Fellowship in Skin of Color Application Information

Postdoctoral Fellowship for Skin of Color Research

Applications for 2024 fellowships are now closed. Applications for the 2025 cycle are anticipated to open in early 2025.

Application Requirements

• Project title
• A description of your training and career goals
• A description of program eligibility, indicate how your research qualifies as SOC
• One to two page Research plan
• NIH Fellowship Biosketch
• Mentor letter of support
• Two letters of recommendation

Application Deadline: April 1, 2024

Anticipated Notification of Final Decision: May 2024

Program Requirements

• Post-doctoral fellowships require a minimum of an MD, PhD or equivalent degree
• Appointees must be fully committed to conducting a minimum of 1 year of research. Requests for less than 12 months appointment will not be considered.
• Appointees are required to participate in Dermatology Training Program activities, including:
  • Trainee seminars
  • Mentoring meetings with the program directors
  • Professional development workshops (eg. grant-writing)
  • Present their research at Dermatology Tuesday Research Seminar Series and the annual Dermatology Research Day
  • Submit annual progress reports

• Important note: the SOC Postdoctoral Fellowship and T32 Fellowship applications are submitted using a common application form, but the requirements and funding details are specific to each program. Some important difference include:
  • Postdoctoral Fellows in SOC Research do need to be conducting research under the direction of a Penn Faculty member who is also a Penn Dermatology T32 Trainer.  If your PI is not a Trainer on the Penn Dermatology Training Grant, please have your mentor reach out to the program to inquire about becoming a trainer. Mentors must be a Trainer at the time of the Fellowship appointment.
  • Postdoctoral Fellows in SOC Research do need to provide a justification for how their research is applicable as “Skin of Color” research as described in the program information.
  • Postdoctoral Fellows in SOC Research do not need to be US residents as they are not funded by the NIH.
  • Postdoctoral Fellows in SOC Research do not have the payback obligation of NRSA fellows appointed to the T32 Training grant.
  • Funding for postdoctoral Fellows in SOC Research funding is limited to salary support and does not cover benefits or research related expenses.
  • Applicants may apply for both a T32 and postdoctoral fellowship in SOC, and if awarded both the funding for the SOC fellowship will support the salary difference between the NRSA stipend and Penn postdoc stipend allowances.
  • Please contact the Penn Derm T32 Training program directly with specific questions about program eligibility and funding details.

Additional Information

Questions can be sent to PennDermT32@pennmedicine.upenn.edu.