Damon Runyon Fellowship Award
The Foundation encourages all theoretical and experimental research relevant to the study of cancer and the search for cancer causes, mechanisms, therapies and prevention.
Candidates must apply for the fellowship under the guidance of a Sponsor – a scientist (tenured, tenure-track or equivalent position) capable of providing mentorship to the Fellow. In addition to aiding in the planning, execution and supervision of the proposed research, the Sponsor’s role is to foster the development of the Fellow’s overall knowledge, technical and analytical skills, and capacity for scientific inquiry. The Sponsor is also expected to assist the Fellow in attaining his/her career goals.
Awards are made to institutions for the support of the Fellow under direct supervision of the Sponsor. Candidates who have already accepted a postdoctoral research fellowship award are not eligible.
The primary criteria used to evaluate applicants are:
• the quality of the research proposal (importance of the problem, originality of approach, appropriateness of techniques and clarity of presentation)
• the qualifications, experience and productivity of both the candidate and the Sponsor
• the quality of the research training environment in which the proposed research is to be conducted and its potential for broadening and strengthening the candidate’s ability to conduct innovative and substantive research. The proposed research and training environment should represent a new opportunity for the candidate to expand his/her scientific skill set. Direct extensions of the candidate’s graduate work (in approach, technique or exact area of study) will not be funded.
Damon Runyon Postdoctoral Research Fellowships are granted for a three-year term with second- and third-year funding contingent upon satisfactory progress reports. Fellows in their first and third years of funding will attend Damon Runyon Scientific Retreats designed to foster collaboration and interaction between scientists working in different fields relevant to cancer.
Eligibility
• Applicants must have completed one or more of the following degrees or its equivalent: MD, PhD, MD/PhD, DDS, DVM. Applicants must include a copy of their diploma to confirm date of conferral.
(If an applicant has not yet received his/her PhD diploma but has successfully completed all PhD requirements including PhD defense, he/she may submit a letter from the graduate school explicitly stating such, with the date of the PhD defense and date of degree conferral.)
• Level 1 Funding: Basic and physician-scientists must have received their degrees no more than one year prior to the FAC meeting at which their applications are to be considered.* Applicants must not have been in their Sponsor’s lab for more than one year prior to the date of the FAC meeting at which their applications are to be considered* and are expected to devote 100% of their time and effort to Damon Runyon-supported research activities.
• Level 2 Funding: Physician-scientists MD, MD/PhD, DDS, DVM or the equivalent must have completed their residencies and clinical training no more than three years prior to the FAC meeting at which their applications are to be considered. They also must be board eligible** at the start date of the Damon Runyon Fellowship and be able to devote at least 80% of their time and effort to Damon Runyon-supported research activities.
• The proposed research must be conducted at a university, hospital or research institution. No more than two Damon Runyon Fellows will be funded to work with the same Sponsor at any given time.
• Only one fellowship application will be accepted from a Sponsor or Fellow per review session; there is no limit, however, to the number of applications from an institution.
• Postdoctoral training in the same institution in which the applicant received his or her degree is discouraged, particularly if it is in the same department. (If either situation applies, the applicant must address the reason(s) in his/her application.) Proposals to continue training in the laboratory where the applicant received his/her PhD will not be considered. Proposals that are direct extensions of graduate work will not be funded.
• Candidates who have already accepted a postdoctoral research fellowship award are not eligible.
• Candidates who are pursuing a degree are not eligible.
• Candidates applying to work in foreign-based or United States government laboratories may be awarded a fellowship if they are considered to be especially meritorious or if the program represents an unusual opportunity for postdoctoral training.
• Foreign candidates may apply to do their research only in the United States.
Funding
The award may not be used for institutional overhead or indirect costs.
Award Stipends
Year of Award Level 1 Stipend Level 2 Stipend Expenses
1st Year $43,000 $55,000 $2,000
2nd Year $45,000 $56,000 $2,000
3rd Year $46,000 $57,000 $2,000
Award Programs
Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation
One Exchange Plaza
55 Broadway, Suite 302
New York, NY 10006
Application due on or before: March 16, 2009
