Information for Students or Recent Graduates

Thank you for your interest in the PREP program! The goal of PREP is to support educational activities that enhance the diversity of the biomedical research workforce (for examples of groups underrepresented in the biomedical sciences see the Notice of NIH’s Interest in Diversity).

Admission to PREP is via application to active PREP programs at institutions across the country. View a list of current PREP institutions and the program directors, along with a map of programs and their websites​, to learn more about each program’s structure and admissions processes. Please contact the program director at the PREP site(s) you are interested in for more information about their programs.

To participate in the PREP program, you must:

  • Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident;
  • Have a baccalaureate degree in a biomedically relevant science field from an accredited college or university awarded no more than 36 months prior to applying to a PREP; and
  • Must not be currently enrolled in a degree program.

Graduating seniors who feel they would benefit from the PREP program are encouraged to apply. All individuals selected as participants should intend to transition into and complete a rigorous, research-focused doctoral degree program (e.g., Ph.D. or M.D./Ph.D.) in the biomedical sciences upon completion of the PREP program.

You may also be interested in another NIH-funded postbac opportunity, the NIH Intramural Research Training Award Postbac Program, where postbac scholars complete research training on the NIH campus.