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The Institute
In 1961, a handful of immunologists from the University of Pittsburgh
founded what was to become The Scripps Research Institute (TSRI).
Their intention was to establish a creative and productive scientific
environment where research could flourish without the usual constraints
of a traditional academic setting. Today, TSRI is the largest private,
non-profit biomedical research organization in the world. In 1989,
TSRI took the bold step of extending and building on its prodigious
reputation for excellence in basic biomedical research by establishing
an innovative doctoral program unlike any other in the United States.
Combining its unique strength in the integration of such disciplines
as cell and molecular biology, structure and chemistry, it developed
a Graduate Program in Macromolecular and Cellular Structure and Chemistry.
And in an effort to draw upon the superior capabilities of a recently
assembled chemistry faculty with an outstanding record of achievement
in contemporary areas of chemical, biological and structural research,
a doctoral program in chemistry was established three years later.
In 2002, TSRI named its graduate college The Kellogg School of Science and Technology for philanthropists Janet R. ("Jean") and W. Keith Kellogg II, who have been long-standing patrons of education and science. In 2003, a comprehensive review of the curriculum resulted in the redefined Doctoral Program in Chemical and Biological Sciences emphasizing the interdisciplinary nature of the program and reflecting the particular strengths of the Institue. This change allows students to select one of four curricular tracks–chemistry, chemical biology, biophysics or biology–and acknowledges the faculty's and student's views that future scientists must be broadly trained in these areas of scientific inquiry. Philosophy The philosophy of The Scripps Research Institute emphasizes the education and training of researchers in biology and chemistry preparing to meet the scientific challenges of the next century; the creation of basic knowledge in the biological and chemical sciences for the application of medical and material discoveries; and the pursuit of fundamental scientific advances through interdisciplinary programs and collaborations. It is within the framework of this overarching mission that the students in the Graduate Program learn in an environment tailored to accommodate individual interests and capabilities. Location The Scripps Research Institute is located in La Jolla, California, approximately 15 miles north of the city of San Diego. Located within a two-mile radius of TSRI, The Neurosciences Institute, the University of California at San Diego, The Salk Institute, The Burnham Institute for Medical Research, and the Genomics Institute of the Novartis Research Foundation, as well as a large concentration of biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies, provide a research environment that is considered to be one of the finest in the world. Majors and Degrees TSRI's Kellogg School of Science and Technology offers a Doctoral Program in Chemical and Biological Sciences. Generally, the program will culminate with the Ph.D. degree after approximately five years of study and research. Faculty The research interests and activities of
the TSRI faculty span a broad range of fields in biology and chemistry,
assuring each student numerous opportunities for specialization
as the graduate education progresses. The considerable overlap in
areas of interest and expertise promotes the concept of interdisciplinary
collaborations and the free exchange of ideas. This investigative
synergy is at the heart of the Graduate Program's philosophy of
education. The Institute's staff includes more than 225 professors,
800 postdoctoral fellows, 743 laboratory technicians and 815 administrative
services employees. The full time faculty of 225 includes 15 members
of the National Academy of Sciences and three Nobel Laureates. Widely
recognized in the international scientific arena, many are the recipients
of prestigious honors and awards, including the following:
Employees
Academic Facilities The TSRI campus consists of multiple laboratory buildings on Torrey Pines Mesa with more than one million square feet of space overlooking the Pacific. The Institute enjoys one of the world's leading private computational capabilities with an array of computers, including a Cray supercomputer. Research is further supported by X-ray crystallography laboratories, high performance NMR spectrometry including a state-of-the art 900 MHz instrument electron microscopy, optical spectroscopy, a centralized DNA sequencing laboratory and a fluorescence activated cell sorting facility. The Kresge Library maintains a wide range of periodicals covering scientific and clinical topics, as well as selected reference volumes and books. The library maintains access to a variety of on-line services for computerized database searching. Library users have direct access to the MEDLINE database and CAS on-line. Student Population The total TSRI graduate student population for the academic year 2008/2009 is 250. Academic Programs The newly designed program offers students the opportunity to select one of five curricular tracks–chemistry, chemical biology, biophysics, biology, and Immunology–each having required coursework and suggested electives. Students, in consultation with their advisor and committee, may collectively customize their elective curriculum as well. The required courses ensure that students in each track have a common educational background, as well as a solid foundation from which to build. The electives accommodate individual flexibility, enabling students to diversify their scientific studies and explore areas of interest at a much greater depth of understanding. Ranking In 2007, U.S. News & World Report ranked Scripps Research in the top 10 of America's Best Graduate Schools. Scripps Research was ranked 6th in chemistry and 8th in biological sciences. Under chemistry specialties, Scripps Research was ranked #6 for organic chemistry. In the category of biological sciences specialties, Scripps Research was ranked #16 for cell biology and #13 for molecular biology. Admission Prerequisites The Kellogg School of Science and Technology accepts applications from individuals earning a bachelor's degree, or the equivalent. Applicants have been admitted with a wide variety of backgrounds, including degrees in Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Chemical Engineering, as well as other disciplines. Candidates applying to the Chemistry, Biology, Chemical Biology, and Biophysics Tracks are expected to have taken core scientific courses in their discipline, as well as advanced coursework in their area of specialization. Due to the interdisciplinary and broad nature of the TSRI program, there are no specific course prerequisites, however, applicants should ensure that they have adequate preparation to pass the TSRI course requirements in one of the four Tracks. Guidelines for Academic Preparation The Admissions Committee will determine if the applicant has the
appropriate academic background for their chosen Track. TSRI will
consider outstanding applicants with diverse backgrounds on an individual
basis. However, most successful applicants will have preparation
that falls into the following guidelines:
Tuition and Fees Financial support for graduate students is provided by TSRI, the student's advisor, and through national fellowships. This support covers the student's stipend and the cost of education. The 2008/2009 graduate student stipend has been set at $26,000. Students who receive a competitive fellowship may be eligible for a supplement. All fees, required texts, as well as health insurance costs will be borne by TSRI. Application and Information The application should include official transcripts from all colleges and/or universities attended, both general and applicable subject graduate record exam (GRE) scores, a minimum of three letters of recommendation, and a personal statement. The statement should include a detailed description of prior research experience, the purpose for entering a Ph.D. program, and the specific reasons for choosing The Scripps Research Institute's Graduate Program. International students must submit evidence of proficiency in English (TOEFL). All application materials must be received by January 1 to be considered for admission into the Program in August of the same year. Accreditation The Scripps Research Institute is accredited by the Accrediting Commission for Senior Colleges and Universities of the Western Association of Schools and Colleges, 985 Atlantic Avenue, Suite 100, Alameda, CA 94501, (510) 748-9001, an institutional accrediting body recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation and the U. S. Department of Education. Application Deadline An application for admission must be postmarked by January 1. Application forms are available from the web site, or by contacting the Office of Graduate Studies, 10550 N. Torrey Pines Road, TPC-19, La Jolla, California 92037, telephone: 858-784-8469, fax: 858-784-2802, email: gradprgm@scripps.edu. There is no application fee. Applications are reviewed by an admissions committee; successful candidates will be invited to the Institute for an interview in February or March. Education Programs Postdoctoral Fellows TSRI has maintained its commitment to training the next generation of scientists, in part, by its active recruitment of postdoctoral fellows, all of whom have completed postgraduate degrees. They continue their scientific training in TSRI's laboratories for a period of two to five years under the supervision of the senior scientific staff. They contribute to ongoing research inquiries and are named authors on numerous scientific publications.Educational Outreach TSRI has a local and national commitment to guide young students and provide them with opportunities to explore and pursue educational and career opportunities in the sciences. Toward this end, funded through grants and private philanthropy, the Institute provides a variety of programs for students at the high school and college levels and for middle school and high school science teachers to participate in research activities on the campus. These programs are designed and supervised by many of TSRI's graduate students and senior scientists. While students of all ethnic and cultural groups are accepted into the programs, a special emphasis is placed on identifying and recruiting students who are historically underrepresented in the sciences. Campus Facilities TSRI's facilities are located on approximately 35 acres of land of which 14.7 are owned by TSRI. The campus is within close proximity to the University of California, San Diego, in La Jolla, California. This location provides access to San Diego's scientific community, which includes The Salk Institute and the Burnham Institute, as well as a concentration of some 300 biotechnology companies. The campus includes leased and owned space. TSRI owns facilities, including approximately 410,500 square feet of laboratory space. Additionally the Institute leases some 573,500 square feet of laboratory space in 12 buildings and approximately 60,800 square feet of administrative space in three buildings. Technical Support Capabilities The research activities of TSRI's scientists require significant technical support, including research computing, NMR spectroscopy, particle beam spectroscopy, mass spectroscopy, optical spectroscopy, a fluorescence activated cell sorting facility, x-ray crystallography laboratories, electron microscopy, bioinformatics, and DNA array protein chip technology. NMR spectrometers are housed in the Aline W. and L.S. Skaggs NMR Building and the Buddy Taub Center for Molecular Structure and Design. Computer and Network Facilities The Institute maintains central computing resources which include a large shared memory SGI Linux machine (yellowtail), and two 64-bit LINUX clusters bluefish and garibaldi. The SGI LINUX machine is a 128 CPU 1.3 Ghz Itanium-2 SGI 3700 server, with 128 GBytes of memory and one Terabyte of local disk space. The bluefish LINUX cluster contains 576 3.4 GHZ Intel XEON-EMT processors for computations and additional Intel XEON-EMT processors for system functions. The garibaldi LINUX cluster contains 1200 2.33 GHZ Intel dual core XEON-EMT processors and 620 3.4 GHZ Intel single core XEON-EMT for a total of 3020 cpu's available for computations. The garibaldi cluster uses additional Intel dual core XEON-EMT processors for system functions. Between local and shared disks each of these clusters has over sixty Terabytes of disk space available for computational data. These systems use the PBS batch queueing system to ensure maximum system throughput and fair access. An extensive data communications network connects 14 buildings on campus. The major compute and data servers are connected via Fast Ethernet switches and numerous high speed routers with selective use of gigabit ethernet. The majority of workstations, personal computers, and smaller compute servers are connected by 10 & 100 Megabit switched and routed ethernets. This network links together approximately 4900 computers. Approximately 600 of these are high-end Unix based graphics workstations, largely represented by Linux/Intel, Silicon Graphics and Sun Microsystems. Other Unix workstations include Compaq and Hewlett-Packard. The other computers are equally divided between Windows and Macintosh desktop computers. The Institute operates a central data archival facility which uses a Silicon Graphics Altix 350 server, a thirty five Terabyte disk cache, and a large high speed StorageTek tape library. Current capacity is approximately 2500 Terabytes. The Institute operates a central backup facility which provides periodic full backups and daily incremental backups of computer systems. The system uses a number of servers and two tape libraries housed in two buildings to provide disaster recovery. Various groups within the Institute maintain hardcopy output devices which include a Solitaire film recorder and numerous color and B/W laser printers. Off campus resources such as massively parallel computers at various Supercomputer Centers are accessible via a full duplex 100 Megabit fast ethernet Internet connection. |
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