SynBAS-NRT Application
Application Instructions
Please use these instructions and the associated template to help you construct your SynBAS NRT application.
Please address all the questions and sections outlined in the SynBAS NRT Application template. When preparing application materials, candidates are strongly encouraged to review the SynBAS NRT training approach, which incorporates the synthetic biology scales framework.
You will fill out this template and upload the response to the 2022 Application form.
Applicant Eligibility:
Due to NSF requirements, candidates must be US citizens, nationals, or permanent residents and they must be in a PhD program to apply. There are no requirements for the year of graduate study for applicants if the program requirements can be met.
Applicant Statement:
Your statement should have several components described below.
Please prepare your application, using the application template, in a document with 11 pt. font (Arial or Times New Roman), single-spaced, with 0.5 inch margins, convert to a PDF and upload on the 2022 Application Form.
Instructions for specific sections are as follows:
Applicant motivation (400 words):
- Describe your motivation for participating in the SynBAS NRT training program.
- Include how the training program aligns with your educational goals.
- Include how the training program aligns with your long-term career goals.
- Describe how your goals connect to the elements of the training program including coursework, workshops, community events, career development and mentorship.
- It is strongly advised you review the trainee expectations document while developing this section.
- Include your interests in utilizing synthetic biology training for addressing societal scale
Program requirements (400 words): Describe your plan for fulfilling the SynBAS NRT program requirements.
- Coursework – which NRT courses have you taken and what are your plans for taking the remaining courses/workshops? Explain how your choice of elective scales courses integrates with your research vision. A list of NRT courses can be found here.
- Experiential learning – A goal of the SynBAS NRT is to allow trainees to explore different career paths through an experiential learning project. Which of the experiential learning themes (entrepreneurship, education, policy, art) are you most interested in pursuing and why? If another theme is of interest, please describe this. Please briefly describe how a project in your area of choice connects with your research and career goals.
- Co-mentorship – Part of the SynBAS NRT is for trainees to be co-mentored in their research to allow connections between scales – i.e. while a trainee’s research might be focused on a particular scale, a co-mentor with expertise in a different scale can help expand the scope and impact of a trainee’s research. While not a co-advisor, your co-mentor could be on your thesis committee and should be able to provide a complimentary perspective on your thesis research. Describe which scale is most important for enhancing or brining a new direction to your research project and why, and how you might go about finding a co-mentor that is an expert in that scale. If you already have a co-mentor identified please articulate how they meet this criterion. (Note: co-mentors may be outside of STEM fields).
- Motivation: Explain the problem or challenge your research aims to solve. Why is this project important? Briefly summarize how you plan to solve this problem in sufficient detail to be able to understand the specific aims. Support your research motivation with references to scientific literature.
- Specific Aims: Briefly describe the specific aims of your project. For each aim include the goal, hypotheses and approach.
- Significance: If the aims of the project are achieved, how will scientific knowledge, technical capability, or progress towards desired societal outcomes be improved? Support the significance of your research with references to scientific literature.
- Approach: Describe the overall strategy, methodology and analyses you will use to accomplish the specific aims of the project. Include a discussion of potential problems, alternative approaches and benchmarks for success. Support the approaches you will use with references to scientific literature.
- Scales description: Include a description of how your research incorporates or would benefit from the ‘scales’ framework of the NRT training program, including the benefits of bridging multiple scales in your research.
- We welcome a diverse representation of identities, backgrounds and disciplines in the SynBAS NRT program.
- We also value the dedication and participation of trainees to contribute to the development of the program and STEM fields through outreach and service activities.
- Please also describe any relevant outreach/service experiences or desire to participate in outreach/service experiences that are relevant to the program. Prior outreach/service experiences or a clearly articulated plan for performing future outreach will be considered a strength.
Trainee expectations: Please fill out, sign and upload a PDF copy of the trainee expectations document found here.
Advisor letter: Please communicate the following instructions to your advisor and ask them to send their letter to synbas@northwestern.edu by the application deadline. Instructions: One letter from the thesis mentor must (i) discuss why the nominee would be a good fit for the program, (ii) agree to allow mentees to satisfy all SynBAS NRT requirements, and (iii) agree to the Mentor Expectations.
2022 Application Form
To upload your application template and submit, please fill out the form here.
Your application will consist of the applicant statement, a letter of support from your advisor, and a signed acknowledgement that you agree to SynBAS NRT trainee expectations.
Application Timeline
Information will be updated once the 2023-2024 application cycle opens.
Fellowship appointment will begin in September, at the start of fall quarter.