Application

Application submissions for the PennPORT IRACDA fall 2025 cohort are currently closed. Interested candidates with questions about the program or the application process are welcome to contact program leadership and prospective research mentors at any time.

We are receiving numerous inquiries about the future of the PennPORT IRACDA program, and the status of fall 2025 admissions.  At present, we are still planning for continuation of the program.  Applicants are encouraged to reach out to prospective mentors as this will expedite our review process. We will communicate with all applicants as the situation evolves.

PennPORT Program Eligibility

Candidates must provide proof of a doctoral degree (Ph.D., M.D. or equivalent) by the time of appointment and must be U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents. Candidates should be early in their postdoctoral stage, with no more than 2 years since the date of their doctoral degree.

Benefits and Stipend

Scholar salaries are governed by Penn’s minimum postdoctoral stipends, which exceed NIH guidelines. Medical benefits are based on Penn’s benefits for non-NRSA postdocs. Rules governing CHOP and Wistar-based postdocs differ slightly, but salaries and benefits are comparable.

Finding a Research Mentor

Most active Research Faculty at Penn, Wistar, and CHOP can serve as PennPORT Research Mentors. Applicants should identify potential research labs based on their graduate training, research interests and specific career goals, as traditional postdocs do. Applicants do not need to have committed to a mentor at the time of completing the PennPORT application. However, they must specify 1-3 faculty of interest. To find research faculty and review their research interests please visit the Biomedical Graduate Studies site.

How to Apply

Application deadline: February 17, 2025.  Top candidates will be expected to interview with the admissions committee and prospective labs either online or in person during March and April. New scholars start between Aug 1 and Oct 1.

A complete PennPORT application packet includes:

  1. PennPORT IRACDA application form 
  2. A copy of your curriculum vitae (upload with application form)
  3. A personal statement describing career goals and experiences, highlighting your interest in a career in academia, and in working with underrepresented minorities (upload with application form)
  4. Three letters of reference (under most circumstances one letter should be from your Ph.D. mentor)
    • Recommenders should email letters directly to Elena Cruz at pennport@pennmedicine.upenn.edu. Please specify PennPORT and applicant full name in the subject line. 

Letters should be addressed to:

Janis K Burkhardt, PhD
Director, PennPORT Program
Professor, Dept. of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Research Institute
Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania
3615 Civic Center Blvd, ARC 816B
Philadelphia, PA 19104

 

PennPORT Admission Process

Consideration of applications will begin in February. Additional materials can be updated as needed. Top candidates will be contacted to arrange an initial virtual interview with members of the admissions committee. Finalists will be invited for an on-site interview to meet with faculty of interest, current scholars, and program leadership. At that visit, you will be asked to give a short seminar on your current research. Interested individuals who visit the Penn campus outside of the formal admission process are encouraged to contact the program for an informational meeting. 

 

Questions about PennPORT program or the admissions process can be addressed to:

Dr. Janis Burkhardt, Program Director: jburkhar@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Dr. Jason Diaz, Program Co-Director: jdiaz@wistar.org

Dr. Donita Brady, Program Co-Director: bradyd@pennmedicine.upenn.edu

Elena Cruz, Program Coordinator: pennport@pennmedicine.upenn.edu