PROGRAM OVERVIEW
The Postbaccalaureate Scholars Program is a 2-year post-baccalaureate program at Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research in Cambridge, Massachusetts. It is designed to provide research training opportunities for highly talented students from historically underserved communities, to gain research experience and increase their competitiveness in applying at top biomedical PhD programs. This includes first-generation college students, socioeconomically disadvantaged students, individuals with learning differences, and underrepresented minorities. Students will perform independent, fundamental research with a dedicated scientific mentor, as well as participate in career panels, seminar series, and graduate school preparations.
This is a paid research opportunity, and financial support for travel to the research site will be available. Initial housing assistance will be offered to students moving to Cambridge, Massachusetts from greater than 50 miles/80.5 km from the research site.
ELIGIBILTY REQUIREMENTS
Students nearing the completion of their undergraduate studies and individuals within one year of completing their bachelor’s degree are eligible to apply. Students should have a strong desire to pursue a PhD degree in biological sciences, chemistry or computational sciences. Candidates should have a GPA of at least 3.3 out of a 4.0 scale. Applicants must attend a university in a US state or territory and be eligible to work in the United States. Current PhD and MD students are not eligible.
APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
The following are instructions for completing the Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research (NIBR) Postbaccalaureate Scholars Program Application through the Embark online application platform.
Please read these guidelines carefully before completing the application. You may wish to print them out and refer to them while you are completing the application.
Questions about the application content should be sent to NIBR at . If you are experiencing technical difficulties using the online application system, please consult the Embark help center: http://support.embark.com.
MANAGING YOUR APPLICATION
1. While in the process of completing the application, you may log in any time to review and edit your application. Please remember to save your application after completing each page. The application will automatically log out after 20 minutes of inactivity.
2. After completing and submitting your application, you may log in to view the completed application and check on the status of recommendations.
PRELIMINARY QUESTIONS
1. To which program are you applying?
Select Postbaccalaureate Scholars Program, then click ‘Save and Continue’
THERE ARE EIGHT STEPS TO THE EMBARK APPLICATION
· General Information
· Financial Assistance Application (optional)
· Cover Letter
· Curriculum Vitae (CV)
· Transcript(s) Upload
· Recommendations
· Review Application
· Submit Application
STEP 1: GENERAL INFORMATION
Please complete all required fields.
STEP 2: FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE APPLICATION (OPTIONAL)
Housing assistance for 30 days, as well as initial travel to the research site, will be provided for students living greater than 50 miles away from the research site. Scholars with local permanent address will not qualify for assistance.
STEP 3: COVER LETTER
As a guidance tool, a cover letter worksheet is available for download at https://www.nibr.com/careers/students-scholars.
STEP 4: CURRICULUM VITAE (CV)
As a guidance tool, a CV worksheet is available for download at https://www.nibr.com/careers/students-scholars.
STEP 5: TRANSCRIPT(S) UPLOAD
Please upload PDF copies of your official transcript(s).
STEP 6: RECOMMENDATIONS
Your references will be asked to complete a recommendation form which includes an assessment of your intellect, skills, character, research experience, and motivation for pursuing a graduate degree.
Step-by-Step Instructions to Register a Reference
1) Ask references to complete recommendation on your behalf.
2) Click the purple Register Referee button.
3) On the next page, enter your reference’s first and last name and email address. The link to the upload site and instructions on how to submit a letter of reference will be sent to this email address.
4) Check the box, and enter your full name and date.
5) Click Submit Registration
6) If you wish to submit another reference, click Register another Referee.
As soon as you click Submit Registration, an email will be sent to your reference. It is best to check they have received this email. It will not come from Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, but directly from the Embark system. Have your references check for an email from .
Checking Letter of Reference Status
Once the referee is registered, you will be able to check the status of their progress.
Status Definitions
Registration Unconfirmed:
You have successfully registered the reference, but they have not logged into the reference letter site. If this status remains unchanged, check in with your reference to ensure they received the registration email.
In Progress:
Your reference has successfully logged into the reference letter site, but has not submitted a letter.
Submitted:
Your reference has successfully submitted a reference letter.
Resending Registration Emails
If your reference has not received the reference letter registration email or has misplaced it, you are able to resend that email at any time, even after you have submitted your application.
1) Log into your application and click Step 6: Recommendations
2) Next to the referee’s name, check the box
3) Click Resend Registration Email
Deleting Referees
If one of your referees is unable to submit a letter, you can delete them from your list before they submit a letter. Once they have submitted a letter, you will need to contact Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research to have that letter removed.
1) Log into your application and click Step 4: Recommendations
2) Under Delete Referee, use the dropdown list to select the reference you wish to delete
3) Click Delete Referee
STEP 7: REVIEW APPLICATION
The application review will display incomplete questions and required attachments that are missing. Click the “Review” link for information on missing or incomplete fields.
STEP 8: SUBMIT APPLICATION
· Enter your electronic signature by typing in your full name and the date, and click “Submit” to submit your application
· Once submitted, you will receive an email confirmation.
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