scientists, who will make recommendations to the Admissions Committee, which makes the final decisions. Click here for more information about the National Institute of Standards and Technology 
Background: The federal focal point for health research, the National Institutes of Health is one of the world's foremost biomedical research centers. An agency of the Department of Health and Human Services, NIH is headquartered in Bethesda, MD. Its mission is the pursuit of fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and application of that knowledge to extend healthy life and reduce the burdens of illness and disability. More than 3,000 Ph.D. scientists are employed. Program Summary: The Joint Graduate Program in Biophysics provides students with the training necessary for effective research work. Participating graduate students receive an exceptionally strong theoretical background in physics and chemical physics, followed by a research experience that takes advantage of this background to solve biological problems.  Academic requirements for the joint program are identical to those of the Chemical Physics Program. In addition, students are expected to take courses in biological sciences to support their biophysics interest, to participate regularly in NIH biophysics seminars along with those at the University of Maryland, and to carry out research in an NIH laboratory during the summer following the second semester.
Students take courses in the physical sciences at the University of Maryland, while Ph.D. thesis research in the biological sciences may be carried out at National Institutes of Health under the joint supervision of an NIH scientist and University of Maryland faculty member. The Joint Graduate Program in Biophysics is administered by a joint University of Maryland-NIH committee. Students wishing to enter the program should apply directly to the University of Maryland Chemical Physics Program and indicate their interest. Click here for more information about the National Institutes for Health |
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