Biophysical Society Newsletter | September 2017

14

2017

BIOPHYSICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER

SEPTEMBER

Molly Cule

of projects they support. A careful study of the funding opportunity announcement as well as direct contact with the program staff is strongly recommended prior to the submission of your ap- plication. An application for a typical predoctoral fellowship contains not only the research plan for the project, but also two or three letters of recom- mendation, a personal statement of your career goals, and a detailed mentoring plan that you need to work out carefully with your mentor. In addi- tion to a well-thought-out research plan consoli- dated by compelling preliminary data, an impres- sive mentoring plan indicating strong support from your mentor(s) and collaborators is equally important to convince the reviewers that you are a worthy candidate. Though it varies by funding agency, the success rate of predoctoral fellowships is in the range of 10 to 35 percent.

Tips for Securing a Predoctoral Fellowship in the Biomedical Field Securing an individual predoctoral fellowship is one of the most impressive ways to demonstrate your scientific independence. It readily places you in a stronger negotiating position when hunting for research-related jobs after graduation. Funding opportunities for graduate students are often offered as individual fellowships or train- ing grants, as exemplified by the National Sci- ence Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program and the National Research Service Award Individual Predoctoral Fellowship (F31) offered by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). To be eligible for these federal grants, the applicant has to be a US citizen or permanent resident enrolled in a research doctoral degree program. Advanced graduate students considering transitioning into postdoctoral positions should consider the Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Fellows Transition Award (F99/K00), a new program launched by the National Cancer Institute that aims to facili- tate the transition of talented graduate students into successful careers as independent scientists. Opportunities are also offered by private research foundations, and they may have less stringent requirements for citizenship. Therefore, interna- tional students who hold F1 visas may be eligible. See individual awards for requirements. For gradu- ate students majoring in biophysics, the American Heart Association is a good fit given the many common research interests shared by biophysicists and cardiovascular researchers. A comprehensive list of non-NIH funding opportunities for predoc- toral and graduate researchers can be found here: https://www.fic.nih.gov/FUNDING/NONNIH/ Pages/predoctoral-graduate.aspx. A critical part of writing a successful grant ap- plication is having a thorough understanding of the mission of the funding agencies and the types

Conflict Resolution September 12, 2:00 pm EST Presenter: Alaina G. Levine

Biophysical Society Members: FREE Non-members: $15

Register Today at biophysics.org/webinars