Skip to main content
Biomedical Informatics Biomedical Informatics
  1. HOME
  2. Education & Training
  3. NLM Pre & Postdoctoral Training Grant Fellowship

National Library of Medicine, T15 Predoctoral & Postdoctoral Training Grant Fellowship Program

Training Opportunities

Biomedical informatics is an interdisciplinary field requiring knowledge of biology, medicine, computer and information sciences, engineering, biostatistics, and human behavior. Our trainees come from a wide range of educational and professional backgrounds including physicians, nurses, computer scientists, engineers, cognitive scientists, biochemists, and statisticians.

Research areas are separated into four broad tracks, but overlap across tracks is also encouraged. We provide opportunities for specialization in a variety of areas, including but not limited to:

Translational Bioinformatics

Human Genetics
Structural Genomics, Proteomics and Metabolomics
Epigenomics and Functional Genomics

Metagenomics

Systems Biology and Network

Health Informatics

Clinical Informatics, Implementation Science, and Machine Learning Operations
Human-Computer Interaction and Usability
Pharmacy Informatics
Infectious Disease Informatics
Imaging Informatics

Clinical Data Science and Artificial Intelligence

Informatics and Information Technology Infrastructures for Human Subjects Research
Machine Learning and Deep Learning
Real-time and Streaming Analytics
Wearable Sensors and Edge Computing
Clinical Data Research Networks
Data Modeling for Discovery and Reuse

Environmental Exposures and Public Health Informatics

Internet of Things (IoT) for outpatient monitoring
Health behaviors and environmental exposure assessment
Global Health
Syndromic surveillance

Our training program is an intellectually invigorating course of study that will form an excellent basis for starting your career in biomedical informatics research.

  • Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering
    This rigorous computer science program is geared to those wishing to apply a computer science degree towards the health field. Biomedical informatics students take approximately 12 units of informatics electives as part of the 49-unit Master’s program. This program requires a strong computational background prior to admission.
  • Ph.D. in Cognitive Science
    This program provides broad training in neurological processes and phenomena; the experimental methods, results, and theories from the study of psychology, language, and social and cultural issues; and the studies of computational mechanisms. Biomedical Informatics students will take at least 13 units of informatics electives.

  • Ph.D. in Biomedical Sciences
    The goal of this program is to develop future generations of innovative biomedical scientists who will create new knowledge, solve problems and contribute to the health and well being of mankind. Biomedical Informatics students will take at least 13 units of informatics

  • Masters in Advanced Studies in Clinical Research
    (Postdoctoral trainees may pursue this degree.)  Ideal for preparing the clinician for a research career, this 36-unit degree program can be completed in 18 to 24 months and provides a strong background in statistics, study design, and an introduction to biomedical informatics.

Other related Master's degree programs for Postdoctoral trainees may be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Determining which degree is best for you will depend upon your academic background and your professional interests.

Fellowship Program

In July 2012, we were awarded the NIH National Library of Medicine (NLM) biomedical informatics training grant. Individuals seeking graduate degrees leading to research careers in biomedical informatics, who are US citizens, non-citizen nationals, or have permanent residency status (as evidenced by Card I-551), are eligible. We were renewed an additional five years in 2017 and again in 2022. Our five-year grant supports a total of 8 biomedical informatics trainees, including pre-doctoral Bioinformatics Ph.D. students and postdoctoral MD's pursuing the Masters in Clinical Research.

How to Apply

Instructions for Predoctoral Applicants:

To qualify for this fellowship, you must be seeking a graduate degree leading to a research career in biomedical informatics, and must be a US citizen, non-citizen national, or have permanent residency status (as evidenced by Card I-551).

The NLM fellowship is awarded after acceptance into one of the biomedical informatics graduate degree programs. Application for admission to graduate studies is made directly through your chosen degree program.  Please consult each program's website for application details:

To be considered for the NLM fellowship, in addition to submitting your application and documentation to the degree program of your choice, please send the following to dbmifellowship@ucsd.edu:
  1. Personal Statement explaining why you are a good candidate for the fellowship and what you hope to accomplish as an NLM trainee, the specific kind of research and topics you are interested in studying and what your goals are after completing the fellowship.
  2. A current and up to date CV; and
  3. In the body of your email please indicate which degree program you are applying to.
If you are an existing UCSD Ph.D. student enrolled in one of the above Ph.D. programs and have started your first year, please also provide the following:
  1. Rotation reviews (if any)
  2. Individual Development Plan (IDP), if available.
  3. Full graduate school application (for the Ph.D. program in which are you enrolled).

Instructions for Postdoctorate Applicants:

The UCSD National Library of Medicine (NLM) Postdoctoral Fellowship Program in Biomedical Informatics provides outstanding mentored research training in biomedical informatics to trainees who have already received doctoral-level graduate or professional degrees. Our postdoctoral trainees have come from a wide variety of backgrounds, including medicine, surgery, pediatrics, anesthesiology, ophthalmology, nursing, pharmacy, psychology, computer science, and engineering. The program aims to prepare fellows for a range of careers in biomedical informatics, with a particular emphasis on preparing for independent research careers and leadership positions. 

Postdoctoral applicants, including but not limited to M.D.'s and Ph.D.'s should provide the following materials to dbmifellowship@ucsd.edu.

  1. Personal statement explaining why you are a good candidate for the fellowship and what you hope to accomplish as an NLM trainee, the specific kind of research and topics you are interested in studying and what your goals are after completing the fellowship; and
  2. A current and up to date CV.

Please note that M.D. NLM-T15 postdoctoral fellows accepted are normally required to complete a Masters in Advanced Studies in Clinical Research (MAS-CLRE), as a part of their Fellowship training, unless they already hold an equivalent degree.  More information about the MAS-CLRE program.

Questions?

For administrative questions, contact:

Maria Triplett
Academic and Research Cordinator
M1Triplett@health.ucsd.edu