Postdoctoral Fellowship

Mission: The Hope Funds for Cancer Research awards postdoctoral fellowships to support highly innovative research projects that challenge traditional paradigms in understanding the causes, mechanisms, progression, disease markers, or risk factors of the most difficult-to-treat cancers.

Focus Areas

The program specifically targets research on the following cancers:

• Pancreatic cancer
• Lung cancer
• Liver cancer
• Sarcomas
• Esophageal cancer
• Brain cancer
• Gastric cancer
• Bone cancer
• Ovarian cancer
• Rare leukemias and lymphomas
• Myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS)
• Rarer histologies of higher prevalence cancers

Award Details

Duration: Three years

Stipend:

• Year 1: $56,000
• Year 2: $59,000
• Year 3: $62,000
• Annual travel grant: $1,500 for conference attendance and scientific training meetings

Important Terms:

• All awards are made to the Institution for support of the designated Fellow
• No administrative expense deductions permitted from stipends or travel grants
• Supplementation from Institution or Sponsor's grants is permitted, but not from other fellowship awards
• Total stipend should not exceed support for other professionals at the same training level in the institution
• Awards intended for full-time research only
• Fellows must devote principal time and effort to the Fund-supported research
• Fellows cannot pursue additional degrees during the fellowship
• Fellowships do not constitute an employer-employee relationship
• Payments made quarterly to the Institution

Research Evaluation Criteria

Applications are evaluated with strong emphasis on innovation:

• Innovation: Originality of project, novel concepts, hypotheses, approaches, methodologies, tools, and technologies. Level to which project challenges existing paradigms and presents innovative hypotheses.
• Significance: Direct relevance to prevention, control, or treatment of difficult-to-treat cancers. Importance of outcomes on concepts, methods, technologies, treatments, services, or preventive interventions.
• Approach: Conceptual framework and reasoning around design, methods, and analyses. Identification of potential problem areas and consideration of alternative approaches.
• Investigators: Qualifications, experience, and productivity of both candidate and principal investigator. Appropriateness of project to investigator experience.
• Environment: Quality of training provided by research environment and potential for broadening candidate's ability to conduct innovative research.

Eligibility Requirements

• Degree: Must have completed MD, PhD, MD/PhD, DDS, DVM, or equivalent. Foreign-trained physicians evaluated case-by-case.
• Sponsorship: Must conduct research under a sponsor holding formal appointment at host institution
• Postdoctoral Status: Can apply prior to starting or during postdoctoral appointments if formally accepted into lab. Current postdocs must not have been in Sponsor's lab more than 2 years as of September 24, 2025.
• Other Awards: Cannot have already accepted other postdoctoral research fellowship awards
• Institution Type: Research must be conducted at university, hospital, or research institution in the United States. No for-profit institutions.

Reporting Requirements

• Detailed annual scientific progress reports due at months 12, 24, and 36
• Informal progress reports due at months 5, 17, and 29
• Annual financial reports required

Intellectual Property

• Institution must adhere to established patent policy
• Institution shall provide written notification to Hope Funds within 90 days of disclosure of patentable technology, patent application filing, or patent issuance
• Technology Transfer Office must provide yearly status report on patenting and licensing efforts

STEP 1: Letter of Intent/Abstract Round (Due September 24, 2025)

1. Prepare Summary of Research Application:
   • Use the writable PDF form provided (Summary of Research Application)
   • Write a 600-word-or-less summary of proposed research
   • Include allowed figures and bibliography (applicant's publications)
   • Electronic signatures accepted on forms
   • Save/print with added content
2. Create Single PDF File:
   • Combine Summary of Research Application form
   • 600-word summary
   • Figures and bibliography
   • Name file: "Applicant's Last Name-Sponsor's Last Name.pdf"
   • DO NOT include reference letters in abstract round
3. Submit Abstract:
   • Email directly to: [email protected]
   • Deadline: September 24 of application year
   • Subject must indicate this is LOI/Abstract submission
4. Selection:
   • Grants Review Committee reviews all applications
   • Selected candidates notified directly
   • Invited to submit detailed application package for Step 2

##### Online Submission (PDF):

1. Combine sections 1-5 below into single PDF
2. Name file: "Applicant's Last Name-Sponsor's Last Name.pdf"
3. Submit online (per website instructions)

##### Hard Copy Submission (Mail):

1. Submit complete application (sections 1-6) by mail
2. Must arrive by January 25, 2026

Mail to:
```
Hope Funds for Cancer Research
174 Bellevue Avenue, Suite 208
Newport, Rhode Island 02840
```

Note: Faxed applications will NOT be considered