NextGen Postdoctoral Fellows Program

The NextGen Precision Health Initiative is seeking applicants for the NextGen Postdoctoral Fellows Program. The program is for graduate students and postdocs who intend to begin or continue postdoctoral work at MU, UMKC, Missouri S&T or UMSL in basic and/or translational research relevant to human health.

No more than two fellowships will be awarded to a single UM System campus in a single year. Five fellowships will be awarded every 2 years. For answers to other common questions, please explore our FAQ page and our Program Expectations page.

APPLY HERE

Applications close October 15 at 5:00 p.m.

Eligibility Criteria

• Has identified a UM System faculty member who has agreed to be the primary mentor for the proposed postdoctoral project
• Pursuing a career path related to basic or translational research relevant to human health
• Applying as a:
  • Late-stage graduate student
  • Early-stage postdoc (3 or fewer years cumulative postdoctoral experience)
  • Clinical fellow who is exploring a physician-scientist career path
• Ready to begin or continue a postdoctoral position at a UM System university by January 2025
• Submission of a complete application package, using the submission link.
• The application includes:
  • Applicant’s NIH-style biosketch (no more than 5 pages), with a personal statement targeted to the fellowship opportunity
  • Research plan (no more than 3 pages). In the plan, describe the Specific Aims and Approach for the project, including explanations for the Importance of the Research (significance and innovation) and the Rigor and Feasibility of the Approach. Reference citations are not part of the 3-page limit of the Research Plan.
  • Career development statement (no more than 2 pages). In the statement, describe your career goals, your expertise and relevant experiences, rationale for sponsor/mentor selection, specific career plans for the next 2 years whether or not you receive the award. It is recommended to reference content in the biosketch, to avoid redundancy and make the best use of limited space.
  • Mentor (or co-mentor) biosketch (no more than 5 pages) from the faculty mentor(s) for the proposed project. The biosketch personal statement should describe the support for the mentee, in lieu of a letter of support. For co-mentor arrangements, no more than 3 co-mentors.
  • For all documents, at least one-half inch margins and 11 pt or larger font. Smaller text acceptable in figure legends or graphs, as long as it is legible.
• Competitive applications will demonstrate that the candidate communicates effectively to a variety of audiences and has the potential to innovate in the biomedical research space.
• Special consideration will be given to fellowship applications that make a strong case that their postdoctoral work will bridge disciplines or translational areas (i.e. co-mentorship between traditionally siloed research areas, or high potential for short-term clinical translation, or building collaboration with industry partners, etc.)

Program Benefits

• Two years of financial support, including
  • Competitive $70,000 stipend, in line with the recommendation from the 2023 Report to the NIH Advisory Committee to the Director on Re-Envisioning NIH-Supported Postdoctoral Training
  • Health insurance and retirement benefits
  • $4,000 yearly travel support
• Opportunity to apply for access to research support fund reserved for NextGen Fellows projects
• Professional development training and mentoring support, including access to proposal development and scientific editing
• Cohort relationship-building and professional networking facilitated by NextGen Precision Health connections and events

Please direct questions to nextgen@umsystem.edu.