Damon Runyon Physician-Scientist Training Award Application Deadline:
Monday, December 3, 2018
Physician-scientists who are both clinically trained and expert researchers are essential to the successful translation of scientific discovery into more effective patient therapies. They have the unique capacity to blend their insights from treating patients and working in the laboratory in a way that enables and accelerates medical advances. However, the pipeline of physician-scientists is dwindling. The decline in this vital cadre of cancer researchers is occurring at a time when cancer research holds the greatest promise of improving survival and quality of life among cancer patients. A growing shortage of physician-scientists means that major laboratory research discoveries will progress to patient application ever more slowly. If the shortage continues unabated, some may not reach patient application at all, thus presenting a crisis in cancer.
In an effort to confront the crisis arising from a growing dearth of physician-scientists, Damon Runyon encourages more physicians to pursue research careers through a program designed to recruit outstanding U.S. Specialty Board-eligible physicians (MDs only) into cancer research careers by providing them with the opportunity for a protected research training experience under the mentorship of a highly qualified and gifted mentor after they have completed all of their cancer clinical training.
The goals of the program are to:
• transform these individuals into the highest quality physician-scientists, capable of conducting research that has the potential to transform the diagnosis, treatment and/or prevention of cancer.
• eliminate the financial disincentive to entering this career path.
The award will provide up to $460,000 over four years in financial support for the award recipient. In addition, the Foundation will retire up to $100,000 of medical school debt still owed.
The application deadline for the 2019 Physician Scientist Award is Monday, December 3, 2018. Detailed information about the award, eligibility criteria, application guidelines and forms are available on the Foundation’s website, https://www.damonrunyon.org/for-scientists/application-guidelines/physician-scientist.
If you have any questions, please call the Foundation at 212-455-0520.