The Department of Genomic Sciences and Systems Biology at Cleveland Clinic Research is seeking post-doctoral fellows with an MD, PhD, DO or equivalent degree (completed) who are highly motivated to gain critical translational research skills and experience to prepare for a career involving independently funded biomedical research that incorporates genomics or other 'omic methodologies.
This competitive 2-year cross-training fellowship will have either a clinical research focus (for PhDs) or a laboratory research focus (for MDs/DOs). Each trainee will receive dual mentorship from MD- and PhD-trained faculty. The major focus will be hands-on research experience and the development of necessary scientific, operational, and professional skills needed for research independence. A complementary didactic curriculum will be spread over the 2-year training period. The Year 1 curriculum will involve (1) a flexible common core - providing key foundations in genomics, epidemiology/study design, quantitative methods, and grantsmanship - which will be required for all trainees, and (2) a customized curriculum tailored to individual trainee interests and needs, depending on prior training and skills. Fellows will be expected to develop at least 1 first/co‑first author or senior/co-senior author paper, present at a national conference, and generate open‑source outputs when appropriate. They will also be required to submit an external grant (e.g., K or foundation career development award) by the middle of Year 2. Upon program completion, fellows will receive a training certificate from the department.
Trainee stipend will be commensurate with the NIH Post-Graduate Year scale with an additional $10K stipend plus an additional $10,000 annually for travel and research expenses. The program will cover the equivalent of one course per semester. Additional funds for clinical work (not to exceed 25% effort) and research costs can be negotiated per project. Fringe benefits, health insurance, etc. will be similar to other Cleveland Clinic post-doctoral trainees.
The Year 2 award will be contingent upon meeting required milestones/deliverables after 12 months, for example, one or more first- or senior-author publications in the focus area, a presentation at a major conference, and a draft specific aims page for a research proposal. Submission of an extramural grant application is required within 18 months of starting the fellowship.
Minimum requirements and preferred qualifications for ideal fellowship applicants are listed below, along with additional requirements to be completed prior to start of fellowship.
Minimum Required Qualifications for Application:
Preferred Qualifications for Application:
Required Qualifications at Start of Fellowship:
Applications will be considered on a rolling basis with a preferred fellowship start date in Summer 2026. Interested applicants should provide a detailed CV and a statement of interest (no more than 2 pages) indicating the specific research area they wish to pursue as part of the fellowship, clear long-term career goals, and prior relevant research training. Based on interests, applicants will be matched with an appropriate research mentor(s). Applicants should A minimum of 3 referee names should also be provided. Materials should be emailed to [email protected].
How many fellows participate in this program per year?
The program can support 1-to-2 new trainees per year.
How long does the program last?
A minimum of two years is required, with extension to three years possible, dependent upon completion of the research project, receipt of grant funding, and/or co-enrollment in other programs (e.g., ACGME certification, PRISM PhD program, Case Western Reserve University's Clinical Research Scholars Program (CRSP) – Master's in Clinical Research), or American Board of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ABMGG) board certification pathway.
What have recent graduates done with this training?
Our graduates have gone on to successful academic careers in genomic sciences. Alumnae currently hold faculty positions or lead clinical genetics programs or translational science laboratories, both nationally and across the world.
I hold an MD degree - can I obtain a PhD while pursuing this fellowship?
The Cleveland Clinic Molecular Medicine PhD Program offers a track for Cleveland Clinic residents/fellows in accredited training programs who wish to pursue a PhD in laboratory-based research. Heavy clinical obligations are disallowed during the doctoral laboratory research years. Known as PRISM (Physician Researchers Innovating in Science and Medicine), the program is offered in collaboration with the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine of the Case Western Reserve University. Participants earn a PhD in Molecular Medicine. PhD programs generally require 54 credit hours, but most PRISM students will have 18 hours waived based on their MD coursework. The remaining 36 hours can usually be completed in two years, which is in addition to the time required to complete the clinical fellowship. Research is done in a basic or computational science laboratory, and the program requires a qualifying exam and at least two first author publications, similar to any PhD program.
Our academic mission is to provide world-class research training for our postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and undergraduate students.
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