Propel Postdoctoral Application open!
Launched in 2021, the Stanford School of Medicine’s Propel Postdoctoral Scholars Program is a program for incoming and early postdoctoral scholars who come from backgrounds historically underrepresented in academia, and who have a strong desire to become faculty in the biological, biomedical, or population-based sciences.
Propel postdoctoral scholars demonstrate previous research excellence, a commitment to an academic career, a desire to engage with a robust community of diverse colleagues (broadly defined), and show promise in leadership that will enhance their contributions to Stanford and the world.
The foundational goals of the Propel Postdoctoral Scholars Program are:
- Attract and train a cohort of biological, biomedical, and population-based scientists drawn to academic careers from populations historically underrepresented in the biosciences, in order to address the acute need for greater diversity within the professoriate
- Train future faculty leaders by: supporting Propel scholars in developing research independence through top-notch mentoring, rigorous scientific training, networking, and strategic collaborations; and providing intentional training in skill sets required to be successful in academia.
- Champion a culture of belonging and inclusion in science and academia, in the Propel community, within Stanford broadly, and into the larger academic community.
The Propel Program provides scholars with:
- funding support, including salary, full benefits, and supplemental professional development funds;
- community-building activities and support to foster a sense of belonging at Stanford and in the larger academic community;
- career, professional, and personal development opportunities designed to prepare scholars for success as postdocs, on the academic job market, and in faculty positions.
What are the expectations of a Propel Scholar?
- Engagement in the Propel and Stanford community
- In person attendance at various scheduled community and professional development events
- Represent the program both at Stanford and in the larger academic community
Propel requires that you have an established relationship with a faculty mentor with a primary appointment in the Stanford School of Medicine (SoM) by the due date of the application. If you have not already identified a mentor, we recommend you start your search with the Propel Faculty Mentors page; the faculty listed on this page have expressed special interest in the Propel program. However, you are not limited to the mentors listed on this page; any faculty with a primary appointment in the School of Medicine may be considered to serve as the Propel primary mentor. Additional sources of general information about applying for postdoctoral training, through Propel or elsewhere, include the Guidance for Finding Potential Mentors as well the Propel Instructions page.
The Propel application consists of the following three parts:
Part 1: Biographic and Demographic Form
Applicants are invited to complete Part 1 of the Propel Application via this online link as soon as possible (an established relationship with a SoM faculty mentor is not required for submission of Part 1). Once this form has been submitted, you will be notified of your eligibility status. Those who meet minimum eligibility criteria will receive instructions for the next steps and a link to Part 2 of the application.
Part 2: Main Application
- Eligibility (pre-populated from Part 1, editable)
- Education and Research Training Record
- Research Experience
- CV Upload
- Personal Interests, Motivations, and Career Goals
- References
The References section of the application may be completed at any time before the deadline (does not require previous sections in Part 2 to be completed first). Once you have created your applicant account and login, you will be on the Postdoctoral Affairs Application Portal homepage. Scroll to the “Propel Postdoctoral Scholars Program” section, where the “Request References” section will be available. The Propel application requires exactly 2 letters of reference, one of which must come from your primary graduate mentor.
Part 3: SoM Faculty Mentor Form
After the Propel application closes, the primary mentor you listed in Part 2 of the application will receive a link to a Faculty Mentor Form for them to complete (note that the linked form is from a previous year, so the exact questions may differ for this year’s application).
This portion of the application is meant to foster explicit conversation between the mentor and mentee to ensure that their expectations are aligned and the applicant’s research and career goals will be supported. This form must be filled out by your primary School of Medicine faculty mentor, and your application will not be reviewed without it.
Applicants who are chosen as finalists will be invited to interview, following which awardees will be selected and notified.
Applications for the Propel Postdoctoral Application must be submitted via the online application.
The application is due June 2, at 11:59pm PST.
Funding Level
Funding level: At least $85K annual salary, plus $5K of supplemental funds, and benefits.
Funding period: Up to two years of funding, with the second year of funding contingent upon meeting program expectations.