Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator Award Grant

The Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator Award supports innovative young physician-scientists conducting disease-oriented research to advance cancer medicine. This prestigious award, totaling $600,000 over three years, provides essential financial support for research activities and addresses barriers like medical school debt. Eligible candidates must be U.S. citizens or residents with an MD or MD/PhD, nominated by invited institutions. The program fosters collaboration with NIH and NCI, enhancing opportunities for groundbreaking clinical investigations.

NOTE: Applications will only be accepted from institutions that have been invited to submit them by the Foundation (see list).
The Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator Award supports independent young physician-scientists conducting disease-oriented research that demonstrates a high level of innovation and creativity. The goal is to support the best young physician-scientists doing work aimed at improving the practice of cancer medicine.
The Clinical Investigator Award responds to three recognized realities:
Though there has never been a more pressing need or more promising time for clinical cancer research, fewer young physicians enter this area of investigation every year.    The number of institutions committed to training young physicians in the scientific discipline and methodologies of clinical investigation is critically low.    The burden of medical school debt (averaging over $100,000) discourages many physicians from pursuing clinical investigation.
The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation’s award offers solutions to these realities. The awardee will receive financial support for three years, as well as assistance with certain research costs such as the purchase of equipment. The Foundation will also retire up to $100,000 of any medical school debt still owed by the awardee.
The Clinical Investigator Award program is specifically intended to provide outstanding young physicians with the resources and training structure essential to becoming successful clinical investigators. The goal is to increase the number of physicians capable of moving seamlessly between the laboratory and the patient’s bedside in search of breakthrough treatments.
Partnership with NIH and NCI
Damon Runyon has a novel partnership with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the National Cancer Institute (NCI), which uniquely opens access to the NIH Clinical Center (CC) to Damon Runyon Clinical Investigators. The goal of this partnership is to use the special talent, expertise and resources of the participants to undertake pilot studies of specific diseases and to develop collaborative partnerships that accelerate clinical and translational cancer research, and thereby improve human health.  Potential opportunities for pilot partnership:
Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator Award applicants may apply with a mentor or co-mentor from NCI or another NIH Institute. The proposal must identify the research to be done at and resources to be used at the NIH CC.     Current Damon Runyon Clinical Investigators may conduct a research project at the NIH CC in collaboration with an NIH tenured/tenure-track investigator. The Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator would be the PI or co-PI on the project.     Current Damon Runyon Clinical Investigators may request to use the special equipment or facilities at the NIH CC, which could provide opportunities for investigators that may not be possible in their home institutions. Examples are: obtaining research materials such as research PET ligands or products from the CC Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) facilities, or accessing other non patient-related activities/facilities. No NIH scientist collaboration would be required.
Funding
The $600,000 award will be for a period of three years. Funding in the amount of $200,000 will be allocated to the awardee’s institution each year for the support of the Clinical Investigator. Funds are intended to be flexible and can be used for a variety of scientific needs including the Investigator’s stipend and/or fringe benefits (up to $130,000 annually), salaries for professional and technical personnel, special equipment, supplies, and other miscellaneous items required to conduct the proposed research. No part of this grant can be used for indirect costs or institutional overhead.

Eligibility

The applicant must be a U.S. citizen or permanent legal resident. Each applicant must be nominated by his/her institution. Applications will only be accepted from institutions that have been invited to submit them by the Foundation (See list). Five (5) nominations per institution, including its affiliated schools, will be accepted. Because of its number of affiliated hospitals, Harvard Medical School may submit up to six (6) nominations. The applicant must have received an MD or MD/PhD degree(s) from an accredited institution, completed his/her subspecialty training and be U.S. board-eligible. The applicant must hold a valid, active U.S. medical license at the time of application. No more than two Damon Runyon Clinical Investigators will be funded to work with the same Mentor at any given time. Candidates may apply up to two times during this eligibility period. Only one application will be accepted from a mentor per review session (including co-mentorships).

Ineligibility

Adjunct or acting positions are not eligible.     Candidates holding or awarded R01s (or R01-equivalent grants such as the DP2 and DP5) at the time of application are not eligible to apply.