Application Information

What is the VBST Training Program?
The Vascular Biology, Signaling and Therapeutics (VBST) training program strives to meet an imperative need to train exceptionally talented and diverse scientists engaged in interdisciplinary vascular research with translational potential. Our aims are to assure that trainees understand the human vascular system, and are thereby poised to advance translational opportunities, reduce vascular disease, and bridge the current gaps in knowledge between discovery research, drug development and therapy.

The VBST training program supports graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who are or will be engaged in multidisciplinary research in Vascular Biology, Signaling, & Therapeutics (VBST).

What are the eligibility requirements?
All applicants must meet the following:

  1. Be a US citizen or permanent resident.
  2. Your primary mentor is an approved mentor in the VBST training program.
  3. Your co-mentor must be an approved mentor in the VBST training program, but must be selected from a different theme than your primary mentor.
  4. Your research is or will involve two of the four themes for the study Vascular Biology, Signaling and Therapeutics:
    1. Vascular Signaling
    2. Vascular Therapeutics
    3. Neurovascular Biology
    4. Angiogenesis and Regeneration

How do I apply?
To apply, please submit a PDF document with the following information:

Pre-Doctoral Trainees:

  1. Application Instructions (download here)
  2. Application Cover Page (download here)
  3. NIH biosketch including a Personal Statement
  4. Graduate-level transcripts (do not have to be official)
  5. Joint letter of support from selected Mentor and Co-Mentor
  6. Two (2) Letters of Recommendation*
  7. Specific Aims Page for proposed research project (limited to one (1) page)
Post-Doctoral Trainees:
  1. Application Instructions (download here)
  2. Application Cover Page (download here)
  3. NIH biosketch including a Personal Statement
  4. Joint letter of Support from selected Mentor and Co-Mentor
  5. Two (2) Letters of Recommendation*
  6. Specific Aims Page for proposed research project (limited to one (1) page)
Application Materials for current VBST Trainees applying for 2nd year of support.
  1. Application Cover Page (download here)
  2. Progress report from Y1 and research plan for Y2.

*Letters of recommendation should be submitted on your behalf and cannot be from your mentor or co-mentor. References can email their letters to calvar3@uic.edu.

Please email a single collated document in PDF format to calvar3@uic.edu by Friday, June 30, 2023 at 5:00 pm CST..

Who can I contact if I have questions? Please review the VBST website for additional information or you can contact our Co-Directors, Jan Kitajewski, Kishore Wary or Andrius Kazlauskas.

The VBST-TP is funded by training grant (T32 HL144459) from the National, Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI).