UCLA Bio-Launch Application

Eligibility

• You must fall into one of these three categories:
  • Advanced PhD student (will graduate in the next 12-24 months)
  • Recent PhD graduate (graduated in the last 1-2 years)
  • Early-career postdoc scholar (have no more than 1 year of postdoctoral experience in a Bioscience field)
• Prospective postdocs from groups traditionally marginalized in the biosciences and/or from disadvantaged backgrounds are encouraged to apply but applicants of all backgrounds are welcome
• There is no citizenship requirement to apply.

What Do You Need to Prepare the Application?

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide…

• Basic Information (name, email, pronouns)
• Education & Research Information
  • [Multiple Choice] Current position
  • [Text Box] Actual or anticipated PhD graduation date
  • [Text Box] PhD Institution & Advisor
  • [Short Answer] What is your PhD research about? (Maximum of 125 words or 650 characters.)
  • [Multiple Choice] Research Areas of interest for the postdoc
  • [Short Answer] Research Topics: What sub-disciplinary areas are you interested in exploring in your postdoc? If you are changing fields from your PhD, why? (4-6 sentences)
  • [Multiple Choice] What are your goals for after your Postdoctoral Training?
  • [Short Answer] Research Skills: Please highlight any research or technical skills that you would bring to a lab team. What skills do you hope to develop?
  • [Multiple Choice] NIH Training Grant Eligibility
  • [Text Box] Timeline for transition to a postdoc position
  • [File Submission] CV (in PDF format) – please review this CV resource to develop an effective document
• Getting to Know You (Successful applicants write 4-6 sentences per question)
  • [Short Answer] How do you influence your environment?
    Describe an experience when you contributed to improving the culture within a lab, department, or community. What guided your actions and how did it influence your perspective on creating supportive scientific environments?
  • [Short Answer] Reflecting on Your Scientific Career
    Reflect on how your personal experiences, background, or perspective have shaped the way you navigate your scientific career. How have these factors shaped the way you approach opportunities or overcome obstacles?
• NO Letters of Recommendation are Required

Click Here for Application (Due Sunday, February 1, 2026 – 11:59pm PST)

Program Timeline

• Sun. February 1, 2026 at 11:59pm PST – Application Deadline
• Fri. February 6, 2026 – Decisions emailed to applicants
• Fri. February 13, 2026 – Accepted applicants confirm participation 
  • You will list 3-5 Bio-Launch Mentors that you would like to be matched with for informational interviews. 
• Thurs-Fri. February 26-27, 2026 – UCLA Bio-Launch
• Fri. February 28, 2026 – Matches are emailed out
  • The committee will match you with 1-3 mentors based on your research interests. Although the committee will strive to match participants and faculty with similar research interests, we are not able to guarantee this will be possible.
  • Prospective Postdocs must email Faculty Matches to set up informational interviews.
• March 2-13, 2026 – Informational Interviews
  • All participating faculty mentors will receive a booklet of all prospective postdoc profiles with contact information. If faculty are interested in speaking to you but were not matched with you, they can reach out to you individually.
  • All prospective postdocs will receive a contact list of all participating faculty mentors after the conclusion of the interview period, at which time you are encouraged to reach out to any potential mentors of interest you weren’t matched with.