A prestigious career development award for physician-scientists pursuing impactful cancer research. Provides three years of generous support to early- to mid-career clinical investigators (any cancer type) to help bridge the gap between laboratory breakthroughs and patient care . Uniquely, it also offers loan repayment to ease the burden of medical school debt .
Eligibility Criteria:
- Must be a MD or MD/PhD (or equivalent) with an independent faculty appointment (typically Assistant Professor) and commitment to clinical/translational cancer research .
- Geographic: Working at a U.S. nonprofit research institution. (International researchers are eligible if conducting the work in the U.S.)
- In general, applicants should be within the first 5 years of their initial faculty appointment and have not yet obtained an R01 as PI. Institutional nomination or endorsement is required.
Funding Details:
- Amount/Duration: $600,000 USD total over 3 years ($200k per year) .
- Usage: Primarily supports the investigator’s research program costs and salary, enabling protected time for research (with minimal clinical duties). Also includes up to $100,000 in medical school loan repayment, incentivizing physician-scientists to stay in academia .
- Award Term: Begins July 1, 2026. Progress is reviewed annually.
Deadline:
- January 20, 2026 – Full application due (no LOI stage) . Finalists will be interviewed in May 2026, and awards announced by June 2026.
Where to go for further information: