| GENERAL
INFORMATION FOR STETTEN FELLOWS
I.
Before You Come to Bethesda:
Housing, Transportation, and Security
There are
a few matters you should arrange before your Fellowship
even begins. The information on this page can
help you find a place to live, arrange transportation
to and from the NIH campus, and get through campus
security when you arrive.
 Fellow
Tip : "Don't try to finish your dissertation
while completing your NIH project. Not fun, and
usually doesn't work."
1.
Key Contacts
Even
before you come to campus, you should be in touch
with certain key contacts at NIH. There are three
people you need to know right away.
- Director,
Office of NIH History . This person will
be your day-to-day supervisor. Read about the
Director and other Office of History personnel
here .
- Scientific
mentor . This person will assist you in
locating sources of information for your project
and can help you as a mentor for any future
endeavors at NIH.
- Administrative
Officer (AO) of the lab or group where
you will be working. This person works for the
Institute that pays your salary -- not to be
confused with the Administrative Officer in
the Office of NIH History.
 Fellow
Tip : "Your AO is very important. Get
to know this person. Your AO will work with you
to get all of the administrative stuff in order,
such as paychecks, e-mail, VPN access from home,
etc."
Ask
your AO to go into the NIH
Enterprise Directory (NED) and register your
name. Also ask that your name be authorized to
use the NIH library. Being already registered
in NED will make it easier to activate your e-mail
and other privileges when you arrive.
You
should also keep your AO and the Office of NIH
History up to date on your travel plans and any
issues you may be having with housing or other
details. They can probably help.
2.
Housing
The main
NIH campus is in a beautiful area, just north
of downtown Bethesda, Maryland. Bethesda has many
apartments, houses, restaurants and shops within
a short walk from campus. Bethesda is located
in Montgomery County near northwest Washington
DC, an area where housing is quite expensive.
As of Fall 2005, typical one-bedroom apartment
rent near the campus starts at over $1,100 per
month. Rents will likely increase with time. Rooms
in a shared house can be significantly cheaper.
Some
resources when searching for housing:
Fellow Tip: "Find housing on
the Red Line and take Metro to work."
| Click
here to see a chart showing stops on the
Metro Red Line, their distance from NIH campus,
and approximate monthly rents for one, two,
and three bedroom commercial apartments close
to the Metro station as of Fall 2005. |
3.
Transportation
The main
campus is directly on the Medical Center stop
for the Metro subway, on the Red Line. This makes
for easy transit from communities such as Gaithersburg,
Rockville, North Bethesda, Friendship Heights,
Cleveland Park, and others in Washington, DC.
Montgomery County also has extensive bus service.
Maps, timetables, and other information for all
Metro and bus routes is provided by WMATA
. Try the Metro Trip Planner
to find the best public transportation route for
your needs.
The
Red Line is a U shape, with one end in Gaithersburg,
MD and the other in Silver Spring, MD. The bottom
of the U passes through the District of Columbia,
including residential neighborhoods, nightlife
areas, transfer points to other Metro lines, and
access to Amtrak and commuter trains at Union
Station. By transferring to the Blue or Yellow
line you can easily reach National Airport. See
the interactive
map of the Metro system .
Transhare:
NIH can provide you with a Metro farecard
of $100 value per month. Precise amount is based
on your actual commuting costs. Participation
requires you to give up the right to a parking
permit. Apply to the Transhare program via the
Office
of Research Services .*
Rideshare
and Vanpools: Traffic on roads in the
DC area is notoriously bad. Our rush hour is one
of the worst in the nation. To share the hassles
of driving, traffic, and parking, many NIH workers
share rides or join Vanpools. Vanpools are run
by a third-party company. One commuter volunteers
to organize and drive and the others share expenses.
Parking:
Use of Metro trains, buses, Vanpools,
or ride sharing is recommended. But if you will
be driving to campus regularly, you will need
to arrange for a parking
permit .*
* If
you participate in the Transhare program, you
cannot get a parking permit.
 Fellow
Tip : "There are express buses that go
right to NIH. Find out where they run and look
for housing there."
The following
bus routes serve Medical Center Station:
Metrobus:
J1,
J2, J3 J7 on Rockville Pike J9 in bus bay
Ride
On Bus:
30
33
34
42
46
70
ON
TO YOUR FIRST DAY
BACK
TO GENERAL
INFORMATION FOR STETTEN FELLOWS |
home | about us | donate historical items | media inquiries
