Are you about to graduate from college and interested in a career in STEMM? Are you not sure what you want to do but you like STEMM and are curious how to make a career in STEMM? Do you want to go to graduate school or medical school but need to strengthen your application? Are you willing to work hard, to be challenged on a daily basis?
To apply, use the following two links when active:
- Stanford employment application (Now Open)
- SlideRoom application (Open 1.9.2026 11:59pm pst)
Eligibility
The program is open to individuals who:
- Hold a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) from a college or university before matriculation into the program.
- Are eligible for employment in the US and in California
- For non-citizen, must at minimum be able to provide unexpired documentation from the Employment Eligibility Verification Form). However, you do not need to submit this form at the time of your application. It will be required if you receive an offer to complete your employment process.
- For non-US citizens on F1 visa, must have available optional practical training (OPT) to cover the full 1-year term.
- For non-US citizens on J1 visa, must have available academic training (AT) to cover the full 1-year term.
- This program DOES NOT provide sponsorship.
- Completed and submitted all requested materials on-time.
Aside from these eligibility restrictions, Stanford Medicine Postbac Research Program is open for all to apply.
If you have other questions, please first see our FAQs page.
Funding Support
Funding level: Funding is provided one year with $34/hour wages (or ~$72,800 annualized) and an additional bonus of $6,000 for relocation assistance and other needs. 50% of your salary is supported by the program, and the additional 50% will be supported by your research lab (in some exceptions, postbacs may be 100% funded by host-lab in their first year). The bonus will be distributed to participants on the first paycheck. Health care benefits can be provided through Cardinal Care Health Insurance. Access to all Stanford recreational and research facilities are included.
Funding period: One year of funding. Postbacs may have the opportunity to be formally hired into their host lab/research-group for additional years depending on the needs of the postbac and the satisfaction of research progress by the lab. Approximately 70% of program participants opt to remain at Stanford for 2 or more years in preparation for graduate or medical school.
NEW THIS YEAR 2026: SPECIAL CONSIDERATION FOR ADMISSIONS
Beginning 2026, applicants will have the opportunity to independently pursue a lab offer in conjunction with our admissions and have this be favorably factored into your admissions decision:
1) If you acquire or already have a Stanford lab offer with 100% funding support, meaning that a Stanford PI has offered to cover your wages ($34/hour) at minimum through the duration of the postbac program (August 17, 2026 – June 30, 2027), we treat this as independent funding support (like having a scholarship). You may supplement this application with an email to reachpostbac@stanford.edu from the Stanford lab PI as supporting evidence of their offer to you.
2) If you acquire or already have interest from a Stanford host-lab, meaning that a PI has expressed an interest in potentially working with you given that you are admitted into the program, we treat this as an endorsement. You may supplement this application with an email to reachpostbac@stanford.edu from the Stanford lab PI as supporting evidence of their endorsement of you.
Acquiring your own independent funding support and/or additional endorsements from a prospective Stanford host-lab will be viewed favorably during review, though it is not a requirement and will not necessarily guarantee admissions into our postbac program.
All questions regarding this special consideration, from either the applicant or any prospective host-lab PI, may be directed to reachpostbac@stanford.edu.
Application Process and Components
There are two application components and both must be completed to be considered for admission (these links will not be active until the portal opens on the designated date):
- Stanford employment application (Now Open)
- SlideRoom application (Open 1.9.2026 11:59pm pst)
All letters of recommendation, transcripts, and CVs should be submitted through our SlideRoom portal.
Please note that falsifying information on your application, intentional or not, is a fireable offense given you are extended an offer. Please fill out all information accurately.
To apply, you will need to:
(*this is a general outline, specific details will be available when the application opens and are subject to change from that listed here*)
- Fill out basic details about your background, educational history, and program eligibility.
- 5 essay prompts:
- Research Statement: 1) Describe any research that you have been involved in and your particular contributions that have helped prepare you to conduct research. Include any relevant coursework or work experiences. Be sure to highlight deliverables such as presentations, publications, and awards. 2) Describe a research project that you would like to be involved with, and why.
- Academic and Extracurricular Experiences: Tell us how specific educational experiences in and/or outside of your academic institution have prepared you for a career in STEMM.
- Life Experiences: Tell us about who you are and how your life experiences have shaped your interests and career goals and make you a great candidate for this program.
- Mission Statement: Please describe how your personal qualities, values, and/or goals can enrich the mission and Stanford community.
- Vision Statement: Why are you interested in this program and what do you hope to achieve during this postbac research experience? Describe your short-term plans and how you envision the Postbac Research Program will help you accomplish your goals. Be specific.
- Indicate a set of research mentors who you might be interested in working with from the programs and faculty listed at Departments and Programs page.
- Provide a CV and a PDF transcript from your academic institution(s). If you have attended multiple institutions, you can provide transcripts from each merged into a single PDF.
- Provide email addresses for at least two letters of recommendation from mentors. Your mentors will need to provide their letter by our application deadline. When choosing who should be your recommenders, we suggest academic mentors who know you well, like an academic advisor, research mentor (if you have one), or professor. Since this is a research-intensive program, providing a recommendation letter from someone who can attest to your capacity to do full-time research is ideal.
First review our FAQs page for any questions. Then send any questions that cannot be found on our website to reachpostbac@stanford.edu.