Application Instructions for the Stadtman Investigator Program

Please note that the Stadtman Investigator Program is not currently accepting applications. The application system will open on August 1, 2026. The application deadline is September 30, 2026 at 11:59 PM EDT.

We strongly recommend that applicants submit their application to the application system as early as possible so that their references have ample time to submit reference letters by the application deadline. The reason is that the applicant initiates within the application system the sending of the email with reference letter submission instructions to the applicant’s references, but this action is only possible after the applicant has submitted their application. Thus, if necessary to provide adequate time for references to submit their reference letters before the application deadline, applicants may choose to submit a preliminary or mock application in the application system as a temporary “placeholder,” replacing it later with the final version of the application.

Required Application Documents

1. Cover Letter (2 pages maximum)
2. Curriculum Vitae
3. Research Statement (4 pages maximum, excluding references)
4. Three (3) Reference Letters (submitted directly by referees)

The Cover Letter, Curriculum Vitae, and Research Statement should be combined in that order into a single PDF document (50MB maximum size) that is then uploaded into the application system.

Details About the Required Application Documents

 There is no preferred format but the text must be in font size 11 or greater.

1. Cover Letter (2 pages maximum)
   • In addition to describing your interest in the IRP, the cover letter should state the relevance of your future research to the NIH mission (“To seek fundamental knowledge about the nature and behavior of living systems and the application of that knowledge to enhance health, lengthen life, and reduce illness and disability”). Please also describe your mentoring activities, including outreach, that support the success of other individuals such as the next generation of scientists in conducting scientific research. If you did not have much opportunity for mentoring and outreach, you may explain why and how you might approach them if given the opportunity. The curriculum vitae can also be used to list mentoring and outreach activities.
2. Curriculum Vitae
   • The curriculum vitae should include a complete list of publications. Mentoring and outreach activities can also be listed, in addition to being described in the cover letter.
3. Research Statement (4 pages maximum, excluding references)
   • The research statement should describe past research accomplishments, current research, and plans for future research as an independent investigator.
4. Three (3) Reference Letters (submitted directly by referees)
   • Very important! Please read these instructions for reference letter submission even before you are ready to submit your application. Applicants should arrange for 3 reference letters to be submitted on their behalf by the application deadline. After uploading their application and entering the names and email addresses of the 3 references into the application system, the applicant will be able to initiate the sending of an automated email to the references soliciting their reference letters. When a reference replies to that email with the reference letter attached, their reference letter will automatically become associated with the requester applicant upon receipt in the application system.
   • Please note that the request for reference letters can only be sent when the applicant has submitted their application. Thus, we strongly recommend that applicants submit their application substantially in advance of the September 30 deadline to ensure that their references have ample time to submit their letters by the deadline. If necessary, applicants may preliminarily submit a draft “placeholder” application, replacing it later with the final application. Applicants should monitor their application account to ensure that the reference letters have been submitted, initiating re-sending of the reference letter request email to any reference if necessary. The application system allows each applicant to send the reference letter request email a total of 3 times to each reference. The applicant is solely responsible for ensuring that all 3 reference letters are submitted by the application deadline.

Application Review Process

Around 25 different committees composed of IRP faculty with scientific expertise in a wide range of fields will review the applications. These committees and their scientific expertise areas are listed below. In the application system, each applicant must choose at least one committee and may choose up to 2 committees that match their research field to review their application. 

The review committees will evaluate the applications on research accomplishments as evidenced by published work in peer-reviewed journals, proposed research that addresses an important scientific or public health problem, and potential for success as an independent investigator leading a research group composed mostly of trainees from postbacs to postdocs.

Based on its evaluation, each review committee compiles a short list of the most highly rated applicants who merit further consideration for interviews (roughly 25% of reviewed applications). Being on the short list of just one committee out of two that an applicant has chosen is sufficient to be a potential interview candidate. The invitation for an interview will come from one or more of the 23 NIH institutes and centers that participate in the IRP. Please note that making the short list of potential interview candidates does not guarantee an interview; however, shortlisted candidates are eligible to be interviewed for up to 2 years after their selection as potential interview candidates.

Review committees:

• Biochemistry / Proteomics / Metabolomics
• Biomedical Engineering / Biophysics / Physics
• Cancer Biology
• Cell Biology
• Chemistry / Chemical Biology / Toxicology
• Chromosome Biology / Epigenetics / Transcription
• Cognitive Neuroscience
• Computational Biology / Bioinformatics / Biostatistics / Artificial Intelligence
• Developmental Biology
• Epidemiology / Population Sciences
• Genetics / Genomics
• Health Disparities
• Immunology
• Microbiology / Infectious diseases (non-viral)
• Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience
• Molecular Biology
• Molecular Pharmacology / Cell Signaling
• Neurodevelopment
• RNA Biology
• Social and Behavioral Sciences
• Stem Cells / Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells
• Structural Biology
• Synapses and Circuits
• Systems Biology / Physiology
• Translation from Pre-clinical to Clinical Research / Clinical Informatics
• Virology