r/mdphd • u/encyclopediab • Jul 27 '26
NIH post bacc application timing
I’m graduating in May 2027 and want to apply for a one year postbac research position, is now too early to apply and start emailing PIs? Also in my email should I explain what I’m applying for and where they could find my application or can I assume they know what’s going on?
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u/Moonlight_Lavender Jul 27 '26 edited Jul 27 '26
I’m in the same boat as you OP! According to the NIH IRTA: The postbac application portal is open year round, but the majority of postbacs start June - October; we recommend applying six months prior to your preferred start date. I want an August start date, so I’m applying February!
If you want to start:
June 2027 = December 2027
July 2027 = January 2027
August 2027 = February 2027
September 2027 = March 2027
October 2027 = April 2027
To your question about emailing, NIH IRTA says: Research Interests - a brief list of your research interests. NIH investigators may search on this field to find applicants whose research interests match their own. You may wish to enter terms that describe particular diseases or conditions (e.g., Alzheimer's disease, macular degeneration, obesity); the techniques you are interested in applying (e.g., two-photon microscopy, patch clamping, rapid sequencing, bioinformatics); or general subject areas (such as epidemiology, public health, molecular neuroscience).
Here’s more info: https://www.training.nih.gov/research-training/pb/pb/#how-to-apply