Application Overview

Applications for the Propel Postdoctoral Application are open now! Please submit your application via the online application.

The application is due June 1 at 11:59pm PST.

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. 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.

Please note the expectations for Propel Scholars here:

• Participate in recommended workshops, seminar series, training, and other Propel activities. Participation includes full engagement in mandatory opportunities and active engagement in optional opportunities, as shared by Propel leadership. Cadence of expected engagement is 2-4 sessions per month.
• Meet one-on-one with the Propel Faculty Lead in your first year of funding.
• Apply for funding (e.g. fellowship application) from at least one independent source (within or beyond Stanford) in year one.
• Submit a brief annual report at the end of each year and requests for information as needed.

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

1. Eligibility (pre-populated from Part 1, editable)
2. Education and Research Training Record
3. Research Experience
4. CV Upload
5. Personal Interests, Motivations, and Career Goals
6. Reference Forms (2 required)

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 two (2) reference forms to be completed (letters of reference will not be accepted), one of which must come from your primary graduate mentor.

Part 3: Propel Mentor Application Form

After the Propel application closes, the primary Stanford School of Medicine mentor you listed in Part 2 of the application will receive a link to a Propel Mentor Application Form (see below for the list of questions).

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.

Propel Mentor Application Questions

1. Why is this candidate compelling to you?

2. What are this candidate’s research goals for their postdoctoral training, and how will you support them?

3. What are this candidate’s career goals, and how will you support them?

4. How do you define research independence, and how will you support them in developing independence and transitioning into an independent career?

5. What mentoring experiences and training have you engaged in that have prepared you to mentor this scholar?

6. How do you contribute to creating an inclusive community that fosters belonging?

Funding Level

Funding level: At least $84K 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.