The CRI Lloyd J. Old STAR Program – Scientists TAking Risks – provides long-term, flexible funding to exceptional mid-career investigators pursuing transformative research at the forefront of cancer immunology and immunotherapy.
Unlike a traditional project-specific grant, the STAR Program supports outstanding scientists and their broader research vision, giving recipients the freedom to explore unconventional ideas, unexpected scientific directions, and high-risk approaches that could lead to major advances in immune-based cancer treatment.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Applicants must hold an MD, PhD, MD/PhD, or equivalent degree.
- Applicants must hold an eligible tenure-track academic or research position.
- For the January 2027 application cycle, eligible Assistant Professors must have been appointed on or before July 1, 2024.
- Tenure-track Associate Professors must have held that position for no more than three years.
- There are no citizenship restrictions.
- Research conducted at for-profit institutions is not eligible for CRI support.
Funding Details:
- The STAR Program provides USD 1.25 million over five years.
- Funding is flexible and is not tied to a single narrowly defined research project.
- Institutions may receive indirect costs of up to 10% of the total amount awarded.
- This means total support may reach approximately USD 1.375 million, including the maximum allowable indirect costs.
- Awards must begin on the first day of a month.
Deadline:
- Application deadline: January 15, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.
- Interview invitations: Early March 2027.
- Invited interviews: Spring 2027, with the exact date to be announced.
- Earliest award activation: July 1, 2027.
Further Information:
- The program prioritizes investigators capable of asking important, non-obvious scientific questions, connecting ideas across disciplines, and pursuing unconventional approaches with transformative potential.
- Applications require a 300-word non-technical abstract, a research proposal of up to four pages describing ongoing work and plans for the next five years, and information on five major peer-reviewed publications.
- Applicants must also provide a curriculum vitae, a bibliography focused on the previous five years and relevant publications, and a list of current research support.
- Applications must be submitted electronically through the CRI application portal. Supporting documents must be submitted individually as PDFs, using single spacing and a font size of at least 12 points.
- Official program information and application details: Visit the Cancer Research Institute website for the current Lloyd J. Old STAR Program guidelines, eligibility requirements, application resources, and program updates.