PROPEL is a postbac program with a focus on offering paid research opportunities to scholars interested in pursuing a PhD or MD/PhD. While conducting their research, PROPEL supports scholar’s career development by offering mentorship, curriculum, workshops, and application help.
PROPEL is flexible, allowing scholars to spend 1-2 years in the program, depending on their goals. As research experience is the factor to give your application a competitive edge, we keep science as the focus, and supplement with only the necessary curriculum to improve your skills as a scientist and prepare you for grad school.
What are the benefits of joining PROPEL?
PROPEL strives to prepare scholars for graduate school admission, successful completion of a research-focused doctoral degree, and careers in the biomedical research workforce, through our offered:
- Research Experiences: Hands-on exposure to research and individual mentoring in your field of interest.
- Courses for Skills and Career Development: Advanced courses in a specific discipline, research technique or research area, and/or courses or workshops to develop scholarly potential and increase confidence. Check individual site pages for curriculum offerings.
Other benefits
- Often PROPEL programs have additional benefits to offer students, such as access to student housing and discounts, and connections to their own graduate programs. Check individual site pages for additional benefits.
Does the PROPEL program offer a certificate or degree?
No, at this time PROPEL does not offer any degree or certificate (other than informal certificates).
How do I apply to PROPEL?
Each institutional program has its own requirements, so it’s best to check individual programmatic pages for application instructions. However, many programs require that you find a position as a lab tech or junior scientist (or similar position) before you apply to PROPEL. This is because often your salary and benefits will be paid by that lab position.
How do I find a lab position at one of the PROPEL host institutions?
Many PROPEL programs offers annual Matchmaking Events, where faculty interested in hiring and potential PROPEL scholars meet in a series of short interviews. The following institutions have Matchmaking Events scheduled in early 2025:
Outside of the above Matchmaking Events, some PROPEL programs maintain job boards of positions suited for postbac scholars. Please check the following job boards for a list of currently open positions at each institution:
How do PROPEL Matchmaking Events work?
If you are interested in taking part in a Matchmaking Event, you would register an event at each institution (PROPEL programs at each institution host separate Matchmaking Events. There is no single Matchmaking Event for all PROPEL programs). Each PROPEL program will use the responses on their registration form to pair you with a faculty with similar research interests for a short 10-minute informational interview. Each event starts with introductions on the Matchmaking program and then proceeds to a series of interviews with faculty.
I met a few faculty at the Matchmaking Event that could be potential matches. Should I follow up with them separately?
Yes! Please send them an email indicating your interest (and optionally attach your CV). If you don’t hear back, email a polite reminder 1 week later (faculty often get busy and lose track of emails).
Once I find a faculty match, what are my next steps?
That is up to you and the faculty you match with, but most likely you will have another, more formal interview with the faculty after the Matchmaking Event, and then proceed through the hiring process from there.
Do you guarantee that I will find a faculty to match with at the Matchmaking Event?
No, we cannot guarantee a match.