Damon Runyon Fellowship Award Application Guidelines

Quick Links:

OVERVIEW | APPLICATION DEADLINES | APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Application must be submitted through proposalCENTRAL by 4:00 PM Eastern Time on March 16, 2020. Application instructions and relevant forms are available on the site.

No hard copies or emailed applications will be accepted. 

Application Deadlines

For the March deadline, applicants may apply for either the Damon Runyon Postdoctoral Fellowship Award or the Damon Runyon-Sohn Pediatric Fellowship Award, not both.

*Include a copy of diploma to confirm date of conferral.

Application Requirements (Forms are on proposalCENTRAL)
 

REFERENCE LETTERS

Three letters of reference are required from qualified individuals, other than the candidate's Sponsor, who can evaluate the candidate's qualifications for the proposed research project and assess the candidate's potential for successful independent cancer research. For candidates with a PhD, one of the reference letters must come from the candidate's thesis advisor. 

Referees must use our reference letter form. (Letters not on the required reference letter form will not be considered.)

The complete application should include the following in sequence order:

• Application cover sheet with all required signatures (electronic/scanned). If applying under the mentorship of two Sponsors, your second Sponsor must fill out the co-Sponsor cover sheet. (Only one application will be accepted from a Sponsor, co-Sponsor, or Fellow per review session.)
• Sponsor’s biosketch in NIH format. (SAMPLE) [If applying under the mentorship of two Sponsors, co-Sponsor must also submit a biosketch.]
• Sponsor’s letter of support evaluating the candidate’s qualifications for the proposed research project and an assessment of the candidate’s potential for successful independent cancer research. [If applying under the mentorship of two Sponsors the letter should be written jointly by both sponsors]
• Sponsor’s comprehensive and detailed training plan for the candidate, up to two pages. [If applying under the mentorship of two Sponsors, the training plan for the candidate must be written jointly and each co-Sponsor must submit his/her individual track record of mentorship with list of graduate and postdoctoral fellows trained.]
• Sponsor's mentorship track record with names and current positions of graduate and postdoctoral trainees from the past 10 years.
• Applicant’s biosketch in NIH format (non-fellowship) (SAMPLE) Do not complete the "Scholastic Performance" section.
• Applicant's bibliography, separate list with hyperlinks to each publication (in addition to the NIH Biosketch)
• Applicant's letter, approximately two pages including:
  • description of previous research and teaching experience
  • statement on the transformative impact he/she had on his/her field of research as a graduate student
  • if applicant is training at the same institution in which he/she received his/her degree, an explanation of the reason(s) for remaining at the same institution (can be copied for page 2 of cover sheet)
• Statement of applicant's long-term commitment to a career in cancer research. This statement should be no longer than one paragraph and indicate what applicant plans to do after completing his/her postdoc.
• Research proposal including figures and/or tables incorporated into the text, not to exceed five pages of single-spaced, 12-point type with at least 0.5-inch margins. In the proposal, the applicant should:
  • provide a summary of the research proposed (this is in addition to the required summary form)
  • provide a brief background to the proposed research
  • state specific research objectives/aims
  • describe concisely the method of approach for the proposed research
  • explain the significance of the proposed research to the Foundation’s goals: understanding the causes and mechanisms of cancer and developing more effective cancer therapies and prevention
  • demonstrate the relevance of his/her own background and the background and previous work of the Sponsor and any other investigators to the proposed research
  • list references including the full title of each work cited—references are not included in the five page limit
• Copy of the applicant's diploma. Applicants who have not yet received their PhD diploma but have successfully completed all PhD requirements, including PhD defense, may submit a letter from their graduate school explicitly stating such, with the dates of the PhD defense and degree conferral.
• Summary of Research Form, not to exceed one page. (Same as Abstract, cut and paste).
• Collaboration Letters. If applicable, up to two letters from collaborators indicating their willingness to contribute equipment, materials, or expertise (not reference letters).

CONTACT INFORMATION

Award Programs | 212.455.0520 | awards@damonrunyon.org

LINK: https://www.damonrunyon.org/for-scientists/application-guidelines/fellowship/forms