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Leslie Bottorff Fellowship Program

The Leslie Bottorff Fellowship Program (formerly known as the Innovation for Clinical Translation (ICT) Fellowship program) is a prestigious graduate fellowship program that was established to increase the number of Purdue doctoral engineering students focused on technology innovation and clinical translation as a key component of an expanding partnership between the Purdue College of Engineering and Indiana University School of Medicine.

The Leslie Bottorff Fellowships (formerly known as Innovation for Clinical Translation (ICT) fellowships) were established by Mung Chiang, Purdue University President and former John A. Edwardson Dean of the Purdue College of Engineering (2017-22), and Jay Hess, Dean of the Indiana University School of Medicine. Each year, a small number of new Bottorff Fellows will be named from the Purdue College of Engineering whose doctoral thesis research projects will directly target new innovations in medical diagnostics and therapies that have significant promise for near-term translation into clinical practice.

The program focuses on clinical experiences, translational strategies, and regulatory insights. Funds to support a summer clinical immersion experience are available to help students who are still in the early stage of their research gain clinical exposure at the Indiana University School of Medicine. This full-time 8-week summer clinical immersion experience will be followed by a fall class focused on biomedical product translation (BME 56100 Preclinical and Clinical Study Design or BME 59500 Biomedship). Finally, a spring Regulatory class will help fellows understand the workings of the US FDA and other regulatory agencies and the steps needed for clinical translation.

Each Bottorff fellow must be co-mentored by two faculty members: one in the Purdue College of Engineering and one in the Indiana University School of Medicine. Fellows will also be assigned an external industry mentor who is available to help with innovation, project planning, clinical exposure, network building, industry awareness, and general career advice.

Bottorff fellowships will be awarded competitively each year to engineering students pursuing thesis research projects targeting innovation for clinical application. Selection criteria will be based on outstanding academic preparation and research productivity as well as potential for entrepreneurship and leadership in transforming the future of healthcare. Both incoming and current graduate students early in their thesis research are eligible for selection.

Support

Stipend to support full-time summer clinical immersion experience: Bottorff Fellow supplement awards will be delivered as a Research Assistantship supported by the Purdue College of Engineering and the fellow's department.

To Nominate a Graduate Student - Summer 2024 Program

To nominate a Purdue University College of Engineering graduate student for this program, please complete this form (one-page limit) and attach the student's resume/CV and a letter of support from their research advisor or program administrator. Since fellows will receive a scholarship to support their tuition and living expenses in the summer semester for full-time clinical immersion, it is important applicants speak with their research mentors and/or program advisors. Submit this form electronically with student's resume/CV as one PDF to Cindy Holderbaum (cholderb@purdue.edu) by March 8, 2024. (Applications Closed)