--- a
+++ b/.github/pull_request_template.md
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+### Description
+<!-- Provide a detailed description of the changes in this PR -->
+
+### Type of changes
+<!-- Mark the relevant option with an [x] -->
+
+- [ ]  Bug fix (non-breaking change which fixes an issue)
+- [ ]  New feature (non-breaking change which adds functionality)
+- [ ]  Refactor
+- [ ]  Documentation update
+- [ ]  Other (please describe):
+
+### CI Pipeline Configuration
+Configure CI behavior by applying the relevant labels:
+
+- [SKIP_CI](https://github.com/NVIDIA/bionemo-framework/blob/main/docs/docs/user-guide/contributing/contributing.md#skip_ci) - Skip all continuous integration tests
+- [INCLUDE_NOTEBOOKS_TESTS](https://github.com/NVIDIA/bionemo-framework/blob/main/docs/docs/user-guide/contributing/contributing.md#include_notebooks_tests) - Execute notebook validation tests in pytest
+- [INCLUDE_SLOW_TESTS](https://github.com/NVIDIA/bionemo-framework/blob/main/docs/docs/user-guide/contributing/contributing.md#include_slow_tests) - Execute tests labelled as slow in pytest for extensive testing
+
+> [!NOTE]
+> By default, the notebooks validation tests are skipped unless explicitly enabled.
+
+#### Authorizing CI Runs
+
+We use [copy-pr-bot](https://docs.gha-runners.nvidia.com/apps/copy-pr-bot/#automation) to manage authorization of CI
+runs on NVIDIA's compute resources.
+
+* If a pull request is opened by a trusted user and contains only trusted changes, the pull request's code will
+  automatically be copied to a pull-request/ prefixed branch in the source repository (e.g. pull-request/123)
+* If a pull request is opened by an untrusted user or contains untrusted changes, an NVIDIA org member must leave an
+  `/ok to test` comment on the pull request to trigger CI. This will need to be done for each new commit.
+
+### Usage
+<!--- How does a user interact with the changed code -->
+```python
+TODO: Add code snippet
+```
+
+### Pre-submit Checklist
+<!--- Ensure all items are completed before submitting -->
+
+ - [ ] I have tested these changes locally
+ - [ ] I have updated the documentation accordingly
+ - [ ] I have added/updated tests as needed
+ - [ ] All existing tests pass successfully