- Candidates must be completing or have completed pediatric residency in the USA or Canada, and be pursuing a pediatric subspecialty fellowship.
- Candidates must be citizens or lawful permanent residents of Canada or the United States of America (please note this is a requirement for the NIH-funded slots only; the PSDP has secured funding from partnering organizations that will support fellow slots who do not meet the NIH requirement)
- The proposed research project can be categorized as basic, clinical, health services, or translational research. The PSDP supports broad research training across research disciplines supported by mentors who are federally and privately-funded leaders within their field. In the clinical and translational research disciplines, the PSDP strongly supports candidates who wish to acquire rigorous training in those scientific disciplines listed in the Statement on Clinical and Translational Research Training for the PSDP. For candidates with MD-PhD degrees, the PSDP gives preference to research proposals involving mentors other than those responsible for the candidate’s doctoral or postdoctoral training.
- Candidates must have an MD, DO, or MD-PhD degree and must be enrolled in a pediatric training program (applications may be accepted from candidates whose academic training has been interrupted prior to fellowship or who have pursued alternative career tracks and wish to re-enter academic training). Please note that a maximum of 25% of training positions are available for MD-PhD applicants each year. Candidates with PhD degrees alone are not eligible.
- The proposed mentor has an academic appointment in a department conducive to the proposed research project. The mentor should hold the rank of Associate Professor or higher. The applicant will submit the proposed mentor’s NIH Biosketch along with the Eligibility Form; it will be used to evaluate the proposed mentor’s research activity.In choosing a mentor, prospective PSDP candidates should consult with the nominating department chair and the relevant section chief, if the candidate plans to remain at the home institution. If the candidate plans to take a fellowship at another institution, then additional consultation with the sponsoring chair and the relevant section chief at the fellowship institution is a good first step. Candidates are encouraged to identify potential mentors at their chosen institution. If assistance is needed in making a selection, applicants are encouraged to seek input from their department Chair. Once a candidate has identified 2-3 potential mentors, the PSDP office can provide helpful advice in choosing among them.
- Pediatric residents apply by April 15th. Residents who are “fast tracking” should inquire by the autumn of their PGY-2 year. Candidates in sub-specialty programs (such as cardiology, critical care, neonatology, or emergency medicine) apply by April 15th of their first clinical fellowship year.
- Any PGY4 first-year subspecialty fellow may apply as long as they are guaranteed three full years of research as a fellow.
