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Funding for Cancer Research Trainees
Explore rolling grants and external funding opportunities for research trainees.
Content on this page was last updated on Friday, July 31 at 2:26pm CST.
Funding Opps Grid
Download “Funding Opportunities for Med Students, Trainees, and ESIs”
UPDATED 7/31/2026
Navigation Note: Once you download the document, click on “Enable Editing”. From there you will be able to sort and filter the list to fit your needs. Please note that each opportunity is classified into different categories based on disease site/research focus, career stage eligibility, etc.
NEW: NIH Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Transition Award (Parent F99/K00)
Click to view F99/K00 NOFO
| Award Amount and Project Period | Up to 5 years of combined support for both phases • F99 – Up to 2 years – Stipends provided • K00 – Up to 3 years – Tuition and fees, research expenses, travel, and statistical services |
| Next Full Application Deadline | August 8, 2026 |
| Award Details | The purpose of this award is to support promising graduate students as they complete their doctoral research training and transition into mentored postdoctoral career development opportunities in research areas relevant to the missions of participating NIH Institutes and Centers.Predoctoral students applying for the F99/K00 award are expected to propose an individualized research training plan for the final 1 to 2 years of predoctoral training, as well as a broad outline of up to 3 years of mentored postdoctoral research and career development activities that will prepare them for a productive, independent scientific research career in a biomedically relevant field. |
| Eligibility Details | The candidate must be currently enrolled in a PhD or equivalent research degree program (e.g., EngD, DNSc, DrPH, DSW, PharmD, ScD) in the biomedical, behavioral, or clinical sciences at an eligible institution. At the time of award, the candidate must be in the dissertation research stage of training and is expected to require 1–2 years to complete their Ph.D. dissertation research training (F99 phase) before transitioning to mentored postdoctoral research training (K00 phase). If an individual begins a postdoctoral position or completes all Ph.D. dissertation requirements before an F99 award is made, neither the F99 award nor the K00 award will be issued. |
| Citizenship | Required. By the time of award, the individual must be a citizen or a non-citizen national of the United States or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence (i.e. possess a currently valid Permanent Resident Card USCIS Form I-551, or other legal verification of such status). |
NEW: NIH Academic Career Excellence (ACE) Award (K32)
Click to view ACE NOFO
| Award Amount and Project Period | $330,000 over 3 years |
| Full Application Deadline | October 12, 2026 |
| Award Details | The purpose of the Academic Career Excellence (ACE) Award (K32) is to support rigorous, mentored scientific research and career development for up to three years for early-stage postdoctoral scholars. Candidates must submit their application up to one year prior to beginning their postdoctoral position or no more than two years after their postdoctoral training begins (resubmissions included). The ACE K32 will foster early, goal-directed planning and encourage innovative applications with the potential for a significant impact on scientific research and career development. Inclusion of preliminary data are not required as the ACE K32 emphasizes innovative research ideas and thoughtful plans for training and mentorship that will facilitate the development of the postdoctoral scholars who have the potential to become productive, independent investigators in research fields relevant to the missions of the participating NIH Institutes and Centers. |
| Eligibility Details | At the time of the ACE K32 application submission or resubmission, candidates must be within one year from beginning their postdoctoral position or within the first two years of starting their postdoctoral training. The start date of the postdoctoral position will be determined based on the date on which the candidate began their first formal postdoctoral training experience or the date on which the candidate undertook post-graduate research training at the terminal degree granting institution before proceeding with formal postdoctoral training.Current and former PDs/PIs on NIH research project (R01), program project (P01), center grants (P50), Project Leads of program project (P01), or center grants (P50), other major individual career development awards (e.g., K01, K07, K08, K22, K23, K25, K76, K99/R00), or the equivalent are not eligible. Current and former PDs/PIs of an NIH Small Grant (R03), Exploratory/Developmental Grants (R21/R33), Planning Grant (R34/U34), Dissertation Award (R36), or SBIR/STTR (R41, R42, R43, R44) remain eligible, as do PD/PIs of Transition Scholar (K38) awards and individuals appointed to institutional K programs (K12, KL2). |
| Citizenship | Required. By the time of award, the individual must be a citizen or a non-citizen national of the United States or have been lawfully admitted for permanent residence (i.e., possess a currently valid Permanent Resident Card USCIS Form I-551, or other legal verification of such status). |
K99/R00 Differences
The NCI currently has TWO opportunities within the K99/R00 mechanism with the same award amounts and project periods. However, there are notable eligibility differences between the two. Please see below for details:
NCI EARLY-STAGE POSTDOCTORAL Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00) –PAR-23-286 and PAR-23-287
- WashU is limited to FOUR applicants for this opportunity.
- Internal competition deadline is TBD.
- Must have less than 2 years of postdoctoral research experience (and meet all other eligibility requirements).
- There is no citizenship requirement.
- Eligibility questions may be directed to NCI Scientific/Research Contact:
- Sergey Radaev at [email protected].
NCI Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00) – PAR-25-135 and PAR-25-313
- WashU is NOT limited to any number of applicants (i.e. no internal competition).
- NCI full application deadline is October 14, 2026.
- Postdoctoral fellows, postdoctoral researchers, research fellows, staff scientists, and instructors are all considered to have mentored, non-independent appointments, per PAR-25-135 and PAR-25-313 and are therefore eligible to apply if they meet all other eligibility criteria.
- Must have less than 6 years of postdoctoral research experience (and meet all other eligibility requirements).
- There is no citizenship requirement.
- Eligibility questions may be directed to NCI Scientific/Research Contacts:
- If PI last name begins with A-M (Michael Schmidt at [email protected]); N-S (Sonia B. Jakowlew at [email protected]); T-Z (Corinne Boulanger-Espeut at [email protected].
Calendar of Internal Competitions
Be sure to consult the “Calendar of Internal Competitions in Cancer Research” (UPDATED 7/31/2026) document. This calendar contains a variety of internal competition opportunities (i.e. limited to a certain number of applicants per institution) available throughout the year for cancer investigators to browse and plan ahead.
Federal Research Proposal Info
The Office of the Vice Chancellor of Research (OVCR) has published a “Federal Research Updates” webpage to house information about how Executive Orders may impact agencies and their research. Please follow this webpage for updates.
Quick Links
Be sure to check the websites below regularly for ongoing funding opportunities.
How are we doing? Send us your suggestions! Please let us know how we can improve this page, the newsletter, or anything else related to funding opportunity dissemination.
This newsletter is not fully inclusive of all available cancer-related funding for trainees.
Please be sure to consult other sources to learn of other opportunities not listed above.