The ASTRO–AAPM Physics Seed Grant for Residents and Fellows 2027 supports mentored research in radiation medicine. Speed of Light – The ASTRO Foundation and the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) offer up to US$50,000 per project for one year.
The grant supports basic, translational, and clinical research. Projects may develop better radiation treatment techniques, investigate how radiation affects healthy tissue, or evaluate how changes in care delivery affect patient outcomes.
Eligibility Criteria
- Applicants must hold a doctorate or equivalent degree and be enrolled in a U.S. residency or fellowship when they apply.
- Medical physicists with a master’s degree may also apply if they are completing a CAMPEP-accredited U.S. residency.
- Applicants must work in radiation oncology, radiation or cancer biology, or medical physics.
- Applicants must be active AAPM members by the deadline and remain members throughout the award. Pending membership does not qualify.
- Each proposal must have a single principal investigator and a senior faculty mentor with R01-level or equivalent funding and a record of training independent investigators.
- The sponsoring institution must guarantee at least 50% protected research time over a minimum of one year.
- The institution administering the award must be a qualifying nonprofit or government-sponsored university in the U.S. or Canada.
- Applicants outside this arrangement should contact AAPM before submitting.
Funding Details
- Award: Up to two grants of US$50,000 each.
- Duration: One year, starting August 1, 2027.
- Eligible costs: Direct research expenses, including investigator and project staff salaries, supplies, and justified equipment.
- Conference travel: Up to US$4,000 to present findings from the funded project.
- Excluded costs: Institutional overhead and salaries for mentors or collaborators.
Deadline
- Full application: March 11, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. ET.
- Expected decisions: June 2027.