The NPA scholarship helps postdoctoral scholars attend its 2027 Annual Conference in person in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The National Postdoctoral Association runs the program to broaden representation while supporting applicants with financial need.
The conference runs April 9–10, 2027, and recipients must attend both days and stay at the Westin Pittsburgh for at least two nights. Awards are competitively allocated and limited to one recipient per institution.
Benefits & funding
- Each scholarship provides up to $1,000 for eligible conference expenses.
- Covered costs may include registration, two nights at the conference hotel, airfare, ground transport, eligible meals, childcare, and eligible caregiver expenses.
- The registration fee is deducted first; any remaining award balance reimburses other eligible conference costs.
- First-class or business-class travel, car rentals, alcohol, sightseeing, duplicate meal costs, and expenses for other accompanying travelers are not covered.
Eligibility
- Applicants must be postdoctoral scholars.
- Applicants must be NPA Full Individual Members or Affiliate Members in good standing when they apply.
- The published rules state no nationality, residency, age, gender, or years-of-experience restriction.
- The NPA encourages applicants who support broader disciplinary and demographic representation, are first-time attendees, contribute to a local postdoctoral community or association, seek matching institutional funds, or plan further NPA involvement; these are preferences, not hard eligibility gates.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
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Education required
PhD
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Application process
- 1Confirm that your NPA Full Individual or Affiliate membership is in good standing.
- 2Complete every field in the online application form.
- 3Prepare a letter of intent of no more than 1,000 words covering financial need, conference goals, efforts to obtain other funding, local postdoctoral-community contributions, and plans for future engagement.
- 4Attach a one-page résumé or an NIH/NSF biosketch.
- 5Submit a budget justification that includes the approximately $600 member registration fee, at least two hotel nights at $229 per night plus taxes, and any other requested eligible expenses.
- 6Submit all materials by October 16, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET.
Program timeline
Application deadline
October 16, 2026, 11:59 p.m. ET
Application decisions
November 2026
Annual Conference starts
April 9, 2027
Annual Conference ends
April 10, 2027