The Robert A. Winn Excellence in Clinical Trials Career Development Award (Winn CDA) is a two-year, $240,000 award program that trains early-career physician-investigators to design and conduct community-oriented clinical trials with a particular focus on enrolling underrepresented and hard-to-reach populations. Now in its sixth cohort, it is administered by VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center and funded by the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, Gilead Sciences, Amgen, and Genentech. The program includes an intensive in-person workshop co-presented with AACR, a two-year Community-Oriented Clinical Trialist curriculum, and a capstone independent research protocol. Cancer research is one of the three eligible therapeutic focus areas, alongside cardiovascular and neuropsychiatric disorders. Applications are fully open now through May 4, 2026.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Must be a physician (MD, DO, MD/PhD, DO/PhD) who is a US citizen, US permanent resident, or DACA recipient
- Must qualify as an NIH Early Stage Investigator (ESI): terminal degree or end of clinical training completed within the past 10 years, and no prior successful NIH R01 or R01-equivalent award
- May be an advanced fellow (graduating year, with institutional commitment to junior faculty position) or early-career faculty
- Research project must be in cancer, cardiovascular, or neuropsychiatric disease and involve a defined clinical trial
- Must be able to protect at least 40% of full-time effort for Winn CDA activities
- Must have a designated primary mentor at the applicant’s institution who is an experienced clinical investigator active in clinical trials
- Must have institutional letter of support and grants office approval prior to submission
Funding Details:
- $240,000 total over 2 years ($120,000/year) — awarded to the institution, not the individual
- Funds protect approximately 40% of scholar’s time; flexible for salary support and research expenses
- Up to $10,000/year may be applied to institutional indirect costs
- Remainder is discretionary for essential personnel costs, community engagement activities, and research implementation
- Award does not fund the scholar’s clinical trial project directly; it supports career development and protected research time
Deadline:
- May 4, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET
- Applications submittion
- Applicants must notify their institution’s grants office well in advance (recommended ≥6 weeks before deadline: by approximately March 23, 2026)
Where to Go for Further Information:
- Full program information
- Application portal
- Program contact: winncda@vcu.edu