Apply for BioGEM
Navigating the Application Process
Applying for opportunities can be challenging. If you have concerns, need clarification, or have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us! Take the time to thoroughly read this page, acquainting yourself with eligibility requirements, deadlines, BioGEM project descriptions, and the necessary application materials. If you decide to apply, your next step is to visit the NSF ETAP portal, where you'll create an account, register, select the BioGEM opportunity, upload your materials, and even send requests to your letter writers.
Attend a Virtual Information Session
The director and program coordinator will give a short introduction to BioGEM and discuss, in detail, aspects of the application process. The session is informal and you have the opportunity to engage with staff and to ask questions. Click on the "Stay Connected" button below to be the first to know when sessions are scheduled or simply frequent this page for updates.
Eligibility Requirements
- must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or permanent resident of the United States
- must have a baccalaureate college degree in biology or related field
- must apply to the program before or within four years of graduation, with extensions allowed for family, medical leave, or military service
- individuals currently enrolled or accepted into a graduate program are not eligible
- be interested in pursuing a career in research in the fields of ecology, evolution and/or biodiversity science
Deadline
The application portal, for BioGEM 2025-26, is now open. There is no fee to apply. Priority consideration is given to completed applications received by March 1st. The application portal closes on May 1st or when all 10 slots have been filled.
Application Review Process
After the priority status deadline is March 1st, all applicants will recieve information regarding the status of their application from the program coordinator. Eligible applicants will be asked to sign up for a virtual 15-minute interview with the selection committee. The first round of interviews will take place the week of March 10th. The first round of offer letters will be sent out by March 14th. Subsequent applications will be reviewed similarly. No applications will be accepted after May 1st. Applicants with questions regarding the review process should contact the coordinator, Katrina McClure, at biogem@ku.edu.
Instructions
All submission materials are to be submitted on the NSF ETAP website. You will need to create an account and register to apply for any opportunities listed on the site. The site requires that the resume and transcript be uploaded as PDF documents.
Application Materials
Please read through the following requirements carefully to put together a strong application.
Application Materials
The NSF ETAP application portal requires all applicants to complete a registration process with ETAP. To get started, you must create an account. You have the flexibility to fill out the registration form either before or after selecting the opportunities you intend to apply for. The great thing is that if you decide to apply to multiple opportunities through the ETAP portal, you only need to register once. Your application to BioGEM will not process if you have not completed the registration process. Please visit ETAP's FAQ page for more information.
On the NSF ETAP website, submit a PDF of your most recent transcript which should include your final semester of graduation.
When using the ETAP portal, navigate to the BioGEM opportunity and click to select it. The site will prompt you to input your statement into a designated window. For a smoother experience, we strongly recommend that you compose and refine your statement in a document stored on your computer. Once your statement is edited and polished, log in to your ETAP account and simply copy/paste your statement into the provided window.
Personal Statement Instructions
The ETAP personal statement window limits you to 5,000 characters so be concise.
Please address the following prompts in your statement, following the order presented here. In planning to write your statement, allot only 1-2 paragraphs for each prompt. The last prompt is optional.
- What motivates you to devote a year to a postbaccalaureate program and ideally what would you like to be doing the year following your participation in a program such as BioGEM?
- Tell us about a time when you felt particularly excited about science. What was the occasion, what happened that sparked your interest, and what was your reaction?
- Discuss a BioGEM project that interests you. Alternatively, identify one or more faculty member(s) at KU whose research aligns with your interests*.
- Describe an obstacle or challenge you have had to overcome (academic or personal) and what you learned from it.
- Optional: If there is an aspect of your application that you would like to expand on or contextualize, or anything else you would like to tell us about yourself, you may do so here.
*To address the 3rd prompt please review the "Potential BioGEM Projects" description below. You may refer to a project by simply using the project number in your statement. You may also discuss an KU EEB lab of interest. Please visit the KU EEB Faculty page to find potential labs.
BioGEM requires two letters of recommendation. Follow the prompts on the NSF ETAP website to send a request to your letter writers. Typically, it is appropriate to reach out to a letter writer personally before going through an automated system. By reaching out personally, you can obtain their consent and confirmation that they are willing to write a letter on your behalf. Once your prospective letter writer has agreed to serve as a reference, you can inform them that the ETAP system will send them an email containing a link to submit their recommendation. Additionally, the ETAP system offers the option to send reminder emails to letter writers if needed. For further details, please visit NSF ETAP and click on FAQ on the upper right side of the page for additional information.
Potential BioGEM Projects
BioGEM was designed to provide participating scholars with a dynamic interdisciplinary experience with a network of mentors. In your application, you are asked to describe a type of project that would be of interest to you. Some examples are listed below. Alternatively, if you would like to work on another project, not listed here, please describe the project and list any EEB KU faculty or other faculty from KU and/or our partnering institutions that would be appropriate. If you have questions, contact the program coordinator.
Join the Baum Lab
Collaborate with Dr. Baum (KU) and partners at various institutions to explore how climate and host plant characteristics influence monarch butterflies. Monarchs undertake an extraordinary long-distance migration from southern Canada to central Mexico, with climate playing a critical role in the timing and success of their journey. Milkweeds, the sole host plants for monarch caterpillars, are vital to their development and survival. The BioGEM scholar will investigate the interplay of climate and host plant traits on monarch development, reproduction, diapause, and survivorship. Additional opportunities include participating in education and outreach activities through Monarch Watch, an education, conservation, and research organization based at KU.
Join the Bever Lab
The Bever Lab studies the ecology and evolution of plants and their microbiomes, with a focus on mycorrhizal fungi—beneficial root symbionts that enhance nutrient uptake and influence soil structure. Our research has shown that reintroducing native mycorrhizal fungi significantly aids native prairie plant restoration. We also examine how microbiomes contribute to the maintenance and ecological effects of plant diversity, revealing roles for host-specific pathogens in species coexistence and the productivity benefits of plant diversity. BioGEM scholars may engage in projects investigating how mycorrhizal fungi confer drought tolerance to crops, the ecosystem impacts of manipulating plant diversity or fungal composition, and the microbiome’s response to shifts in plant diversity and composition.
Join the Blumenstiel Lab
The Blumenstiel Lab investigates how genetic conflict shapes genomes, inheritance systems, and epigenetics. A central focus of the lab is understanding how systems of inheritance manage selfish genetic elements that can subvert the interests of the organism. Using Drosophila species as a model, our research integrates advanced genomics (long-read nanopore sequencing and RNA-seq), modern molecular genetics (CRISPR and RNAi), and molecular evolutionary analysis to address these questions.
BioGEM scholars have the opportunity to work on projects ranging from computational to lab-based research. Potential projects include analyzing global transposition profiles using long-read nanopore sequencing, studying the molecular evolution of transposable element invasions, investigating the evolution of DNA damage response pathways involved in cancer prevention, and exploring small RNA-based epigenetic silencing in natural populations.
This position offers an engaging opportunity to contribute to cutting-edge research at the interface of genetics, evolution, and molecular biology.
Join the Cartwright Lab
The Cartwright Lab focuses on uncovering the mechanisms that drive life cycle transitions in jellyfish, particularly the genetic signals involved in transforming a polyp into a medusa (jellyfish) stage in the hydrozoan Podocoryna carnea. We experimentally manipulate Podocoryna development to test how specific factors influence medusa production. The BioGEM scholar will collaborate closely with a graduate student or postdoctoral researcher to conduct experiments utilizing pharmacological agents, morpholinos, and/or CRISPR technologies to investigate jellyfish development.
Join the Gleason Lab
The Gleason lab studies the evolution and genetics of behavior. Using Drosophila species, we focus on two major types of behavior: aggression and courtship. The BioGEM scholar will have a choice of projects examining the relationship between reproductive traits and the correlated effects on fighting, particularly female fighting, or courtship, particularly male choice, two areas of behavior that are understudied. Alternatively, the BioGEM scholar can examine the effect of developmental conditions on adult behavior. In addition to developing skills in experimental design and behavioral assays, the BioGEM student will be able to develop genetic and genomic skills according to their interests.
Join the Hileman Lab
The Hileman Lab explores the evolution of complex flower traits, with a particular focus on the transition from bee-adapted to hummingbird-adapted flowers in the genus Penstemon. Our research employs a wide array of methods, including histology, morphometrics, gene expression studies, genetic mapping, and bioinformatics, to answer fundamental questions about floral evolution.
BioGEM scholars will work closely with a graduate student or postdoctoral researcher to uncover the developmental mechanisms driving changes in flower form. Scholars will have the opportunity to investigate one of the many candidate genes already identified by the lab, delving into how variation in that gene has contributed to evolutionary changes in floral traits.
This is an exciting opportunity to join a collaborative research environment and contribute to advancing our understanding of plant evolution.
Join the Jensen Lab
The Jensen Lab investigates the patterns of diversity and host associations of marine parasites, with a focus on the tapeworms that parasitize sharks and stingrays (elasmobranchs) globally. Our research explores host specificity, variation in tapeworm diversity among host species, modes of attachment, and life cycles, providing insights into this unique host-parasite system.
BioGEM scholars will engage in integrative systematic research on elasmobranch tapeworms, combining morphological and molecular approaches such as scanning electron microscopy and histology. This work contributes to a deeper understanding of the evolutionary history of these fascinating host-parasite relationships and offers scholars the opportunity to develop valuable skills in both traditional and modern research techniques.
Join the Kelly Lab
The Kelly lab explores how rapid evolutionary processes can be directly measured, challenging the traditional view that such changes are too slow for observation. By studying rapidly evolving systems, we test dynamic predictions of evolutionary models, addressing key questions in evolutionary biology. Most of our experimental work is on quantitative trait evolution in Mimulus guttatus (yellow monkeyflower). Using a combination of classical techniques like controlled crosses and modern molecular approaches such as QTL mapping, we explore how genetic variation is maintained in nature. We examine the genetic architecture of ecologically important traits, the effects of mating systems and self-fertilization, and how genetic complexities affect evolutionary change.
BioGEM scholars will work closely with a graduate student or postdoctoral researcher to contribute to ongoing projects, gaining hands-on experience with foundational and cutting-edge evolutionary biology approaches.
Join the Lieberman Lab
The Lieberman Lab uses the fossil record to investigate macroevolutionary patterns and processes. Our research integrates diverse approaches such as phylogenetics, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), ecological niche modeling, and statistical analyses to explore critical questions in evolution. These include the causes and consequences of extinction, the role of abiotic changes in driving biogeography and evolution, variations in speciation rates across groups, and the factors influencing species and community stability over long time scales.
The BioGEM scholar will work closely with a graduate student or postdoctoral researcher on several potential projects. These may involve using phylogenies to explore the evolutionary processes that shaped the last evolutionary radiation of trilobites, collecting and analyzing traits of marine mollusk species to identify past extinction drivers and improve predictions for future extinctions, or employing ecological niche modeling to study the effects of climate change over the past ~3 million years—and anticipated future changes—on the distribution and survival of marine mollusk species.
This is an exciting opportunity to engage in cutting-edge research at the intersection of paleontology and evolutionary biology.
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