The Prelim exam is taken 1.5-2 years after entering the program*, following successful completion of the course requirements. It is important to view this exam not so much as a hurdle but more as an important educational exercise. The Preliminary Exam must be scheduled by May 17 and completed by August 31 of the second year. (Failure to do so will result in a hold being placed on the student's registration)

A. Goals of the Exam

• To determine if the student can think independently through a research proposal

• Can the student identify a realistic experiment for the PhD dissertation?

• Can the student see possible pitfalls in the long range planning of a research proposal?

• Can the student develop a logical attack on a specific problem (i.e. which experiment comes first, second, etc.)?

• Can the student present the proposal with clarity in written form, using the NIH format listed in the Research Plan (see below), scaled to the candidate's dissertation time frame?

• Can the student present the proposal successfully?

• Can the student defend the proposal and think on his/her feet?

B. Recommended Timeline of the Exam

Prior to the Exam:

• Complete the CMB Course Requirements

• Schedule Preliminary Exam: Inform CMB Office at least three weeks prior to the scheduled exam date to obtain the prelim warrant

• The CMB Office will request a warrant from the Graduate School and notify the student when it can be picked up in the CMB Office (413 Bock Labs)

• Begin working on the proposal

• Submit the written proposal draft to the Thesis Advisor and/or the Thesis Committee at least 4-6 weeks before the scheduled exam date

• After submission, consult individually with each member of the Thesis Committee to solicit suggestions for revision

• Complete a Prelim Exam Form, available at the Forms page of the CMB Website
  

• Circulate the revised proposal to the Thesis Committee at least 10 days prior to the exam

At the Exam:

• Establish the Chair of the Prelim Exam meeting (see the Thesis Committee section of the handbook for specific details)

• The student presents a brief oral presentation describing their research proposal (approximately 20 minutes)

• After the presentation, the student responds to questions by the Committee

• The questions correspond to the proposal itself and any related material

• The exam is usually completed within two hours

• Obtain decision and signatures of Thesis Committee members on the Prelim Exam Form and Warrant

Following the Exam:

PASS

• Provide a copy of the warrant, signed Preliminary Exam form, and research proposal to the CMB Office

WRITTEN REVISIONS

• Turn in the signed Preliminary Exam form to the CMB Office
• Complete written revisions of prelim proposal
• Obtain signatures of Thesis Committee members on the warrant after written revisions have been completed
• Provide a copy of the signed warrant, signed Preliminary Exam form, and revised research proposal to the CMB Office

WRITTEN REVISIONS & REPEAT OF ORAL DEFENSE

• Turn in the Preliminary Exam Form to the CMB Office
• Complete recommended revisions, reschedule and complete the repeat oral defense
• Turn in a NEW Preliminary Exam Form to the CMB Office with a new decision indicated by all committee members signing off on the new form
• Provide a copy of the signed warrant, the new Preliminary Exam Form, and the original research proposal with revisions to the CMB Office

Shortly after turning in a signed warrant to the Graduate School, students should expect to receive an e-mail from the Graduate School confirming dissertator status for the following semester and admission to candidacy for the PhD degree

FAIL

• Discuss results and recommendations with the Thesis Advisor and Thesis Committee
• Turn in the Preliminary Exam form, unsigned warrant, and copy of research proposal to the CMB Office and inform them of the committees recommendation

C. Preliminary Exam Research Plan

Proposal Content:

• Students must consult with others, including their Thesis Advisor when writing the proposal

• Subject matter must coincide with the student's anticipated thesis research

• Extensive preliminary data are NOT necessary for the exam

• Prepare the proposal in a format similar to a NIH postdoctoral grant application. See http://grants1.nih.gov/grants/funding/416/phs416.htm for more information

• CMB recommended format and page limit:

  • The length of the entire proposal may not exceed 20 pages

  • Format must be double-spaced

  • 10 or 12 point font

  • Adherence to this format and page limit will be considered in the final evaluation

• If dissertation research involves human subjects or animals, approval of the appropriate campus compliance committee must be obtained prior to any research intervention. For more information about research policy, compliance, and integrity activities, see http://www.grad.wisc.edu/research/policyrp/index.html

Specific Aims:

• State the broad, long-term objectives

• Describe concisely and realistically what the specific research is intended to accomplish and any hypotheses to be tested

• One page is recommended

Background and Significance:

• Briefly sketch the background to the present proposal

• Critically evaluate existing knowledge

• Specifically identify the gaps in knowledge that the project is intended to fill

• State concisely the importance of the research described in this application by relating the specific aims to the broad long-term objectives.

• 2-3 pages are recommended

Preliminary Studies:

• This section may be used to provide an account of preliminary studies to the application

• It is helpful to provide other information that establishes the experience and competence of the student in relation to the proposed project

Experimental Design and Methods:

• Outline the experimental design and the procedures intended to accomplish the specific aims of the project

• Detail the means by which the data will be collected, analyzed and interpreted

• Describe any new methodology and its advantage over existing methodologies

• Discuss the potential difficulties and limitations of the proposed procedures and alternative approaches to achieve the aims

• Provide a tentative sequence or timetable for the investigation

• Point out any procedures, situations, or materials that may be hazardous to personnel and precautions to be exercised

Literature Cited:

• Each citation must include the title, names of all authors, book or journal, volume number, page numbers, and year of publication

• Make every attempt to be judicious in compiling a relevant and current list of literature citations; it need not be exhaustive

• This does not count as part of the 20-page total page limitation

• Figures that are critical to the proposal should be included within the 20-page limit

• The student will have the opportunity to present other figures at the oral exam

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*Under special circumstances, the chair of the Curriculum Committee will consider a six-month extension. The student and the Thesis Advisor must justify this in writing to the Curriculum Chair and the CMB Program. If at the end of the six-month extension the Prelim Exam is not complete, the student's academic standing in the program may be jeopardized.