CPRIT Graduate Scholar Program
The MD Anderson Cancer Center CPRIT Research Training Program provides fundamental, interdisciplinary, and innovative training in cancer research at MD Anderson. This program is the continuation of a highly successful and comprehensive training program supported by the Cancer Prevention Research Institute of Texas. The program includes three tracks: the CPRIT TRIUMPH (Translational Research in Multidisciplinary Programs) post-doctoral, CPRIT Graduate Scholar, and CPRIT Summer Undergraduate Research Programs.
The CPRIT Graduate Scholar Program is designed for post-candidacy graduate students attending the MD Anderson UTHealth Graduate School under the direct mentorship of MD Anderson Cancer Center appointed faculty. Awarded annually, this competitive award provides tuition, stipend, and fringe benefits to recipients as well as a modest travel allowance. CPRIT Graduate Scholars also receive additional training and support through the program.
Program Details & Eligibility
The application period for the 2020 CPRIT Graduate Scholar Award is now closed. A call for 2021 applications will open in early 2021.
The start date for 2020 awardees was May 1, 2020. Applicants were notified of their application outcomes in mid-March.
Program Details:
The MD Anderson CPRIT Research Training Program will support nine CPRIT Graduate Scholars per year. The funds will cover graduate student tuition, stipends, fringe benefits, and provide a modest travel allowance. CPRIT Graduate Scholars will be appointed for one year with competitive renewal option for up to three years. Renewals will be dependent upon successful academic and research progress, participation in activities related to the CPRIT Graduate Scholar Training Program (e.g., an annual CPRIT Symposium, journal club meetings), and competition with new applicants.
Eligibility:
All post-candidacy graduate students from the MD Anderson UTHealth Graduate School who are directly supervised by MD Anderson Cancer Center appointed faculty mentors are eligible to apply for this award. Successful candidates will have a competitive cancer research-based project and be directly supervised or co-mentored by a CPRIT Graduate Scholar Faculty Mentor. Applications are limited to one per faculty mentor laboratory for each funding announcement cycle. Applicants should be active GSBS students for Spring 2021 to be eligible so they may participate for the duration of the appointment period.
MD Anderson students who are directly supervised by CPRIT Graduate Scholar faculty mentors have the option to choose a co-mentor from the training grant faculty. MD Anderson students who are supervised by other faculty have equal opportunity to receive a CPRIT Graduate Scholar Award. In these cases, a co-mentor should be selected from the CPRIT Graduate Scholar Training Faculty to serve as a member of his/her supervisory committee.
How To Apply
Submission: Required documents should be compiled into a single PDF file in the order listed under "required documents" and submitted via email to CPRITMDACCTraining@mdanderson.org or ksavannah@mdanderson.org. Please include "Graduate Scholars Award Application" in the subject line. A confirmation email will be sent upon receipt.
Formatting: Please use Arial or Helvetica, 12 point font and format pages with 1 inch margins on all sides.
Required Documents:
Submitted by Applicant:
- A 2-page research proposal written by the CPRIT Graduate Scholar Candidate. This should include the significance of the project and its relevance to cancer, theoretical aspects guiding the study (e.g., hypothesis), goals of the project, and expected outcomes. A two page limit is enforced but references may be included in additional pages (text and figures on the additional pages will not be considered).
- A current curriculum vitae for the applicant
- Applicants are required to submit their undergraduate transcripts (unofficial is sufficient), a GSBS status report, and all advisory committee reports to date to demonstrate academic achievements and progress. Please contact Ms. Bunny Perez at Lourdes.V.Perez@uth.tmc.edu for GSBS reports.
- A statement of commitment by the CPRIT Graduate Scholar candidate and dissertation mentor that indicates intent to participate in all required activities of the CPRIT Graduate Scholar Training Program, including monthly journal clubs and the CPRIT symposium. (1 page limit)
- A training plan written by the applicant's dissertation mentor, including plans for scientific oversight of the project, mentoring of the candidate, how the project is expected to facilitate the trainee's career goals in cancer research, career development opportunities that will be encouraged/supported, and the mentor's overall research goals. In addition, the mentor must affirm that only one application per lab will be submitted per award announcement cycle. (1 page limit)
- A statement from the CPRIT Faculty Mentor or Co-Mentor indicating willingness to serve as a member of the CPRIT Graduate Scholar's supervisory committee.
- A letter of recommendation from the primary graduate mentor. This recommendation may be combined with the training plan if desired, but will not increase the 1 page limit for the training plan. Alternatively, a separate letter may be provided with no page limitations.
Submitted by Recommenders:
- Two additional letters of recommendation should be submitted in support of the CPRIT Graduate Scholar's application. Recommendation letters should be sent in PDF format from the referee's institutional email address to CPRITMDACCTraining@mdanderson.org or ksavannah@mdanderson.org. Please include the applicant's name and CPRIT Graduate Scholar in the subject line. Letters of support should be received on or before the day the application closes.
*A CPRIT Faculty Co-Mentor may combine their letter of recommendation with their statement of willingness to serve as co-mentor. In this case, a letter of recommendation from the primary graduate mentor, the CPRIT Graduate Scholar Co-Mentor, and one additional faculty are required.
Steering Committee
Professor, Department of Immunology
PI and Director of Graduate Scholar Program, CPRIT Research Training Grant
Professor, Experimental Radiation Oncology
PI and Co-Director of CPRIT Graduate Scholar Program, CPRIT Research Training Grant
Assistant Professor, Experimental Radiation Oncology
Associate Professor, Department of Immunology
Professor, Department of Imaging Physics
Associate Professor, Department of Genetics
Assistant Professor, Department of Bioinformatics & Computational Biology
Thank you to all of our current (above) and past reviewers for the CPRIT Graduate Scholar Program. These also include: Dr. Swathi Arur (Genetics), Dr. Pierre McCrea (Genetics), and Dr. Junjie Chen (Experimental Radiation Oncology).
Program Contact Information
Please reach out to CPRITMDACCTraining@mdanderson.org with any questions. You may also contact Dr. Stephanie Watowich (photo: right), Program Director for the CPRIT Graduate Scholar Program at MD Anderson.
Stephanie Watowich, Ph.D.
Email: swatowic@mdanderson.org
Phone: 713-563-3262