National Symposium for Predoctoral Research

Eligibility

To be considered for the NSPR, please complete the application form, and submit all requested supporting documentation. Only complete applications submitted by the application deadline along with all requested supporting documentation will be considered by the selection committee. Participation in the NSPR is limited to US citizens and permanent residents who plan to attend graduate school within the next 1 - 2 years. Applicants are typically enrolled in undergraduate, graduate, postbac programs at institutions located within the United States, or those taking a gap year in preparation of graduate school. Additionally, participants are required not to have committed to a PhD or MS program before the symposium dates. You will be asked to verify that you meet these eligibility requirements on the application form. 

Application requirements

Your CV and an abstract of the research you would like to present at the NSPR must be submitted along with your completed application. Your CV must not exceed four (4) pages in length. Abstracts are limited to 350 words and must contain the title and list of authors at the top of the word document. However, title and authorship lines do not count towards the 350-word limit for the abstract. Abstracts should not include any figures. Please verify that your CV and abstract conform to these format and length restrictions before submitting your application.

Trainees selected to participate in the NSPR will be required to present a poster on their submitted abstract. Please note that the abstract and abstract title submitted with your application will be used to advertise your poster presentation at the NSPR if you are selected to attend.

A reference and letter of support from your research advisor is also required for your application to be considered for the NSPR. You will be asked to provide your advisor’s full name and email address on the application form. Upon completion of the application, your advisor will be sent an email with the link to the reference form.

It is the applicant's responsibility to follow up with the reference to ensure the link was received and complete the form by the deadline of Sunday, August 31, 2025 at 11:59 PM CST. If the reference has any issues accessing the reference form link, please contact gradadmissions@stjude.org.

Finally, you will be asked to upload a recent unofficial transcript as part of your application.