Nominations open for the 2027-2028 ASCI PSSF Fellowship Application Cycle

The ASCI is pleased to call for nominations for the 2027–2028 ASCI PSSF Fellowship. The fellowship program provides MD-only medical students with a 12-month immersive and mentored gap-year training experience in basic, translational, or applied biomedical research.

The fellowship includes a $42,000 stipend and an additional allowance of $8,000 for health insurance and travel expenses.

Nominators are encourage to initiate their nominations by October 13, 2026.

The application’s final deadline is January 5, 2027, at 11:59 pm Eastern.

Instructions to nominate:

• Applicants must be nominated by their medical school dean or an ASCI member-sponsor.
  • Institutions may more than one nominee, but only (1) one finalist will be selected per institution.
  • Non-ASCI member nominators submit the applicant name(s) and email address(s) to programs@the-asci.org.
    • The ASCI staff will prompt candidates to upload their application materials and request research mentor materials via secure portal.
    • Dean nominators are not required to include a letter of support.
  • ASCI member nominators submit their nomination through their ASCI member portal.
  • ASCI member’s/Research mentor’s provide a brief statement of support (250 words), CV, bio sketch, and training table.

Nominees provide:

• Contact information and headshot (to be published only if accepted, the headshot is not used as part of the review),
• Brief biographical statement (250 words),
• Comprehensive research proposal (1,000 words without references),
• Research mentor’s letter of recommendation (250 words), CV, bio sketch, and training table,
• Curriculum vitae and undergraduate and medical school transcripts (unofficial are acceptable).

Typical Applicants are:

• motivated by scientific curiosity
• responsible for selecting a research mentor with an active research program, sustained external grant support, a strong record of training students, and the time and interest to mentor the applicant.

Candidates will propose research projects and, if selected, will commence the project under the close guidance of their respective mentor(s). Fellowships will be awarded based on the applicant’s potential to maintain their research trajectory and become a physician-scientist. 

The ASCI PSSF Fellowship includes:

• a $42,000 stipend and an additional allowance of $8,000 for health insurance and travel expenses.
• access to a monthly seminar series with ASCI PSSF Advisory Committee mentors and special guest speakers.
• a mid-year celebration to present fellowship research findings.
• complimentary registration to the AAP/ASCI/APSA Joint Meeting and programmatic access, including invitations to the:
  • Early Career Award Welcome Reception,
  • ASCI Dinner and New Member Induction Ceremony,
  • Food & Science Evening, and
  • Small Group Dinner with the ASCI PSSF Advisory Committee.
• Access to ASCI’s virtual community programming, including our:
  • ASCI Scientific Sessions – a virtual spotlight, held every two months, on distinguished investigators and their contributions to the field of biomedical research,
  • peer review groups and near-peer mentoring opportunities, and
  • activities on various biomedical topics led by established physician-scientists.

Eligibility:

• The ASCI PSSF Fellowship is open to United States citizens and US permanent residents only.
• Prior laboratory research experience is not required.
• Candidates may apply during any year of their medical school studies; applicants in the last year of school must defer graduation until the completion of the fellowship year.
• They may not be enrolled in a combined MD/PhD program, a PhD program, a PharmD, an ScD program, or have completed a PhD, PharmD, or an ScD in a laboratory-based science.

Fellowship candidacy will be evaluated based on the feasibility and scientific rigor of the proposed research projects, as well as the candidate’s strength of commitment and potential to successfully advance as a physician-scientist. The quality of the proposed training experience is determined through evaluation of the research plan and the mentor’s endorsement, which should specify their research qualifications (e.g., expertise and publication record in the research area) and external grant support to fund the research project for the entire fellowship term.

Important dates: