 Funded by the National Science Foundation IGERT program, the UCLA Interdisciplinary Relationship Science Program (IRSP) prepares doctoral students in anthropology, education, psychology and sociology for careers as research scientists studying social relationships from a multidisciplinary perspective. Through coursework, an interdisciplinary internship, and other activities, IRSP provides predoctoral trainees with the theoretical foundation to study complex interpersonal relationship processes and the tools to conduct state-of-the-art research. IRSP fosters students' professional skills to collaborate effectively across disciplines, to disseminate their work to diverse audiences, and to succeed in research-oriented careers. Our theme is an interdisciplinary approach to understanding the bidirectional associations between interpersonal relationships and biology, behavior, culture, and society; or, for short, Social bonds: from biology to behavior to culture, and back again.
Goals of the Program
The goal of IRSP is to produce scientists who have a broader technical and professional skills set than students trained within a single discipline. IRSP offers a "PhD plus" program, that supplements traditional disciplinary training with interdisciplinary coursework and research experiences. Specifically, our objective is to provide and teach student researchers the following:
- Knowledge of theoretical perspectives in relationship science outside their home discipline (anthropology, education, psychology, or sociology)
- Broad advanced methodological and statistical proficiency in relationship science research
- Appreciation of cultural, ethnic, and social diversity in the context of relationship science
- Effective multidisciplinary written and oral communication skills
- Understanding of ethical considerations and policy implications in relationship science
- Skills in cross-disciplinary research collaboration
Ideal candidates for this graduate training program will have strong research interests in the study of social relationships, broadly defined to include romantic and family relationships, friendship, relationships at school or work, social relations among primates, etc.
Funding
Doctoral students enrolled in the UCLA Departments of Anthropology, Education, Psychology and Sociology can be supported as NSF IRSP predoctoral trainees. Trainees are typically funded for two years and receive a stipend of $30,000 for 12 months plus tuition, fees, and health insurance coverage. Funds are also available for research-related expenses including travel to professional meetings. Because of NSF regulations, only U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible. Trainees are selected during their first year of doctoral study and begin our program in their second year. For information about how to apply, click here.
Program Requirements
The major requirements of the predoctoral training program are summarized below:
1. Coursework: Trainees will enroll in the interdisciplinary graduate seminar in relationship science during their first year of funding. In addition, trainees will take (or will have taken) three IRSP-relevant courses, two of which must be outside of their home program. The IRSP program is highly individualized, so each student's program of study will be reviewed personally (i.e., there is no set list of required courses).
2. Relationship Science Forum: Trainees are required to attend the weekly Relationship Science Forum during their two years in the program. The Forum provides an opportunity to discuss student research projects, consider ethical and other professional issues in the field, hear invited speakers, etc.
3. Interdisciplinary internship: In their second year in the IRSP program, trainees work on a research project with a faculty member outside their home department. This will typically involve a commitment of 5-10 hours per week for the academic year. (Some trainees may begin this collaboration sooner.)
4. IRSP speakers and events: Trainees are expected to participate actively in events sponsored by IRSP including workshops, conferences, speakers, etc.
5. Professional meetings: Trainees are expected to submit their research for presentation at one or more professional conferences per year.
**Note: In 2007-2008, the IRSP Relationship Science Forum (Psych 237) will be offered in Fall 2007, Winter and Spring 2008 quarters on Tuesdays from 12-1:30. The IRSP graduate seminar (Psych 236) will be offered in Fall 2007 on Wednesdays from 2-5 pm.
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