GAUSSI Program Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q: I am past my second year of graduate school, can I participate in GAUSSI training?
A: All graduate students are eligible to participate in GAUSSI training, but students in their first and second years will be given priority for fellowships.
Q: I am a research associate/post-doc, can I participate in GAUSSI training?
A: Training is open to staff and post-docs, subject to space limitations. Generally a BS degree in an area relevant to GAUSSI (math, stat, engineering, life science, computer science) is required.
Q: I am not working on a big data project, can I participate in GAUSSI training?
A: Yes. Some courses will be designed to allow trainees to analyze their own data, but published datasets or datasets provided by the instructor can be substituted.
Q: Will GAUSSI training be noted on my transcript?
A: All GAUSSI courses will appear on your transcript just like any other CSU course. In addition, the program directors are happy to provide a letter describing the program requirements and how you have met them to support fellowship and job applications.
Q: Do I need to be able to program to participate in GAUSSI?
A: No. Basic training is provided through “Linux as a Computational Platform”. The “Genomics Data Analysis in Python” course provides basic training in using Python.
Q: I am a student in a program other than Cell & Molecular Biology, Biomedical Engineering, Statistics, Math or Computer Sciences, can I still apply for GAUSSI?
A: Yes, but students in the 5 core programs may be given priority for fellowship support.
Q: My research is not focused on biosensors or next generation sequencing, can I still benefit from GAUSSI training?
A: Some courses may be applicable to other research areas, but the main themes of the coursework are currently sensing and sequencing. We may add courses relevant to other areas in the future.
Q: Do I have to complete a certain number of GAUSSI courses?
A: If you are a full GAUSSI fellow with stipend support you will be required to complete some courses (Ethics, STEM Communication, and courses relevant to your research interests). Non-supported students may elect to be GAUSSI fellows and complete the recommended courses. Alternatively, non-supported students can just take courses that interest them with no other requirements.
Q: How do I acknowledge GAUSSI in my publications?
A: Those who receive funding agree to to acknowledge the partial support from GAUSSI by including the following statement in any future publications directly related to the results from the research: “The work reported here was partially supported by a National Science Foundation grant (DGE-1450032). Any opinions, findings, conclusions or recommendations expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation.”