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Research

Life Sciences Fellowships

The Life Sciences Fellowship Program enables MU departments to bring outstanding PhD-level graduate students to MU. Doctoral fellowships carry a stipend of $27,000 – $30,000 plus tuition waiver, mandatory fees and health insurance. Doctoral fellows are funded for four years, with evidence of satisfactory performance and progress.

Students cannot directly apply for these fellowships. They must be nominated for the fellowship by the department or program in which they are admitted for study. While the student receives a full tuition waiver with this fellowship, the nominating department/program is responsible for covering the resident tuition cost when billed mid-semester by the MU Finance Office.  Non-resident tuition and insurance (if applicable) are covered at the university level.  Mandatory fees and the fellowship stipend are covered by the Life Sciences Program.

Fellows are required to participate in a LSF seminar program and other training activities throughout the support period, in addition to meeting all programmatic requirements of the home department.

Submit a Nomination

Annual deadline: Mid-February (specific date varies per year)

Eligibility

To be nominated for a fellowship, candidates must:

  • be accepted into a PhD program by one or more MU departments
  • not already be enrolled in a PhD program at MU

Departments are strongly encouraged to nominate students who are underrepresented minorities as well as students with disabilities.

Candidates who are interested in interdisciplinary programs that bridge one or more life science-related disciplines are encouraged.

Submission materials

Nomination packets should include:

  • A brief nomination letter from the department (letters may cover one or more nominations)
  • Departmental admission application form (if applicable)
  • Transcripts
  • A summary of the nominee’s previous research experience (undergraduate; graduate, as applicable) including the length and nature of project(s).
  • No fewer than two letters of reference
  • A personal statement from the applicant, separate from the application form (CV does not count as the personal statement). The student’s personal statement submitted for graduate admission is applicable.

Failure to include any of these materials will place the application at a competitive disadvantage.

Selecting fellows

An interdisciplinary Fellowship Committee evaluates the nominations, based on the applicant’s academic record, letters of recommendation, research and other experience.

The Fellowship Committee will not review more than five nominations from a single department.

Contact

Sandy Gummersheimer, Graduate Coordinator
440D Life Sciences Center
573-882-2816
gradlifesci@missouri.edu