Nominations Open for the 2025-2026 ASCI PSSF Fellowship

The ASCI is pleased to call for nominations for the 2025-2026 ASCI PSSF Fellowship. Previously known as the PSSF Medical Student Research Fellowship (MSRF), the program continues to offer medical school gap-year or 12-month training experiences in basic, translational, or applied biomedical research.

The ASCI PSSF Fellowship provides a $42,000 stipend and an additional allowance of $8,000 for health insurance and travel expenses.

The deadline for medical school deans to nominate an applicant is Friday, January 10, 2025, at 11:59 PM EST.

The final application deadline is Monday, February 3, 2025, at 11:59 PM EST.

An eligible ASCI PSSF Fellow nominee:

• is a single-degree allopathic (MD) or osteopathic (DO) medical student interested in a dual career in research and patient care. They may not be enrolled in a combined MD/PhD program, a PhD program, a PharmD, an ScD program, or have completed a PhD, a PharmD, or an ScD in a laboratory-based science.
• 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.
• can only be nominated by a medical school dean, who can submit only one applicant per competition year.
• will secure a mentor (this individual does not have to be an ASCI member) with active research programs, sustained external grant support, a strong record of training students, and the time and interest to train the applicant.
• can commit to 12 months of continuous, full-time laboratory research with minimal interruptions.
• is a United States citizen or U.S. permanent resident currently enrolled in a medical school in the United States.
• is not required to have prior research experience.

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.

Instructions to Nominate:

• Applicants must be nominated by their medical school dean, who can submit only one applicant per competition year.
• Medical school deans will send the applicant’s name and email address to programs@the-asci.org. A brief statement of support is encouraged but not required.
• ASCI will start the application and email candidates with access to upload materials, including their:
  • contact information and headshot (to be published only if accepted),
  • brief biographical statement (300 words) and comprehensive research plan (1,000-2,000 words), and
  • curriculum vitae and undergraduate and medical school transcripts.
• Applicants will request their research mentors’ recommendations (500-word limit) via the application portal.

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. Quality of training will be evaluated through the research plan and information provided in the mentor’s endorsement, including the mentor’s research qualifications, i.e. expertise and publication record in the research area, and external grant support to fund the research project for the entire proposed fellowship term.

Contact:

For information or questions, contact us at programs@the-asci.org.