Office of Fellowship Training

Become a Research Fellow

Boston Children's Hospital is dedicated to training the next generation of leaders in pediatric medicine and biomedical research. The Office of Fellowship Training provides programs for both Clinical and Research Fellows. Clinical Fellowship is most often done post residency, by application to specific departments and divisions. Research Fellow candidates most typically apply directly to a laboratory of interest, by contacting the Principal Investigator directing that laboratory. The most effective route is to identify PI's whose research you're interested in and preferably, you have already done some research or otherwise established a strong interest in his or her broad area. You can identify PI's at conferences or through publications, which can be found on MedLine or in peer-reviewed scientific journals.

It's best to contact the PI directly through e-mail or telephone and submit your curriculum vitae (CV). In a follow-up e-mail or phone call, try to set up an interview with the PI. It's highly recommended to contact more than one PI when job-seeking, in order to broaden your options. You should contact the PI a minimum of 6-12 months before you expect to start a new position, in order to allow time for paperwork and immigration documents to be processed. Indeed, many faculty members arrange postdoctoral positions more than a year in advance. So, if you are in the last year or two of graduate school, or expecting to need a new position within the next year, it's not too early to start looking for your next position.

Showing yourself as organized with a strong sense of initiative will go a long way in convincing a PI to train you in a field that is new to you. Finally, check back with the web site periodically, as we will update it with available slots about which PI's notify us.