Application Overview

Applications for the 2026 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 are 1) a current Stanford postdoc as of January 1 in the calendar year you are applying and 2) appointed within Stanford School of Medicine (SoM) by the due date of the application.

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. grant/fellowship application) from at least one independent source (ideally 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. Once this form has been submitted, you will be notified of your eligibility status as a current postdoc. Those who meet the minimum eligibility criteria will receive instructions for the next steps and a link to Part 2 of the application.

Part 2: Main Application

1. Stanford Postdoc 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 faculty application will be requested from folks deemed eligible based on a blind eligibility rubric. This faculty application will be sent to the primary Stanford School of Medicine mentor you listed in Part 2 of the application (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: Pending budget approval, this award provides $43,250 in salary support, 50% of the $86,500 annual salary for Propel Scholars. When accepting this award, PIs are agreeing to match the Propel salary contribution of $43,250 to bring scholars to a full $86,500 annual salary. Propel also covers a proportional rate of the fringe costs for the scholar equal to the proportion of salary paid by the Propel Program. There may also be some travel funds available to scholars.

Funding period: Up to two years of funding, with the second year of funding contingent upon meeting program expectations.