BioLAB Program

The BioLAB Program offers one-year long (July to June/July) research traineeships to students enrolled in a Master or PhD degree programs in Poland in any area of biomedical sciences. Traineeships will be completed at one of the four host institutions in the U.S.:

The BioLAB Program (Visiting Research Graduate Traineeship Program) started in 2001 at the University of Virginia under the leadership of Professor Zygmunt Derewenda. In 2006, the University of Chicago became the second host institution in the United States, followed by the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation in 2013 and University of Texas, Southwestern in 2014. Since its inception, more than 200 students have participated in the program.

Approximately 20% of BioLAB program’s graduates continued their studies at the Ph.D. level in the U.S., and another 20% were accepted to the top universities and research institutions in Europe, including Oxford, Cambridge, Max Planck and ETH. Overall, 90% of BioLAB participants have continued their careers at a Ph.D. level. 

The program participants’ contributions include co-authoring numerous papers based on the research they conducted in the U.S. In 2016, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation became the major coordinating center for the program.

The Polish-U.S. Fulbright Commission has administered the BioLAB Program since 2013. Grants are fully funded by host institutions.

Call for applications

Duration and planned number of placements

Internships are offered for 11-12 months.
Usually there are about 40 placements

We are looking for students

• Specializing in life sciences and medical fields,
• Passionate about research and experienced in lab work, 
• Who have a high grade point average (around 4.0),
• Who are ready for a one-year stay in the US.

The Commission welcomes applications from all candidates regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, age, religion, geographic location, socio-economic status and physical or mental ability.

Participation in the program includes

Formal requirements

Individuals eligible to apply for the BioLAB Program have to meet the following criteria:

• Meet formal requirements of a F-1 or J-1 visa,
• Be enrolled in a graduate program where their major field of study is life sciences and/or medical fields of study (chemistry, biology, biotechnology, medicine, physics, pharmacy, biochemistry etc.),
• Demonstrate knowledge of English proficiency at the B2 level or higher,
• Hold a high grade point average from the course of their studies (GPA of 4.0 or above is recommended),
• Hold, at a minimum, a bachelor’s degree (licencjat/inżynier if the studies were completed in Poland) and at the time of an interview (March) will be enrolled in a Master’s or PhD program at a Polish university or research institution and maintain an active student status during the duration of the BioLAB program.

Apply

Before you start

• Be sure that you meet all formal criteria,
• Read all the instructions, regulations, privacy policy and information at this website, 
• Check available projects (you will find a link in the application form),
• If you have any questions, contact the program officer.

Prepare required documentation

• All attachments should be formatted in one PDF. file in the following order: CV, transcripts, personal statement, consent for participation in the program. A file should be named by your last name followed by your first name i.e.: Kowalski Jan.pdf,
• COVID certificate.

Przygotuj dodatkowe dokumenty

Kandydaci i kandydatki mogą załączyć dodatkowo maksymalnie 5 dokumentów zaświadczających o znajomości języka, doświadczeniu w pracy laboratoryjnej, osiągnięciach, publikacjach, itp. Załączniki powinny zostać sformatowane jako jeden plik .PDF. Plik powinien zostać nazwany twoim nazwiskiem i imieniem z dopiskiem Supplement, np. Kowalski Jan Supplement.pdf.

Zdobądź listy rekomendacyjne

Dwa listy rekomendacyjne od osób z min. tytułem doktora. Mile widziane są listy od opiekunów zagranicznych (w przypadku odbycia stażu zagranicznego np. udziału w programie Erasmus). Listy powinny zostać dołączone do aplikacji przez osoby rekomendujące za pomocą formularza elektronicznego.

Wypełnij i wyślij formularz zgłoszeniowy

Nie musisz wypełniać całego formularza za jednym podejściem. Platforma daje możliwość założenia konta, zapisania odpowiedzi i uzupełnienia ich później. Pamiętaj, że nie ma możliwości dosłania brakujących dokumentów po zamknięciu naboru.

Najczęściej zadawane pytania (FAQ)

Kontakt z koordynatorką programu

Relacje absolwentów i absolwentek

Po więcej relacji zajrzyj do zakładki “Relacje z pobytu na stypendium”.