CPRIT Graduate Scholar Program

Applications for the CPRIT Graduate Scholar Award are now open (as of February 4, 2019) with applications due on March 15, 2019 by 11:59 p.m.

The anticipated start date for 2019 awardees is May 1, 2019. Applicants will be notified in early April of their application outcomes.

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. 

Renewed funding may be awarded via competitive annual review process. 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. 

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, the PI and Co-PI strongly advise the applicant to select a co-mentor from the CPRIT Graduate Scholar Training Faculty to serve as a member of his/her supervisory committee.

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. Please include "Graduate Scholars Award Application" in the subject line. A confirmation email will be sent.

Formatting: Please use Arial or Helvetica, 12 point font and format pages with 1 inch margins on all sides. Essential figures containing preliminary data may be submitted as a supplemental document, but should not contain text beyond figure legend.

Required Documents:

1. 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.
   
   
2. 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)
   
   
3. Academic achievements and progress. Applicants are required to submit their undergraduate transcripts (unofficial is sufficient), a GSBS status report and advisory committee reports to date. Please contact Bunny Perez at Lourdes.V.Perez@uth.tmc.edu for GSBS reports.
   
   
4. 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)
   
   
5. 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.
   
   
6. A current curriculum vitae for the applicant

*Letters of recommendation from two additional faculty members must be submitted in support of the CPRIT Graduate Scholar's application. Recommendation letters should be sent as a pdf directly from the referee's institutional email address to CPRITMDACCTraining@mdanderson.org. Please include the applicant's name and CPRIT Graduate Scholars in the subject line. Letters of support are due on the day the application closes.