FAQs

There will be a button on the homepage, "Apply to UMB AMPLIFY". Applicants will be asked to create an account through the Research Logix portal. All application materials should be submitted through this portal. 

Since we will accept unofficial transcripts for the review process, there isn't a problem with submitting all of your application material early in the process and then uploading your Fall grades and resubmitting the application. 

The next application cycle opens in December 2024.

The deadline is February 1st, 2025.  Applicants should apply and submit all materials by this date.

Your letters of recommendation should be written by a research mentor or someone who is familiar with your research interests. If you have not had a lot of research experience, a letter of recommendation from a faculty member who taught the lab portion of a physical science course and is familar with your research interests would be appropriate as well.

There is a link for faculty research in the application. You're able to search by both the name of faculty member or you can search for mentors by research interest. If you're still having problems locating a potential mentor, please contact either Dr. Tonya Webb at twebb@som.umaryland.edu or Anna Pudder at apudder@som.umaryland.edu.

Having an undergraduate degree in biological science would be beneficial for entry into AMPLIFY, since the program is designed for students who want to pursue a career in biomedical research. However, having an undergraduate degree in a biological science is not a requirement. Applicants should have a biomedically relevant degree.

It is necessary to have adequate course work in physical sciences/life science (physics, engineering, chemistry, biology and/or neuroscience) for entry into the program. It is possible for a student to have an undergraduate degree in another area and also have sufficient science course work.

If you have specific questions about your academic coursework, please contact either Dr. Tonya Webb at twebb@som.umaryland.edu or Anna Pudder at apudder@som.umaryland.edu.

Applications are reviewed in their entirety. This includes courses taken, grades, research experience, essays, letters of recommendation, and any other information the applicant provides. The leadership team primarily looks for applicants who have a passion for science, which should be evident through your prior research experience, courses, letters of recommendation, and essays.

If you obtained your first baccalaureate degree more than five years ago and returned to school for a second bachelor's degree, your eligibility would be based on when your first degree was awarded. Please refer to the funding announcement (PAR-20-066) for additional information and exceptions. 

The start date for the 2025-2027 cohort is estimated to be around August 2025. This is just an estimate and will be determined by Human Resources.

Generally we are unable to accommodate requests to visit labs before applying to the program. However, applicants are encouraged to review all information on the UMB AMPLIFIES webpage, visit the GPILS faculty pages, and review recent faculty publications. 

If you have questions about if this program will help you to meet your goals or if you are unsure if you meet the eligibility requirements, please e-mail either Dr. Tonya Webb at twebb@som.umaryland.edu or Anna Pudder at apudder@som.umaryland.edu and we will follow-up with you.

This program is ideal for people who are interested in applying to advanced degrees in biomedical sciences with a focus in cancer research. The goal of UMB AMPLIFY is to prepare applicants who want to go into careers as cancer researchers and/or clinicians. We will work hard to connect you with researchers and clinicians as part of your preparation.

Applicants who are not eligible for UMB AMPLIFY may be interested in looking into NIGMS PREP funded programs. It is possible that some of these PREPs may have additional funding to fund a student who may not meet all of the NIGMS requirements. Students should contact programs individually. There are over 40 program across the country.

While NIGMS is one funder of PREPs for biomedical sciences geared towards PhDs, there are other PREP-type programs as well. Johns Hopkins University has a Doctoral Diversity Program (DDP) for MD, MD-PhD, and PhD interested students. The AAMC webpage also has PREPs that are geared towards students who want to enter medical school (MD programs). 

As an alternative to a PREP, students may be interested in look into short-term research jobs such as a research assistant, clinical research assistant, research coordinator, or laboratory technician. Some jobs may offfer tuition remission or tuition reimbursement to allow employees to take graduate level courses while working. Job posting can be found on University Human Resources pages or Career pages. Please visit the UMB Human Resources Page if you're interested in looking into research job. Your undergraduate academic advisor and/or Career Center can also be a valueable source of information for additional opportunities. 

If interested in receiving additional mentoring, students can consider checking out the National Research Mentoring Network. This platform allows mentees to connect with potential mentors from many different disciplines.