Damon Runyon Fellowship Award Overview

Please visit our website and read Damon Runyon Fellowship Award Overview for more
details.
The Foundation encourages all theoretical and experimental research relevant to the study of
cancer and the search for cancer causes, mechanisms, therapies and prevention.
Candidates must apply for the fellowship under the guidance of a Sponsor—a scientist
(tenured, tenure-track or equivalent position) capable of providing mentorship to the Fellow.
In addition to aiding in the planning, execution and supervision of the proposed research, the
Sponsor’s role is to foster the development of the Fellow’s overall knowledge, technical and
analytical skills, and capacity for scientific inquiry. The Sponsor is also expected to assist the
Fellow in attaining his/her career goals. Assistant Professors with limited mentorship are
strongly encouraged to identify a more established scientist to co-sponsor the candidate.
Awards are made to institutions for the support of the Fellow under direct supervision of the
Sponsor. Candidates who have already accepted a postdoctoral research fellowship award
are not eligible.

SELECTION AND REVIEW

The Fellowship Award Committee will review applications and select awardees for approval by
the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation’s Board of Directors. The primary criteria used
to evaluate applicants are:

• the quality of the research proposal (importance of the problem, originality of approach,
appropriateness of techniques and clarity of presentation)
• the qualifications, experience and productivity of both the candidate and the Sponsor
• the quality of the research training environment in which the proposed research is to be
conducted and its potential for broadening and strengthening the candidate's ability to
independently conduct innovative and substantive research. The proposed research and
training environment should represent a new opportunity for the candidate to expand his/her
scientific skill set. Direct extensions of the candidate's graduate work (in approach, technique
or exact area of study) will not be funded.

Damon Runyon Postdoctoral Research Fellowships are granted for a four-year term with second-,
third- and fourth- year funding contingent upon satisfactory progress reports. Fellows in their first
and third years of funding will attend Damon Runyon Fellows' Retreats designed to foster
collaboration and interaction between scientists working in different fields relevant to cancer.
Funding
No part of this grant can be used for indirect costs or institutional overhead.
AWARD STIPENDS

Year of Award Stipend Expenses

Year 1 $52,000 $2,000

Year 2 $54,000 $2,000

Year 3 $57,000 $2,000

Year 4 $60,000 $2,000

EXPENSE ALLOWANCE
The $2,000 expense allowance is awarded to the laboratory in which the Fellow is working and
can be used by the Fellow for his/her educational and scientific expenses. The expense
allowance may be used to defray the cost of health benefits. The Fellow determines how
he/she would like to spend the money with approval from his/her sponsor. It is not an allowance
for institutional overhead, postdoctoral scholar registration fees or postdoctoral fellowship
taxes. Institutions may not automatically deduct any fees from this allowance without the Fellow’s
approval.

MEDICAL SCHOOL LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM

To encourage physician-scientists to pursue a career in cancer research, the Damon Runyon
Cancer Research Foundation, as part of all its award programs, will pay up to $100,000 of
qualifying medical school loans still owed by the awardee. Note: Qualified candidates must first
apply to the NIH Loan Repayment Program in order to be eligible for loan repayment from
Damon Runyon. (Details will be provided in the award package.)

DEPENDENT CHILD ALLOWANCE

The Foundation also provides a Dependent Child Allowance of $1,000 per child per year. (There
is no allowance for a spouse.) Eligible Fellows must submit a dependent child allowance form and
a copy of the birth or adoption certificate for each child.

Eligibility
Applicants must have completed one or more of the following degrees or its equivalent: MD,
PhD, MD/PhD, DDS, DVM, DO. The applicant must include a copy of his/her diploma to
confirm date of conferral. (If an applicant has not yet received his/her PhD diploma but has
successfully completed all PhD requirements, including PhD defense, he/she may submit a letter
from the graduate school explicitly stating such, with the date of the successful PhD defense and
date of degree conferral.)
Level 1: Basic and physician-scientists must have received their degrees no more than 18
months prior to the application deadline date.* Applicants must not have been in their Sponsors'
labs for more than one year prior to the application deadline date and are expected to devote
100% of their time and effort to Damon Runyon-supported research activities.
*The applicant must include a copy of his/her diploma to confirm date of conferral. (See
Deadlines chart.)
Level 2: Physician-scientist applicants (MD, MD/PhD, DDS, DVM, DO or the equivalent)
must have completed their residencies and clinical training, must be board eligible in the United
States at the start date of the Damon Runyon Fellowship, and be able to devote at least 80% of
their time and effort to Damon Runyon-supported research activities. Applicants may apply at
any time prior to their initial assistant professorship appointment (or equivalent); postdoctoral
fellows, clinical fellows and clinical instructors are eligible to apply. Candidates holding or
awarded NIH K awards at the time of application are not eligible to apply. Candidates holding
institutional K12 awards may apply, but must turn-back K12 funding if they are awarded a
Damon Runyon Fellowship.
The proposed research must be conducted at a university, hospital or research institution.

Candidates working in a structured postdoctoral research program at a for-profit institution may

apply. If awarded, the for-profit institution will pay the Fellow's salary directly. (If the
institutional salary is less than that received by Damon Runyon Fellows, Damon Runyon will
supplement that amount to equal the stipend of other Damon Runyon Fellows.) Awardees will
have all the privileges and responsibilities extended to other Damon Runyon Fellows, and are
required to adhere to the guidelines and policies of the Fellowship Award.

No more than two Damon Runyon Fellows will be funded to work with the same Sponsor at any
given time.
Only one fellowship application will be accepted from a Sponsor, co-Sponsor or Fellow
per review session; there is no limit, however, to the number of applications from an institution.
Postdoctoral training in the same institution in which the applicant received his/her degree is
discouraged, particularly if it is in the same department. (If either situation applies, the applicant
must address the reason(s) in his/her application.) Proposals to continue training in the
laboratory where the applicant received his/her PhD will not be considered. Proposals that are
direct extensions of graduate work will not be funded.
Candidates who have already accepted a postdoctoral research fellowship award are not
eligible. Candidates who are pursuing a degree are not eligible.

Candidates applying to work in foreign-based or United States government laboratories may be

awarded a fellowship if the program represents an unusual opportunity for postdoctoral
training.
Foreign candidates may apply to do their research only in the United States
Terms of the Award
All awardees must adhere to the terms of both our award statement and our
invention policy.
Please note: The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation will not modify the terms
of its policies at the request of individual institutions. Policies have been approved by our
Board of Directors, and we do not have the resources to negotiate separately with the
many institutions that receive our support.
All awards are made to the sponsoring institution for support of the designated Fellow. An
award does not constitute an employer-employee relationship between the Foundation and the
recipient. Supplementation of stipends is permitted from either the host institution or sponsor’s
grants, but not by any other fellowship awards or grants. The total stipend should not exceed
the level of support for other professionals at the same level of training in that institution.
Fellows are permitted to obtain additional awards or grants to cover research expenses only.
Fellows are not permitted to hold any other award or grant that supplements their stipend.
Fellows are required to seek approval from the Foundation before applying for any other award
or grant. Budgetary overlap is not allowed. Therefore, it is critical that all current and pending
grant support for your research be reported to the Foundation and the relationship of that
support to the Damon Runyon funded project be explained.
Damon Runyon Fellowship awards are intended for full-time research.
Physician-scientists must devote their principal time and effort (at least 80 percent) to Damon
Runyon-supported research activities. Activities constituting the remaining 20 percent of time
and effort should be clearly specified in the application and in the annual progress report.
Damon Runyon Fellows are not permitted to pursue additional degrees during the course of
their fellowship.
The Damon Runyon Foundation will allow up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave for
birth/adoptive parents consistent with their institution’s policy. The Foundation must be
notified in advance of the leave.
Should the Fellow and/or Sponsor wish to discontinue the project, leave the designated
institution or modify any aspect of the award, he or she must seek approval from the
Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation in advance. Failure to comply with this
requirement may jeopardize any future awards to the institution and/or Sponsor by
the Foundation.

Confidentiality Agreements
Fellows may not enter into confidentiality agreements that prevent or delay them
from publishing and/or presenting their Damon Runyon-supported research
Damon Runyon Dale F. Frey Award for Breakthrough Scientists

At the end of the Fellowship, there are often a select few Damon Runyon Fellows who have greatly
exceeded the Foundation’s highest expectations. To catapult their research careers—and their impact on
cancer—the Foundation will make an additional investment in these exceptional individuals by selecting
them as recipients of the Damon Runyon Dale F. Frey Award for Breakthrough Scientists. Damon
Runyon Fellows are eligible to apply for the Dale F. Frey Award one time only, in the fourth year of
their award.

Damon Runyon Fellowship Award Application Guidelines

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.

Joined
Application Degree Sponsor’s
due on or conferred Lab on or Selection Award begins
before: between*: after: meeting date: first day of:

August 15, February 15, August 15, November 8, January, February,

2018 - August 2018 2019 March, or April 2020
2019
15, 2019

September 15, March 16, July, August, September,

March 16, 2018 - March May 1, 2020
2020 2019 or October 2020
16, 2019
*Include a copy of diploma to confirm date of conferral.

Application Materials

All application materials should be submitted through proposalCENTRAL by 4:00 pm (ET) on the
application deadline date. 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.

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:

1. 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.)
2. Sponsor’s biosketch in NIH format. (SAMPLE) [If applying under the mentorship of two
Sponsors, the co-Sponsor must also submit a biosketch.]
3. 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]
4. 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.]
5. Sponsor's mentorship track record with names and current positions of graduate and
postdoctoral trainees from the past 10 years.
6. Applicant’s biosketch in NIH format (non-fellowship). (SAMPLE) Do not complete the
"Scholastic Performance" section.
7. Applicant's bibliography, separate list with hyperlinks to each publication (in addition to NIH
Biosketch)
8 . Applicant's letter, approximately two pages including:
a) description of previous research and teaching experience
b) statement on the transformative impact he/she had on his/her field of research as a
graduate student
c) 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)
8. 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.
9. 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:
a) provide a summary of the research proposed (this is in addition to the required summary form)
b) provide a brief background to the proposed research
c) state specific research objectives/aims
d) describe concisely the method of approach for the proposed research
e) 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
f) 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
g) list references including the full title of each work cited—references are not included in the five
page limit
10. 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.
12. Summary of Research Form, not to exceed one page. (Same as Abstract, cut and paste).
13. Collaboration Letters. If applicable, up to two letters from collaborators indicating their
willingness to contribute equipment, materials, or expertise (not reference letters).
All application materials should be submitted through proposalCENTRAL by 4:00 pm (ET) on
the application deadline. All files must be in PDF format, in sequence order, and named as
follows:
Applicant's Last Name-Sponsor's last name
Example: If the applicant's name is John Smith and the sponsor's name is Jane Doe, the
cover sheet should be named: Smith-Doe Cover Sheet

Applicants applying under the mentorship of two Sponsors should use an ampersand between the
co-sponsors' names.
Example: If the applicant's name is John Smith and co-sponsors' names are Jane Doe and
Jack Jones, the cover sheet should be named: Smith-Doe & Jones Cover Sheet

Required Materials
1. Application Cover Sheet
2. Sponsor’s Biosketch including a list of current funding
3. Sponsor’s Letter
4. Sponsor’s Training Plan
5. Sponsor's mentorship Track Record
6. Applicant’s Biosketch
7. Applicant's Bibiliography
8. Applicant’s Letter
9. Applicant's Long-Term Commitment
10. Research Proposal
11. Applicant’s Diploma
12. Summary of Research form
13. Up to two Collaboration Letters

[For applicants applying under the mentorship of two Sponsors, each co-Sponsor must submit a
biographical sketch. The Sponsor letter should be written jointly by both sponsors, but
each co-Sponsor must submit an individual track record of mentorship with list of graduate
and postdoctoral fellows trained.]