NIH IRTA Postbac Program?

Graduate School
1

<p>Hi everyone - I'm a senior Bio major (concentration in microbiology) graduating May 2012, and I'm thinking of taking 1 or 2 gap years doing research before applying to graduate school.</p>

<p>I'm interested in the NIH IRTA postbac program for next summer, ideally in a lab doing research related to microbiology or cell biology.
Would anyone be willing to share their experience in the program or offer advice about gap years/finding postbac research positions in general?
Also, I understand that you're supposed to contact the PIs directly for the best chance of acceptance, but was wondering whether I need to have the CV and letters of recommendations ready before I start emailing them? </p>

<p>My stats, just for reference:
About 2 years of research in a cell bio lab (including 2 summers, no publications)
I'm also planning to do an honors thesis before I graduate.
Current GPA: 3.8
General GRE: Verbal - 165 (96%) / Quantitative - 165 (93%) / Writing - 4.0 (48%)
Biology GRE: 900 (98%)</p>

<p>Thanks for looking!</p>

2

<p>I am in my second year as an IRTA on the NIH main campus (Bethesda, MD). Overall, my experience has been extremely positive. I applied to this program and to several Lab tech positions, but I found that the resources and aim of the IRTA program was much more in tune to progressing my scientific career. Specifically, the program targets students interested in Graduate or Medical school that intend to apply to graduate or medical school within the next couple years.</p>

<p>For me, I was was not ready to go back to school right after graduation, and I was interested in gaining the experience necessary to be a competitive applicant for a top-tier grad school. Over the past year and a half I have gotten a couple of publications, and a great letter of recommendation, and a valuable opportunity to work alongside top scientists in my field. Plus, their are a ton of IRTAs on the main campus, making it great community for early networking/socializing.</p>

<p>The NIH has an extensive career services and training office, and it has a ton of seminars you can attend every week, including opportunities to have lunch with the speakers. I went to Jane Goodall’s talk this spring, and recently had fellows lunch with Dr. Jules Hoffmann. Both great opportunities.</p>

<p>As far as the application, spend a lot of time on your cover letter. I emailed several PIs and was received interviews and offers, but I also spent a lot of time on my cover letter and had several PIs email me to offer an interview/position. Some labs you email may not have the funds for an IRTA, or the current IRTA will be staying on another year. But, there are definitely labs out there looking for IRTAs. My advice–don’t get set on one institute. Most institutes will have at least one lab doing research you are interested in. In general, don’t send mass form emails, read several papers from the POI’s lab, and write a thoughtful email describing how your interests coincide with the lab’s and inquire whether the lab will be taking on any IRTAs in the coming year and you will have a good chance of finding a position. </p>

<p>When I applied, I had difficulty getting one of my recommenders to submit their letter, but as long as you submit, PIs can see your app and contact you… In my case they kindly asked me to see about getting the recommendation in ASAP.
You should probably submit your app before contacting the PIs, but definitely have an up-to-date CV to attach to any emails you send.</p>

<p>Other similar programs I know of – Johns Hopkins PREP, but there are also research universities with programs as well… try Google…</p>

<p>My stats when I applied to the IRTA program:
3.5 GPA Neuroscience
REU Summer research and research independent study
Biochemistry TA
GRE: V (93%)/ Q (69%)/ W (72%)</p>

3

<p>Thanks for the detailed response-I’m glad to hear directly from a current IRTA program member!</p>

<p>It seems like you’re enjoying the experience. If you don’t mind, a couple questions:
When did you start applying for these positions? I know the website says 3~6 months before starting is good, but I was just wondering if positions are filled up by the summer or so.
Also, do a lot of people stay for 2 years rather than 1? I was thinking of applying to grad schools while still in the lab. When are you planning to apply to grad/med schools?</p>

4

<p>I submitted my app at the end of January, and began interviewing for positions in March/April. Most positions are filled by May/June, as IRTAs will typically start anywhere from June-August. (Start dates are typically flexible, but it depends on the lab.) It is good to get several interviews, and actually fly out and meet to lab members. You want to make sure you will be treated as a scientist and not a lab tech (ie. have opportunity for independent projects), and you want to make sure you vibe with the lab and have a mentor who is available and engaged. Most are, but it is good to check everything out before you sign on for 1-2 years.</p>

<p>I had originally planned to do one year, but there are many benefits to staying two. For example, there are more opportunities to gain publications and develop your own project. You can also get to know your mentor more. If you start in August, at that time you should already be well on your way as far as applications go, you should have a good idea of what schools you are applying to and have a working statement of purpose. That doesn’t give you a lot of time to build even an idea of what you will be working on over the next year, or build a good relationship with a potential recommender. Many labs require IRTAs to stay two, it takes a long time to train new fellows, and two years is beneficial for the lab as well. One year, on the other hand means you can start on your PhD earlier, etc. Generally though, you need to talk about the options with your potential lab individually. </p>

<p>I applied this fall. My mentor is really supportive about helping me out with the applications. Brainstorming schools/programs, reading my SOP, and of course planning for my absence Jan-March for interviews. I think most IRTA mentors are as well.</p>

5

<p>Thanks so much for your input!
I’ll probably apply in the coming months.
Hope everything works out for you too!</p>

6

<p>Hi, I am also interested in applying for the NIH Postbac program to gain more research experiences. However, I noticed that most applicants started the application process during their senior year in college. I was only recently notified about this opportunity, but I have already graduated 6 months ago. Is it too late to begin the process? Some advices will be very much appreciated. Thank you!</p>

7

<p>No, you are not too late; yes, you are eligible for the program. You are eligible for the NIH IRTA as long as you received your bachelor’s degree less than 2 years prior to the date of application.</p>

<p><a href=“https://www.training.nih.gov/programs/postbac_irta[/url]”>https://www.training.nih.gov/programs/postbac_irta&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;