The NextGen Precision Health Initiative is seeking applicants for the NextGen Postdoctoral Fellows Program. The program is for graduate students and postdocs who intend to begin or continue postdoctoral work at MU, UMKC, Missouri S&T or UMSL in translational research relevant to human health. No more than two fellowships will be awarded to a single UM System campus in a single year.
Thank you for your interest, and stay tuned for updates from the NextGen team.
The Fall 2025 application is now closed.
2025 Application Cycle Key Dates
July 14 - Applications open for the 2026-2027 term.
August 8 & 22 - Virtual Info Session available.
September 15, 5 p.m. - Applications close for the 2026-2027 term.
November 4 - Finalists are invited for interviews.
December 5 - New fellowship cohort is announced.
January - Fellowship begins (start date is flexible).
Eligibility Criteria
- Ready to begin or continue a postdoctoral position at a UM System university by January 2026
- Has identified a UM System faculty member who has agreed to be the primary mentor for the proposed postdoctoral project
- Applying as a:
- Late-stage graduate student
- Early-stage postdoc (3 or fewer years cumulative postdoctoral experience)
- Clinical fellow who is exploring a physician-scientist career path
- Pursuing a career path in research relevant to human health
- Special consideration will be given to fellowship applications that make a strong case that their postdoctoral work will bridge disciplines or translational areas (i.e. co-mentorship between traditionally siloed research areas, or high potential for short-term clinical translation, or building collaboration with industry partners, etc.)
- Submission of a complete application package in PDF format.
- The application includes:
- ´¡±è±è±ô¾±³¦²¹²Ô³Ù’s NIH-style biosketch (no more than 5 pages), with a personal statement targeted to the fellowship opportunity
- Research plan (no more than 3 pages). In the plan, describe the Specific Aims and Approach for the project, including explanations for the Importance of the Research (significance and innovation) and the Rigor and Feasibility of the Approach. Reference citations are not part of the 3-page limit of the Research Plan.
- Career development statement (no more than 2 pages). In the statement, describe your career goals, your expertise and relevant experiences, rationale for sponsor/mentor selection, specific career plans for the next 2 years whether or not you receive the award. It is recommended to reference content in the biosketch, to avoid redundancy and make the best use of limited space.
- Mentor (or co-mentor) biosketch (no more than 5 pages) from the faculty mentor(s) for the proposed project. The biosketch personal statement should describe the support for the mentee, in lieu of a letter of support. For co-mentor arrangements, no more than 3 co-mentors.
- For all documents, at least one-half inch margins and 11 pt or larger font. Smaller text acceptable in figure legends or graphs, as long as it is legible.
- Competitive applications will demonstrate that the candidate communicates effectively to a variety of audiences and has the potential to innovate in the biomedical research space.
Please direct additional questions to nextgen@umsystem.edu.
Program Benefits
- Two years of financial support, including
- Competitive $70,000 stipend, in line with the recommendation from the 2023 Report to the NIH Advisory Committee to the Director on Re-Envisioning NIH-Supported Postdoctoral Training
- Health insurance and retirement benefits
- $4,000 yearly travel support
- Opportunity to apply for access to research support fund reserved for NextGen Fellows projects
- Professional development training and mentoring support, including access to proposal development resources
- Cohort relationship-building and professional networking facilitated by NextGen Precision Health connections and events
Fellowship Expectations
The NextGen Postdoctoral Fellowship runs for a two-year term and is designed to enhance your professional development with mentoring and community engagement opportunities at an early career stage. Below is a summary of goals which are curated to provide a clear path to an independent career, developing our researchers into attractive job candidates with transferable entrepreneurship, science communication and research development skills.
Year 1
Pursue research training and professional development activities on a full-time basis.
Participate in NextGen Precision Health events, including the Pathways symposium in the spring, Pathways Presents professional development summit in the fall, and the monthly Discovery Series events.
Participate in a community event that engages with a population that is impacted by the ´Ú±ð±ô±ô´Ç·É’s research area. Engagement event opportunities will be facilitated by NextGen.
Develop and deliver a professional development presentation for trainees.
Participate in twice-yearly cohort Zoom calls to discuss progress.
Acknowledge NextGen Precision Health Initiative support in publications, presentations and abstracts.
Year 2
Pursue research training and professional development activities on a full-time basis.
Present at the Pathways symposium in the spring.
Attend Pathways Presents professional development summit in the fall and the monthly Discovery Series events.
Develop and deliver a professional development presentation for trainees.
Participate in a community event that engages with a population that is impacted by the ´Ú±ð±ô±ô´Ç·É’s research area. Engagement event opportunities will be facilitated by NextGen.
Participate in twice-yearly cohort Zoom calls to discuss progress.
Acknowledge NextGen Precision Health Initiative support in publications, presentations and abstracts.
Please direct additional questions to nextgen@umsystem.edu.
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
We define an early-stage postdoc as having three years or less of cumulative postdoctoral experience. Postdoc years at any institution count toward the three years.
No. The only requirement is that the primary mentor is a faculty member in the UM System, which includes MU, UMKC, Missouri S&T and UMSL.
No, you are responsible for selecting the UM System faculty member who is the best mentor for your research.
No, the NextGen Postdoctoral Fellowship is a full-time position.
The Research Plan should focus on the proposed research at the UM System university of your choosing. Please note that the work must be conducted during a postdoctoral position based at that institution. If your current research reflects your future goals, you may add that within the application materials also.
All biosketches in the application should be in the . The complete application package should be submitted in PDF.
Please upload a biosketch for the primary mentor and any co-mentors. Mentoring teams may not have more than 3 individuals. While the primary mentor must be from a UM System university, co-mentors may come from a non-UM System institution.
The program does not have any requirements for visa or citizenship. There are no restrictions regarding non-citizens or visa holders.
The program does not directly support the visa transfer fee. The support included for the program is outlined under the Program Benefits section above.
Yes, there is flexibility for the January 2026 start date, within reason. Deviation from the January 2026 start date should be addressed in the application materials. As long as the applicant can make some commitment to participate in cohort activities, such as a monthly zoom meeting, there is flexibility.
Late stage graduate students can apply for this fellowship if they will be in a postdoc position by January 2026. The fellowship is not available if the funding will be used during the PhD training.