 |
Welcome to the Biotechnology Regulatory Fellowship Program
Biotechnology Regulatory Fellowships are six-month, full-time (37.5 hours per week), hands-on professional development fellowships structured to engage Fellows in developing the evidence basis needed to meet future regulatory challenges presented by novel products of biotechnology. The Fellowships, which take place in Washington, D.C., are conducted and administered under the auspices of the Committee on Science, Technology, and Law (CSTL) of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
Fellows will identify new regulatory frameworks for the anticipated cutting-edge products expected to emerge over the next several decades and thereby expand agency options for thoughtful, effective regulation.
Fellows will participate in a series of seminars led by subject-matter experts, conduct horizon-scanning activities to identify potential products of biotechnology that lack existing or conflicting regulatory risk assessment pathways, and identify foci for capstone projects that will be undertaken by pairs of fellows.
For capstone projects, Fellows will:
- Work alongside a mentor currently or formerly employed at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to choose and execute their projects;
- Work with a paired member of their cohort with varied background/expertise (ideally, individuals with scientific, engineering, and/or medical experience will be paired with individuals with legal, policy, and/or regulatory experience);
- Brainstorm early solutions to project ideas collectively across the cohort to encourage creative thinking and build relationships amongst the multidisciplinary cohort;
- Establish where/how to communicate final project results to provide greatest value to agencies; and
- Present capstone projects to the Biotechnology Regulatory Fellowship Advisory Committee, mentors, and agency staff at the end of the fellowship session.
As part of the Fellowship, Fellows will have the opportunity to participate in topic-specific activities such as attending informational events inside and outside the National Academies (e.g. workshops and convenings, Congressional hearings, seminars at think tanks, etc.) and relevant industry conferences.
Award Details
The following benefits are available to Fellows:
- Each Fellow will receive a stipend in the amount of $70,000 in the form of a grant. The stipend is intended to offset living expenses and will be paid in monthly installments during the term of the Fellowship.
NOTE: Fellows are not eligible to participate in any National Academies' employee benefit programs.
Criteria
Applicants must meet specific criteria to be eligible for a Biotechnology Regulatory Fellowship. The Fellowship is open to a broad range of early-career professionals with scientific, medical, legal, policy, and other professional backgrounds who have a demonstrable interest or passion in the regulation of cutting-edge products. While familiarity with regulation is helpful, it is not necessary to be a participant in the program. The program provides an opportunity for individuals who may have worked in adjacent fields but find themselves drawn to work related to novel products of biotechnology.
Select each category below to learn more about these criteria.
Applicants must:
- Be a U.S. citizen;
- Have an advanced degree in a relevant field; and
- Have between three and five years of relevant professional experience.
Fellows will be selected through a national competition on the basis of:
- Professional achievements
- Quality of submitted essay
- Expertise in areas relevant to the Fellowship
- Recommendations
Terms and Conditions
The Fellowship is a six-month program that begins on February 1, 2026 and ends on July 31, 2026. It is a full-time (37.5 hours per week), hands-on professional development fellowship structured to engage Fellows in developing the evidence base needed to meet future regulatory challenges presented by novel products of biotechnology.
The Fellowship is conducted and administered under the auspices of the Committee on Science, Technology, and Law of National Academy of Sciences (NAS), a private tax-exempt organization, which includes under its charter the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Engineering (collectively the "the National Academies").
Fellows are expected to attend the entire six-month program (including orientation) in person at the National Academies' facilities in Washington, D.C.
Fellows are responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from Washington, D.C. and for making their own housing arrangements.
Fellows will be expected to acknowledge and agree to:
- Conform to all applicable policies and procedures of the NAS, including without limitation the Policy on Preventing Discrimination, Harassment, and Bullying: Policy for Participants in National Academies Activities
- Grant the National Academies a non-exclusive, no-cost worldwide license in all media to use and have used for NAS's tax-exempt purposes any images and/or videos of taken by an NAS employee or agent during the term of Fellowship and any written materials drafted in connection with the Fellowship's capstone project;
- Coordinate a request for unanticipated absences during the term of the Fellowship with the program director;
- Complete and submit an online onboarding questionnaire, mid-term questionnaire, and exit questionnaire about their experience; and
- Complete the full term of the Fellowship. (In the event a Fellow does not complete the full term for any reason, Fellows agree to return to the NAS the pro rata portion of the stipend grant commensurate with the length of time remaining in the Fellowship session).
During the term of the Fellowship, Fellows may not engage with the National Academies in any role where the Fellow receives financial support for services provided to the Academies as this may represent a conflict of interest.
The NAS reserves the right to revoke a Fellowship in cases where false or incomplete information was provided by the participant during the application and selection processes. Additionally, a Fellowship may be revoked at the sole discretion of the NAS for violations of ethics rules, illegal activity, unprofessional conduct, discrimination, harassment, bullying, or other behavior that is inconsistent with achievement of the program goals or National Academies' policies.
Application Instructions
A complete application package must include the materials described below, and it is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that all uploaded documents are accurate, legible, complete, not password-protected or secured, and that documents comply with the formatting specifications listed for each document. Once an application is submitted and the application deadline has passed, applicants will not be able to make changes to their application.
Please be aware that all application materials submitted will be shared with the selection panel.
All application materials become the property of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine and will not be returned. Applicants should retain copies of all submitted application materials for their personal records.
The Curriculum Vitae should be no more than ten double spaced pages in 12-point font with 1 inch margins. Vitae should include the following:
- Name and current institutional affiliation
- Education (degrees, institutions, dates)
- Honors and awards (list up to 10 of the most significant)
- National or international professional experience
- Peer-reviewed publications (no more than 5 of the 10 pages; you may indicate the total number of publications from which the list is derived)
- Other publications and patents
NOTE: If the applicant provides a document that exceeds ten pages, only the first ten pages will be reviewed. Individual citations including publications and references may be single spaced.
Applications must be accompanied by two letters of recommendation. Applicants will be required to list contact information and initiate the sending of letter requests to letter writers before their applications can be submitted.
Letter writers should:
- Be knowledgeable about the applicant's capabilities and professional experience.
Letters of recommendation must:
- Address the qualifications of the applicant relative to the Fellowship Selection Criteria;
- Be limited to no more than two pages; and
- Be successfully uploaded by the application deadline
Instructions for letter writers on expected content will be provided in the request to letter writers initiated by the applicant. Letters must be uploaded into online applications by the application deadline. Letters sent via postal mail or email will not be accepted nor will letter writers be notified on behalf of applicants. When a letter is successfully uploaded, the letter writer and the applicant will receive a confirmation email from biotechfellows@nas.edu. If an applicant or letter writer has not received a confirmation, they should reach out to biotechfellows@nas.edu. to confirm receipt.
How to Apply
Select the sections below to learn more about how to apply and submit an application to the Biotechnology Regulatory Fellowships.
- Select the Register button.
- Complete the fields for your Login Profile and Contact Information.
- Enter the spam control value.
- Select the Submit button.
- Select the Log in button.
- Enter the email address and password you registered with.
- Select the Log in button.
- Select the Create button.
- On the Survey Page, select the response that best describes how you discovered the Biotechnology Regulatory Fellowships. Please enter additional details if a text box is populated for your selected response. Please select "Other" and enter a response if listed options don't apply.
- Respond to the question on the Eligibility Page. You will not be able to proceed with your application unless a valid response is entered.
- Select the Save button.
- Complete all the required fields in the Applicant Profile section.
- Enter at least three and up to five keywords or keyword phrases relating to your research field.
- Enter essay text of no more than 1500 words.
- Carefully read and adhere to the content and formatting instructions for each, including document length.
- Save each file as a PDF prior to uploading.
- On the Upload Page, select the Choose File button.
- Select and open the file from your device.
- Select the Save as Draft button to complete the upload and save each document.
- Enter contact information for two letter writers who will submit letters of recommendation on your behalf.
- Select Save as DRAFT button after entering each letter writer's information.
- Select Initiate Email Request button to send the letter writer an email requesting them to submit a letter on your behalf ("instructions" for letter content and formatting will be included in the email request).
- Select Save as DRAFT button to save information you have entered or to upload documents.
- Select Submit as FINAL button once your application is absolutely complete and you are satisfied with its content (a green checkmark will populate on the tab once the page has been fully completed).
You will receive a confirmation email after you select the Submit as Final button. To download the application form (without document uploads) you may select the Download button on the "My Dashboard page". Alternatively, you may select the icon next to Download Application in the Application Summary Box to save the application form as well as each document upload.
In order to be considered complete and eligible for review, all applications must include two letters of recommendation. You can re-send requests to letter writers by selecting the Initiate Email Request button on the Letters of Recommendation. You will receive a copy of the confirmation message sent to the letter writer once a letter has been successfully uploaded.
- Log in.
- Select the Edit button on the "My Dashboard/My Fellowships page."
- Make any necessary changes.
- Select the Save as FINAL button. Do not select Save as DRAFT; otherwise, your application will not register as complete and may not be considered for review.
If you no longer wish your application to be considered, you may withdraw it from consideration.
- Log in.
- Select the Withdraw button on "My Dashboard/My Fellowships" page.
- Enter reason for withdrawal.
- Select OK.
KEY DATES
| June 1, 2025: | Application opens |
| August 31, 2025 (11:59 PM U.S. Eastern Time): |
Application deadline |
| September-October 2025: | Review of applications |
| November 2025: | Applicants notified of status |
| December 2025: | Awardees announced |
| February 1, 2026: | Fellowship begins |
| July 31, 2026: | Fellowship ends |
CONTACT US
Biotechnology Regulatory Fellowship ProgramNational Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine
500 Fifth Street, NW
Washington, DC 20001
Phone: 202-334-1713
Email: biotechfellows@nas.edu
