Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME)

We welcome all majors and backgrounds to the Post-Bachelor Fellowship. Current PBFs hold degrees in a range of subjects including math, English, anthropology, psychology, and statistics.

Overall, we look for individuals who like to work with numbers, have strong quantitative abilities, and sharp analytical minds. We recruit bright, talented, and ambitious students interested in applying their skills and passions to tackle the world’s most critical health issues.

The Post-Bachelor Fellowship program is limited to recent college graduates who are eligible to work in the US for a minimum of two years (most often, US citizens or residents). Individuals with graduate training are not eligible to apply.

If you are not a US citizen or resident and hold a medical degree or PhD, you are eligible to apply for our Post-Graduate Fellowship program. To learn more about this program and how to apply, please visit our Post-Graduate Fellowship Program page.

We only accept official transcripts sent in sealed envelopes to IHME.

We recommend that you submit a letter of recommendation from a university professor who can speak to your talents as a student and the specific scholarly skills that make you qualified for this program. You are welcome to submit a letter by an employer if you feel this person would provide a strong recommendation that specifically refers to your quantitative and analytical skills.

We strongly suggest that you only submit one letter of recommendation, as we cannot guarantee the review of additional letters, given the high quantity of applications we receive. If you have multiple individuals who are willing to write you a letter of recommendation, we suggest selecting the person who knows you best and has worked with you most closely.

Yes. Please ask the person writing your recommendation to submit the letter by emailing: pbfs@healthmetricsandevaluation.org

The deadline for applications is January 15 each year.

No. To be considered for the Post-Bachelor Fellowship, we must receive your application before the January 15 deadline. Those who submit an application after the deadline can request that their applications be reactivated for the following cohort by contacting: pbfs@healthmetricsandevaluation.org

We will notify you if any of your application materials have not been received. All applications are reviewed by a selection committee composed of IHME faculty and staff. A small number of individuals are invited to IHME to participate in on-site interviews in late February and March.  IHME covers travel costs related to the interviews for all candidates invited to this round.  Candidates are notified of their status at the end of March.

We hire about 12 people to join each new cohort of Post-Bachelor Fellows. To view the current cohorts, please visit our PBF Profiles page.

The Post-Bachelor Fellowship begins on the first workday of September each year

No. We do not accept deferrals to this program.

No. The minimum commitment is two years. Applicants who are also considering pursuing an MD must be able to make a minimum two-year commitment to the PBF program.

Post-Bachelor Fellows earn an annual salary of $35,000 US dollars and are eligible for medical, dental, and vision insurance. To learn about the different types of insurance packages fellows can choose, please visit http://www.washington.edu/admin/hr/benefits

Please note that Post-Bachelor Fellows are not eligible for retirement packages.

PBFs are eligible to apply to the Master of Public Health in Health Metrics and Evaluation, offered through the Department of Global Health at the University of Washington. It takes a total of three years to complete the PBF program with the MPH degree. Throughout the three years, PBFs work as full-time employees and take courses as part-time students (approximately 4-6 credits each quarter). IHME provides complete funding for each PBF enrolled in the MPH Program, excluding a few one-time fees that are paid out-of-pocket.

No. PBFs must submit an application to the University of Washington Graduate School and meet the graduate student qualifications established by the UW Graduate School and the specific requirements of the Health Metrics and Evaluation track. PBFs compete with all other candidates to the HME track for a limited number of spots every year.

To learn how to apply to the UW Graduate School, please visit http://www.grad.washington.edu/admissions/info.shtml

To learn about the specific criteria for the Master of Public Health in Health Metrics and Evaluation, please visit http://globalhealth.washington.edu/students_programs/studeg_mph_hme.php

No. Each year, there are a number of PBFs who do not choose to pursue the MPH degree. These PBFs spend their two years working on IHME research projects. As UW employees, all PBFs are eligible to take courses at all UW departments. PBFs who are not enrolled in the MPH program tend to enroll in courses related to their work and future academic and professional interests.

PBFs are assigned to one or two of IHME’s ongoing projects. To learn about ongoing research projects, please visit our Research Areas page.

PBFs are assigned to projects based on their skills and interest. First-year PBFs are usually assigned one project and may be assigned additional responsibilities in their second or third years in the program. Assignments are made at the end of the PBF training camp, which occurs during the first three weeks of the program.

Specific work assignments vary across projects. Typically, PBFs work on all aspects of a research project, including literature searches, data analysis, and assisting in the development of new methods.