FAQs

I am scheduled to complete my Ph.D. studies this year, but will not have my degree at the time of the BDSIL. Can I still apply? 

To be considered eligible, applicants will need to have a doctoral level degree (PhD, ScD, MD, DDS, DVM, etc.) at the time of application.

Examples of doctoral level degrees include those obtained in the following disciplines.

  • Behavioral and Social Sciences

  • Biological, Physical or Earth Sciences

  • Bioethics, Social Ethics, or Health Care Ethics

  • Computational Sciences, Mathematics, and Statistics

  • Engineering

  • Health Sciences (Medical, Nursing, Dental, Optometry, or other like fields)

If you have a doctorate-level degree in another discipline, you may still apply, but please specify in your application how your work relates to biomedicine.

Yes! To be considered eligible, applicants will need to have fully completed their graduate studies and, ideally, be working toward a junior faculty position at the time of application.

I am currently a post-doc. Can I apply?

No, this BDSIL is focused on collaborations between investigators with primary appointments at domestic institutions. There are other opportunities at NIH and NSF to develop international partnerships.

Can international applicants apply? 

I have a PhD and have completed my post-doc. I work in industry, where I am involved in research related to the Lab topic. Can I apply?

The focus is on fostering new collaborations between academic researchers and scientists that are eligible to receive grant funding. Unfortunately, you are not a candidate if you are not eligible to receive grant funding.

I have a master’s degree and work on biomedical research, but I do not have doctoral level training. Why can’t I apply to the Innovation Lab?

The focus of this BDSIL is the development of new teams of academic researchers and scientists who will work on the biomedical data science Lab topic. Key outcomes of this program are (1) the academic career paths of Lab participants and teams and (2) the success in obtaining extramural funding for their research. These require doctoral level training.

I am actively engaged in the clinical biomedical or data science fields, but am further on in my career. Can I apply?

Yes, you can. However, please be mindful that early-career investigators (assistant to newly promoted associate professors) are highly encouraged to apply given the overall goal of the BDSIL to generate new interdisciplinary collaborations of biomedical and quantitative researchers to develop collaborative ideas of projects that could be submitted to funding institutions. Those later in their careers would already have established themselves, their research programs, and have a record of successfully applying for funding.