NIMH Cohort Pogram for Advancing Scientific Excellence for Postbacs

This program is for recent college graduates considering graduate or professional school in neuroscience, psychology, healthcare, and STEM fields. CPASE is a cohort program within the broader NIH Postbaccalaureate Intramural Research Training Award (Postbac IRTA) Program . Participants will conduct full-time research for 1-2 years at the main NIH campus in Bethesda, MD. The cohort program will supplement the research and mentorship experience that postbacs receive from their Principal Investigator and lab members.

Eligibility:

To be considered for the NIMH CPASE, you must meet the eligibility criteria for the NIH Postbac IRTA Program :

• Candidate must be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident
• Candidate must have a bachelor’s degree obtained within 3 years of the fellowship start date
• If the candidate has a master’s degree, then the candidate must start within 6 months of receiving that degree

Preference for admission to the NIMH CPASE will be given to individuals who lack substantial research experience as undergraduates or who are making substantial shifts in research focus as postbacs. We strongly encourage applications from individuals who will enthusiastically participate in cohort activities and who feel that the program will benefit their professional development and their careers.

We welcome all applicants, including those from diverse backgrounds. We strongly encourage applications from individuals:

• from racial and ethnic groups that are underrepresented in biomedical research and healthcare fields
• with disabilities
• who are/were Pell-Grant-eligible in college
• who were enrolled in Tribal Colleges and Universities, community colleges, Hispanic-serving institutions, or Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)
• who identify as LGBTQ+
• who are the first in their family to attend college
• disadvantaged by life circumstances that have negatively impacted their educational opportunities

Candidates should be committed to a career in the biomedical sciences and plan to apply to graduate/professional school during the program.

Candidates must be available to begin their fellowship between June and early August 2025.

Candidates must also be able to pass a federal background check . We strongly encourage you to carefully read the full terms and conditions. Ignoring this could prevent you from taking part in the program.

The NIMH CPASE application opens on October 1, 2024 and closes January 13, 2025.

Click here for more information and to apply