Sarnoff Fellowship Program is designed to give medical students the opportunity to spend a year conducting intensive work in a research laboratory. Medical students enrolled in any accredited medical school within the United States may apply for a Fellowship award. Fellows generally have completed their second or third year of medical school. Fellows are chosen by the Endowment's Scientific Board each year on the basis of a national competition. In selecting Fellows, the Scientific Board seeks individuals with demonstrated intellectual and academic achievement and leadership ability. The first set of Fellows date back to 1980, and the Endowment funds up to eighteen Fellows a year.

A unique feature of the Sarnoff Fellowship is its lifetime commitment to the Fellow. Each Fellow is paired with a member of the Endowment's Scientific Board, who not only serves to provide guidance during the research year, but also to aid in the Fellow's overall career development. In addition, the Fellow is afforded the opportunity throughout the research year and each subsequent year to interact with other Fellows, Scholars and Scientific Board members at the Endowment's Annual Scientific Meetings and at other scientific conferences.