1. The written exam must be in F31 (F30 for MD/PhD students) format: 1-page specific aims (single spaced), 6-page (single spaced, NIH-approved font, 0.5-inch margins) proposal, inclusive of figures but not references.
2. The exam room must be scheduled for a 3-hour time period, although the expectation is that exams will be completed within 1.5-2 hours.
3. The thesis advisor may not be present at the QE exam.
4. The student must prepare a brief overview of their entire proposal that does not exceed five minutes and ten slides. The student will be allowed to present this overview uninterrupted for five minutes at the beginning of the exam. Additional slides can be prepared to provide visual aids that facilitate further discussion during the exam.

No QE will proceed in the absence of any member of the QE committee. If a member of the Committee cannot be present, the QE must be rescheduled.