AACR-AstraZeneca Clinical Immuno-oncology Research Training Fellowships
April 28, 2020 - Grant recipient must attend the Grants Reception and Dinner to formally accept the grant. Grant funds may be used to support the grantees' registration and attendance at this Annual Meeting.
Besides training in patient care, additional training in laboratory or clinical research are required for clinical fellows in order to stay up-to-date with the pace of medical progress. As such, many fellowship programs offer at least 12-months research time to these fellows to ensure they have sufficient expertise to contribute to laboratory-based research projects or clinical trials that will advance medical practice and improve patient outcomes.
The AACR-AstraZeneca Clinical Immuno-oncology Research Training Fellowship Program is designed to encourage exceptional clinical research by bridging close collaboration between academia and industry. Each fellowship provides $100,000 over one year to support the salary and benefits of the fellow while working at one of facilities of AstraZeneca and its Affiliates in Gaithersburg, MD. Continuity clinic requirement will be accommodated.
Selected clinical researchers will be provided with real-world experience in early-stage and/or late-stage clinical development at the facilities of AstraZeneca and its Affiliates, including drug development, clinical research in immune-oncology (IO), clinical trial design and data analysis. They will be accountable for executing clinical research in IO and completing the research within the one-year program. Outstanding fellows may be invited to extend the fellowship for an additional year. Opportunities for publication and presentation of the research will be provided.
Click the link below to watch 2018 AACR-AstraZeneca Clinical Immuno-oncology Research Training Fellowship recipient, Siddarth H. Sheth, DO, MPH, discuss his research supported by this fellowship: https://youtu.be/GuznrKrLFV8
Program Guidelines and Application Instructions are available in PDF format.
During the research year at one of the facilities of AstraZeneca or one of its Affiliates, the fellows will be paired with an AstraZeneca clinical team member who will serve as their mentor and they will shadow the mentor on their various activities, including meetings with project and study teams. This includes discussions on various topics (e.g., drug development strategy and execution, regulatory strategy implementation, statistics, marketing, clinical operations) with key stakeholders.
Research conducted during this year will provide the fellow with the opportunity to gain experience in drug development and understand challenges in early-stage and/or late-stage clinical research in immuno-oncology (IO). Depending on the background of the fellow, additional focus areas can also be provided (e.g., preclinical research, biomarker discovery).
The fellow will have the opportunity to develop expertise in drug development and commercialization. There will be the potential of becoming an expert on the clinical candidate(s) being followed, in terms of understanding the competitor landscape, and the underlying science and biomarker strategy.
Applicants must have a medical degree (including MD, DO, or MD/PhD) in a related field, and not currently be a candidate for a further doctoral degree. Additionally, at the start of the grant term, eligible applicants must have completed their most recent residency within the past five years and must be currently working at an academic, medical, or research institution within the United States.
Clinical researchers currently enrolled in an accredited hematology/oncology or radiation oncology fellowship program at an academic, medical, or research institution within the United States are particularly encouraged to apply. Exceptional senior residents are also encouraged to apply.
Employees or subcontractors of a U.S. government entity or for-profit private industry are not eligible.
Clinical Fellows applying from a U.S. government laboratory (e.g., NIH, CDC, FDA, etc.) are not eligible.
Any individual who currently holds an active AACR grant may not apply. Past grantees may apply if they complied with all progress and financial report requirements.
Investigators may submit only one application for the AACR-AstraZeneca Clinical Immuno-oncology Research Training Fellowships but may concurrently apply for other AACR grants. However, applicants are expected to accept the first grant they are awarded. Individuals may accept and hold only one AACR grant at a time.
All applicants with questions about eligibility must contact AACR's Scientific Review and Grants Administration department (AACR's SRGA) before submitting an application.
There are no citizenship requirements. However, by submitting an application for this grant, the applicant who is not a U.S. citizen or a permanent resident assures that the visa status will provide sufficient time to complete the project and grant term.
Applicants should be AACR members. Annual dues are not required for early-career researchers interested in Associate membership. Nonmembers interested in this grant opportunity must submit a satisfactory application for AACR membership, and be members in good standing, by the application deadline. Nonmembers can apply for membership using the Official Application for Membership submitted to the AACR with the required documents or apply online. Suspended Members can renew their membership through their myAACR account. Lapsed members should contact the Membership Department at [email protected] for assistance and with any questions.
AACR requires applicants to submit an electronic application by 1:00 p.m., U.S. Eastern Time on Friday, September 27, 2019, using the proposalCENTRAL website at https://proposalcentral.com.
Program Guidelines and Application Instructions are available in PDF format.