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 6, 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 and comprehensive research plan, and
  • curriculum vitae and undergraduate and medical school transcripts.
• Applicants will request their research mentors’ recommendations (250-word limit) via the application portal.

ASCI will hold office hours on Friday, December 6, 2024, from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM EST and Wednesday, December 18, 2024, from 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM EST. Students and faculty are welcome to join at any time to ask questions. If you are interested in attending either session, please email programs@the-asci.org to receive a meeting link. 

Contact:

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