Post-Baccalaureate Research Education Program

Applicants must meet all the following criteria to be eligible for MU PREP.

1. You must be a US Citizen, National or Permanent Resident.
2. You must have graduated or be in the process of graduating with a BA/BS degree in a biomedical relevant science, from an accredited US college or University, no more than 36 months before your expected matriculation into the PREP program, and not be currently enrolled in a graduate degree program.
3. You must plan to apply to a PhD granting program in a biomedical related field after successful completion of PREP.
4. You must:
   1. have come from a disadvantaged background -- as defined below; OR
   2. have a disability as described in the Americans with Disabilities Act
5. You must have been unable as an undergraduate to obtain sufficient research experience to prepare for success in a PhD program.

In your Personal Statement, you will be asked to describe how your participation in PREP, given your specific personal background and your educational and life experiences, will both increase the likelihood of successfully pursuing a PhD degree and enhance the diversity of the biomedical research workforce.

Disadvantaged background.

1. The NIH considers scientists to have come from a disadvantaged background if they meet at least two of the following criteria:
   1. Your were or currently are homeless, as defined by the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act;
   2. You were or currently are in the Foster Care System;
   3. You were eligible for the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch Program for two or more years;
   4. You have/had no parents or legal guardians who completed a bachelor’s degree;
   5. You were or currently are eligible for Federal Pell grants;
   6. You received support from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children as a parent or child;
   7. Grew up in one of the following areas: (a) a U.S. rural area, as designated by the Health Resources and Services Administration Rural Health Grants Eligibility Analyzer, or (b) a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services-designated Low-Income and Health Professional Shortage Areas (qualifying zip codes are included in the file). Only one of the two possibilities in #7 can be used as a criterion for the disadvantaged background.
2. We consider you to have come from a disadvantaged background in the context of MU PREP if
   1. You met at least 2 of those 7 NIH criteria, or;
   2. If you met only 1 of those 7 NIH criteria but also attended a baccalaureate institution eligible for US Department of Education Title III or Title V support. (A list of all schools that are eligible for US Department of Education support under Title III and Title V can be found at: https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/idues/eligibility.html#el-inst).

We are now accepting applications for entry Summer 2025.

1. This link will take you to the MU PREP Scholars Application page.
2. From that page, please click on “First-time users: Create an account to start a new application”
3. On the next screen, click on “Start New Application”
4. On the pop-up screen, click on “Create Application” and at that point you will enter the MU PREP Scholars Application.
5. All instructions are embedded in the MU PREP Scholars Application
6. There is no application fee for the MU PREP Scholars program

Deadline:

Applications are processed continuously. We will begin reviewing applications in February and continue accepting applications until all positions are filled. The number of MU PREP Scholar positions is limited, so early application is encouraged!

Questions:

If you have questions about the MU PREP Program, please contact: Dr. John David, MU PREP Program Director, at PREP@missouri.edu or 573-882-0120.