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

About the Fellowship

The Duncan Family Institute for Cancer Prevention and Risk Assessment

The 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.

Cancer prevention research can be categorized as primary, secondary or tertiary prevention research. For purposes of this funding opportunity, the Duncan Family Institute is focusing the scope on primary and secondary cancer prevention (and tertiary only as it informs primary or secondary prevention). Examples of research that fall within the scope of this funding opportunity include: prevention of second primary cancers; cancer prevention-relevant molecular and genetic animal studies, such as a  chemoprevention study in animals; and research on lifestyle changes and interventions to reduce the risk of second primaries in survivors. Examples of research that falls outside the scope of this funding opportunity include: research on prevention of recurrences or metastases; research to predict metastases; and research on symptom management and quality of life in cancer patients and survivors.

Contact Information

Mickie Lubin
Phone 713-563-2053
mailto:mdlubin@mdanderson.org

Jennifer H.Tektiridis, Executive Director
Phone 713-792-7891
mailto:jtektir@mdanderson.org

Fellowship Applicant Instructions and Forms


© 2009 The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center