Duncan Family Institute Mentored Junior Faculty Fellowship in Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences

Announcements and InstructionsSeptember 2009 (Round 1) Open to U.S. Citizens, Permanent Residents and Foreign Nationals Holding VisasPhase 1 – Initial Application – Requirements Deadline: October 9, 2009 (Phase 1 applicants to be notified of Phase 1 review outcomes in late October)Phase 2 – Invited Full Application – Requirements Deadline: November 30, 2009Phase 3 – Interview – RequirementsAnnouncements and Instructions for September 2009 Deadlines (pdf) PurposeThis funding for a Duncan Family Institute Mentored Junior Faculty Fellowship in Cancer Prevention Research will support the critical transition of individuals from training positions to junior faculty, launching them towards research independence. Such funding fills a gap between support available to postdoctoral fellows and other early career scientists transitioning to a faculty position at the assistant professor level. In most cases, candidates will take advantage of the research resources and infrastructure of their faculty mentors and work with them to build and focus their own research projects and scientific agendas. The expectation is for candidates to develop independence from the mentor's research focus over the time of the fellowship.For many emerging scientists in cancer prevention and control, disruptive gaps in funding and scientific productivity are created when shifting from training fellowships into faculty positions because training awards cannot support those who are no longer trainees. Some are forced off their career path to take less than ideal positions until research funding or opportunities for research independence become available. Other promising trainees, in spite of their readiness for promotion, may not be promoted because bridge funds from a supervising faculty mentor are unavailable. This lengthens time in training, delays career progress and flattens the career trajectory, effectively denying these trainees the competitive advantage afforded to grant seekers who are promoted to junior faculty positions, as reviewers of career development applications look favorably on early signs of career progression. Ideally, providing continuous support through this critical transition will prevent gaps and launch junior scientists faster towards independent research careers.EligibilityApplicants must be M. D. Anderson employees at the time of the Phase 1 Initial Application deadline.CitizenshipThis faculty fellowship is available without regard to the applicant’s citizenship status. Foreign nationals must be in the U.S. legally and have valid and appropriate visas.Prior Training and EducationApplicants may have training from a variety of disciplines in the basic biomedical sciences, medicine, biomedical statistics, epidemiology, behavioral and social sciences, nursing and other related public health disciplines.Applicant Training StatusApplicants may be graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, non-tenure track junior faculty or others seeking research careers in cancer prevention and control. Preference is for candidates who are early in their careers or who are shifting their career focus to the field of cancer prevention and control.At the time of the fellowship appointment, (and not at application submission) applicants must have been appointed to a faculty appointment at the level of instructor non-tenure track research appointment (NTRA), which is necessary for serving as principal investigator for grant applications at M. D. Anderson. Fellows must have their primary appointment at M. D. Anderson in the Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences in a department in which one of their mentors has a faculty appointment. The process to appoint an applicant selected for this fellowship to the position of instructor NTRA will begin after notification of fellowship award. The Cancer Prevention Research Training Program (CPRTP) office will assist applicants selected for fellowship appointment with this process.Upon completion of the fellowship (at the end of the two-year period or earlier), fellows will continue as an instructor NTRA, assuming the fellow meets all requirements for this position.Grant Writing PlansApplicants must have prior training and experience sufficient to be highly competitive for externally funded grants early in the appointment. Applicants must describe in their applications plans to submit grants early within the initial appointment, for either career development or research awards, or both. The overall objective is for the fellow and the mentors to secure funding and salary support to provide 100% support for the individual at the end of the two year fellowship.Funding ExperienceApplicants who have already been awarded career development awards are not eligible to apply for this funding mechanism. Moreover, individuals supported by these funds will become ineligible for support once salary support at 100% has been achieved, either through career development awards or research grants. Fellows who complete successfully for tenure-track appointments with salary and start-up funds become ineligible for support upon appointment.Fellowship SupportSalaries start at $65,000 per year plus benefits. Benefits include health insurance, paid institutional holidays and annual and sick leave. Support is also provided annually for limited research costs, meeting registration and travel expenses, workshop and tuition fees and reference books ($10,000 for research and education expenses, and $1,000 for travel).Faculty MentorsApplicants invited to submit a full application must have identified a minimum of two mentors with complementary expertise in different disciplines. The primary mentor must have a faculty appointment at the assistant professor level or higher within the Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences at M. D. Anderson, which includes the departments of Behavioral Science, Clinical Cancer Prevention, Epidemiology and Health Disparities Research. Other qualified mentors can have appointments in other M. D. Anderson divisions and departments or in institutions elsewhere, but they cannot serve as a primary mentor.Review CriteriaThis fellowship will be competitively awarded based on merit. Full applications will be competitively reviewed using an “NIH-style” approach to peer review. Reviewers external to the Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences will be engaged and will form the External Review Panel.Review criteria include:Promise: Is the candidate able to design and implement innovative studies and to seek peer-reviewed research funding? Does the candidate possess a strong record of scholarly achievement? Does the candidate show evidence of scientific productivity and of excellent written and oral communication skills?Relevance: Is the research proposed in the Research Statement clearly in the realm of cancer prevention?Scientific quality: Is the proposed research of high quality? Are the aims and hypotheses of the research clear and promising? Would these be considered strong and relevant by a study section reviewer? Are the mentors' expertise and research environments suitable for the proposed research and do they represent complementary areas of strength and emphasis.Resources and support: Are the applicants’ timeline and resources realistic and adequate? Will suitable space and equipment be provided by the primary or other mentor? Does the faculty mentor indicate a time commitment to the applicant? Do the mentors indicate how they will work together with the applicant in the mentoring process? Will the applicant have guaranteed access to existing data, patients, tissue samples, etc.?To begin the application process, the applicant should call or e-mail Mickie Lubin, Duncan Family Institute senior administrative assistant, e-mail: dfi@mdanderson.org, or call 713-563-2053 and notify her of intention to apply.Back to topPhase 1 Application Requirements The initial application materials include the items listed below. Supplemental items may be requested.All materials must be sent via e-mail to dfi@mdanderson.orgCover Letter (no more than two pages, single spaced)Research Statement (no more than two pages, single spaced, not including references)Curriculum vitae (CV) in M. D. Anderson institutional formatList of three to four references (Actual letters of reference will be requested as part of the “invitation to submit a full application”; current mentor/supervisor must be one of the references and must be designated as such.)Phase 2 Application RequirementsAfter review of the initial application, applicants may be invited to submit a full application (Phase 2). Applicants invited to submit a full application but who do not have a mentor or mentors identified can contact the Cancer Prevention Research Training Program Office for assistance in identifying potential mentors whose research interests align with those of the fellowship applicant and whose resources are appropriate to support a fellow appointed through this fellowship.Applicants invited to submit a full application are required to submit additional materials as listed below.All materials, including Reference Letters and Mentor Letters of Support, must be sent via email to dfi@mdanderson.org• Research Plan Include specific aims, background and significance, preliminary studies (if any), and research design and methods. If the planned research is part of a larger grant program, include the following from the parent grant: face page, abstract, and specific aims. (No more than 5 pages single spaced not including references or parent grant documents.) • Grant Writing Plan and Timeline List the names of applications, funding agencies, award mechanisms, and dated milestones. Include a plan for publications. (No more than 2 pages single spaced.) • Reference Letters Applicants must provide 3 reference letters, including one from the most current (or most recent) mentor. The applicant is responsible for notifying references and requesting letters. • Mentor Support Letters All mentors proposed for this fellowship must provide a letter. The applicant is responsible for notifying mentors and requesting letters. If the proposed mentor for the fellowship is also the applicant’s current mentor, it is acceptable for the current mentor to provide both a reference letter and a mentor support letter. (Guidelines for Mentor Support Letters) • Mentors’ Profile Form • Copies of Mentors’ NIH Biosketches; • Suggested Reviewers (5-6) and Keywords Form: • Phase 2 Invited Application Checklist Those applicants who will not be given further consideration will be contacted by the Cancer Prevention Research Training Program office.Phase 3 Application RequirementsFinalist applicants will be invited for an interview and will be asked to present a scientific talk during their campus visit. Applicants selected for an interview will be contacted by the Cancer Prevention Research Training Program office.Those applicants who will not be given further consideration will be contacted by the Cancer Prevention Research Training Program office.Selection of Duncan Family Institute FellowOnce the application and review process is complete, the Duncan Family Institute Executive Committee, in consultation with the director of the Cancer Prevention Research Training Program, will select the applicant to appoint to the fellowship.Back to top

Announcements and Instructions

September 2009 (Round 1)

Open to U.S. Citizens, Permanent Residents and Foreign Nationals Holding Visas

Phase 1 – Initial Application – Requirements Deadline: October 9, 2009

(Phase 1 applicants to be notified of Phase 1 review outcomes in late October)

Phase 2 – Invited Full Application – Requirements Deadline: November 30, 2009

Phase 3 – Interview – Requirements

Announcements and Instructions for September 2009 Deadlines (pdf)

Purpose

This funding for a Duncan Family Institute Mentored Junior Faculty Fellowship in Cancer Prevention Research will support the critical transition of individuals from training positions to junior faculty, launching them towards research independence. Such funding fills a gap between support available to postdoctoral fellows and other early career scientists transitioning to a faculty position at the assistant professor level. In most cases, candidates will take advantage of the research resources and infrastructure of their faculty mentors and work with them to build and focus their own research projects and scientific agendas. The expectation is for candidates to develop independence from the mentor's research focus over the time of the fellowship.

For many emerging scientists in cancer prevention and control, disruptive gaps in funding and scientific productivity are created when shifting from training fellowships into faculty positions because training awards cannot support those who are no longer trainees. Some are forced off their career path to take less than ideal positions until research funding or opportunities for research independence become available. Other promising trainees, in spite of their readiness for promotion, may not be promoted because bridge funds from a supervising faculty mentor are unavailable. This lengthens time in training, delays career progress and flattens the career trajectory, effectively denying these trainees the competitive advantage afforded to grant seekers who are promoted to junior faculty positions, as reviewers of career development applications look favorably on early signs of career progression. Ideally, providing continuous support through this critical transition will prevent gaps and launch junior scientists faster towards independent research careers.

Eligibility

Applicants must be M. D. Anderson employees at the time of the Phase 1 Initial Application deadline.

Citizenship

This faculty fellowship is available without regard to the applicant’s citizenship status. Foreign nationals must be in the U.S. legally and have valid and appropriate visas.

Prior Training and Education

Applicants may have training from a variety of disciplines in the basic biomedical sciences, medicine, biomedical statistics, epidemiology, behavioral and social sciences, nursing and other related public health disciplines.

Applicant Training Status

Applicants may be graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, non-tenure track junior faculty or others seeking research careers in cancer prevention and control. Preference is for candidates who are early in their careers or who are shifting their career focus to the field of cancer prevention and control.

At the time of the fellowship appointment, (and not at application submission) applicants must have been appointed to a faculty appointment at the level of instructor non-tenure track research appointment (NTRA), which is necessary for serving as principal investigator for grant applications at M. D. Anderson. Fellows must have their primary appointment at M. D. Anderson in the Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences in a department in which one of their mentors has a faculty appointment. The process to appoint an applicant selected for this fellowship to the position of instructor NTRA will begin after notification of fellowship award. The Cancer Prevention Research Training Program (CPRTP) office will assist applicants selected for fellowship appointment with this process.

Upon completion of the fellowship (at the end of the two-year period or earlier), fellows will continue as an instructor NTRA, assuming the fellow meets all requirements for this position.

Grant Writing Plans

Applicants must have prior training and experience sufficient to be highly competitive for externally funded grants early in the appointment. Applicants must describe in their applications plans to submit grants early within the initial appointment, for either career development or research awards, or both. The overall objective is for the fellow and the mentors to secure funding and salary support to provide 100% support for the individual at the end of the two year fellowship.

Funding Experience

Applicants who have already been awarded career development awards are not eligible to apply for this funding mechanism. Moreover, individuals supported by these funds will become ineligible for support once salary support at 100% has been achieved, either through career development awards or research grants. Fellows who complete successfully for tenure-track appointments with salary and start-up funds become ineligible for support upon appointment.

Fellowship Support

Salaries start at $65,000 per year plus benefits. Benefits include health insurance, paid institutional holidays and annual and sick leave. Support is also provided annually for limited research costs, meeting registration and travel expenses, workshop and tuition fees and reference books ($10,000 for research and education expenses, and $1,000 for travel).

Faculty Mentors

Applicants invited to submit a full application must have identified a minimum of two mentors with complementary expertise in different disciplines. The primary mentor must have a faculty appointment at the assistant professor level or higher within the Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences at M. D. Anderson, which includes the departments of Behavioral Science, Clinical Cancer Prevention, Epidemiology and Health Disparities Research. Other qualified mentors can have appointments in other M. D. Anderson divisions and departments or in institutions elsewhere, but they cannot serve as a primary mentor.

Review Criteria

This fellowship will be competitively awarded based on merit. Full applications will be competitively reviewed using an “NIH-style” approach to peer review. Reviewers external to the Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences will be engaged and will form the External Review Panel.

Review criteria include:

Promise: Is the candidate able to design and implement innovative studies and to seek peer-reviewed research funding? Does the candidate possess a strong record of scholarly achievement? Does the candidate show evidence of scientific productivity and of excellent written and oral communication skills?
Relevance: Is the research proposed in the Research Statement clearly in the realm of cancer prevention?
Scientific quality: Is the proposed research of high quality? Are the aims and hypotheses of the research clear and promising? Would these be considered strong and relevant by a study section reviewer? Are the mentors' expertise and research environments suitable for the proposed research and do they represent complementary areas of strength and emphasis.
Resources and support: Are the applicants’ timeline and resources realistic and adequate? Will suitable space and equipment be provided by the primary or other mentor? Does the faculty mentor indicate a time commitment to the applicant? Do the mentors indicate how they will work together with the applicant in the mentoring process? Will the applicant have guaranteed access to existing data, patients, tissue samples, etc.?

To begin the application process, the applicant should call or e-mail Mickie Lubin, Duncan Family Institute senior administrative assistant, e-mail: dfi@mdanderson.org, or call 713-563-2053 and notify her of intention to apply.

Phase 1 Application Requirements

The initial application materials include the items listed below. Supplemental items may be requested.

- All materials must be sent via e-mail to dfi@mdanderson.org
- Cover Letter (no more than two pages, single spaced)
- Research Statement (no more than two pages, single spaced, not including references)
- Curriculum vitae (CV) in M. D. Anderson institutional format
- List of three to four references (Actual letters of reference will be requested as part of the “invitation to submit a full application”; current mentor/supervisor must be one of the references and must be designated as such.)

Phase 2 Application Requirements

After review of the initial application, applicants may be invited to submit a full application (Phase 2). Applicants invited to submit a full application but who do not have a mentor or mentors identified can contact the Cancer Prevention Research Training Program Office for assistance in identifying potential mentors whose research interests align with those of the fellowship applicant and whose resources are appropriate to support a fellow appointed through this fellowship.

Applicants invited to submit a full application are required to submit additional materials as listed below.

All materials, including Reference Letters and Mentor Letters of Support, must be sent via email to dfi@mdanderson.org

• Research Plan
Include specific aims, background and significance, preliminary studies (if any), and research design and methods. If the planned research is part of a larger grant program, include the following from the parent grant: face page, abstract, and specific aims. (No more than 5 pages single spaced not including references or parent grant documents.)
• Grant Writing Plan and Timeline
List the names of applications, funding agencies, award mechanisms, and dated milestones. Include a plan for publications. (No more than 2 pages single spaced.)
• Reference Letters
Applicants must provide 3 reference letters, including one from the most current (or most recent) mentor. The applicant is responsible for notifying references and requesting letters.
• Mentor Support Letters
All mentors proposed for this fellowship must provide a letter. The applicant is responsible for notifying mentors and requesting letters. If the proposed mentor for the fellowship is also the applicant’s current mentor, it is acceptable for the current mentor to provide both a reference letter and a mentor support letter. (Guidelines for Mentor Support Letters)
• Mentors’ Profile Form
• Copies of Mentors’ NIH Biosketches;
• Suggested Reviewers (5-6) and Keywords Form:
• Phase 2 Invited Application Checklist

Those applicants who will not be given further consideration will be contacted by the Cancer Prevention Research Training Program office.

Phase 3 Application Requirements

Finalist applicants will be invited for an interview and will be asked to present a scientific talk during their campus visit. Applicants selected for an interview will be contacted by the Cancer Prevention Research Training Program office.

Those applicants who will not be given further consideration will be contacted by the Cancer Prevention Research Training Program office.

Selection of Duncan Family Institute Fellow

Once the application and review process is complete, the Duncan Family Institute Executive Committee, in consultation with the director of the Cancer Prevention Research Training Program, will select the applicant to appoint to the fellowship.