Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator Award

A program of the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation

Letters of intent are now being accepted by the Executive Committee on Research (ECOR) for the Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator Award

What are they?

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 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.

MGH is eligible to nominate a maximum of five (5) candidates.

 

Who should apply?

Independent assistant professors who hold an MD or MD/PhD. Applicant must be within the first five years of their Assistant Professor appointment (cut-off date July 1, 2020). 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. 

 

How much is each award?

$600,000 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. No part of this grant can be used for indirect costs or institutional overhead.

This funding opportunity is not exempt from the 20% indirect cost (IDC) floor minimum. However, ECOR policy states that for MGH investigators selected through a competitive process as the institutional nominee in which the grant will bring in less than 20% indirect cost (IDC), ECOR will cover the IDC gap up to a maximum of $50,000 per year. 

The applicant must commit to spending 80% of their time conducting research. 

 

When is the deadline?  

MGH letter of intent deadline: Wednesday, November 13, 2024 at 5:00pm

Sponsor deadline: Monday, February 3, 2025 at 4:00pm

Please submit a two- to three-page Letter of Intent (LOI) to the MGH Executive Committee on Research (ECOR) via email to ecor@mgh.harvard.edu.  In addition to your LOI, please include an NIH Biosketch.

The letter of intent should include:

  1. Name of the Principal Investigator with appropriate contact information
  2. A descriptive title of the potential application
  3. Brief description of your research and long-term goals in clinical cancer investigation
  4. Brief description of why you specifically should be selected to receive an institutional nomination for this award
  5. Statement that applicant can dedicate a minimum of 80% effort to the conduct of research 

In the event that there are more than five MGH investigators interested in applying for a limited submission award, the LOIs will be used to assess candidates and a review and selection process will take place.

Damon Runyon Clinical Investigator Award– Click here