Damon Runyon-St. Jude Pediatric Cancer Research Fellowship Award Overview

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Program Description | Meetings |  Funding | Eligibility | Terms of the Award | Confidentiality Agreements 
Reporting | Publications | Forms for Awardees | Application Guidelines

A recording of the Damon Runyon-St. Jude Pediatric Cancer Research Fellowship Informational Session from July 10, 2024 is available here.

Program Description

Due to the lack of funding opportunities in pediatric oncology research, fewer scientists are focusing their efforts on prevention and new treatments for childhood cancer. The goal of this Award, a partnership between the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, is to address the critical shortage of scientists focusing on pediatric cancer by recruiting outstanding young minds committed to tackling these issues.

Damon Runyon encourages all theoretical and experimental research relevant to the study of pediatric cancer and the search for pediatric cancer causes, mechanisms, therapies, and prevention. The goal is to fund individuals who propose innovative approaches in either basic or clinical research with the potential to significantly impact the prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of one or more pediatric cancers.

Candidates must apply for the Damon Runyon-St. Jude Pediatric Cancer Research Fellowship under the guidance of a Sponsor, a scientist (tenured, tenure-track, or equivalent position) capable of providing mentorship to the Fellow. In addition to aiding in the planning, execution, and supervision of the proposed research, the Sponsor’s role is to foster the development of the Fellow’s overall knowledge, technical and analytical skills, and capacity for scientific inquiry. The Sponsor is also expected to assist the Fellow in attaining career goals. 

Awards are made to institutions for the support of the Fellow under direct supervision of the Sponsor. Candidates who have already accepted a postdoctoral research fellowship award are not eligible. (Candidates may hold a T32 at the time of application, but not concurrently with the Damon Runyon-St. Jude Pediatric Cancer Research Fellowship Award.) 

Selection and Review

The Damon Runyon-St. Jude Pediatric Cancer Research Award Committee will review applications and select awardees for approval by the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation’s Board of Directors.

At the beginning of each review session the following Biases Statement is read aloud: As an organization, the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation seeks to promote gender equality and increase diversity, in all of its forms, throughout our programs. Studies have demonstrated that often subtle and unconscious biases can dramatically affect outcomes in review processes and that by simply acknowledging that unconscious biases exist, we can combat their potential negative impact. To that end, please be aware of your potential unconscious biases when reviewing, scoring and discussing candidates and applications throughout the review process.

The primary criteria used to evaluate applicants are:

• the quality of the pediatric cancer research proposal (importance of the problem, originality of approach, appropriateness of techniques, and clarity of presentation)
• the qualifications, experience, and productivity of both the candidate and the Sponsor
• the quality of the research training environment in which the proposed research is to be conducted and its potential for broadening and strengthening the candidate's ability to independently conduct innovative and substantive research. The proposed research and training environment should represent a new opportunity for the candidate to expand their scientific skill set. Direct extensions of the candidate's graduate work (in approach, technique, or exact area of study) will not be funded.
• Please note that it is the policy of the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation not to share reviewers' written comments.

Meetings

Damon Runyon-St. Jude Pediatric Cancer Research Fellowship Awards are granted for a four-year term with second-, third- and fourth- year funding contingent upon satisfactory progress reports. Fellows in their first and third years of funding will attend Damon Runyon Fellows' Retreats designed to foster collaboration and interaction between scientists working in different fields relevant to cancer.

Fellows will also attend an annual meeting at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital where they will have the opportunity to network with pediatric cancer-focused colleagues, present their research, participate in professional development activities, and forge new collaborations.

Funding

No part of this grant can be used for indirect costs or institutional overhead. 

Award Stipends

Year of Award	Stipend	Expenses
Year 1	$70,000	$2,000
Year 2	$72,000	$2,000
Year 3	$74,000	$2,000
Year 4	$76,000	$2,000

Expense Allowance

The $2,000 expense allowance is awarded to the laboratory in which the Fellow is working and can be used by the Fellow for educational and scientific expenses. With written request to Damon Runyon from the Fellow, the expense allowance may be used to defray the cost of health benefits. The Fellow determines how they would like to spend the money with approval from their sponsor. It is not an allowance for institutional overhead, postdoctoral scholar registration fees, or postdoctoral fellowship taxes. Institutions may not automatically deduct any fees from this allowance without the Fellow’s approval. Pre-award and/or pre-fellowship award year spending is not allowed. If you have any questions on how the money may be spent, please contact Damon Runyon at awards@damonrunyon.org.

Debt Repayment Program

The Damon Runyon will retire up to $100,000 of any qualifying medical school debt still owed by the Fellow. Payment will be made annually over the course of the award.
Note: Qualified candidates must first apply to the NIH Loan Repayment Program in order to be eligible for loan repayment from Damon Runyon (see Terms of the Award below).

Dependent Child Allowance

Damon Runyon also provides a dependent child allowance of $1,000 per child per year. There is no allowance for a spouse. Eligible Fellows must submit a dependent child allowance form and a copy of the birth or adoption certificate for each child.

Eligibility

Applicants must have completed one or more of the following degrees or its equivalent: MD, PhD, MD/PhD, DDS, DVM, DO. The applicant must include a copy of their diploma to confirm date of conferral. If an applicant has not yet received their PhD diploma but has successfully completed all PhD requirements, including PhD defense, they may submit a letter from the graduate school explicitly stating such, with the date of the successful PhD defense and date of degree conferral.

Level 1 applicants: Basic and physician-scientists must have received their degrees no more than 18 months prior to the application deadline date. Applicants must not have been in their Sponsors' labs for more than one year prior to the application deadline date and are expected to devote 100% of their time to Damon Runyon-supported research activities.

Level 2 applicants: Physician-scientist applicants (MD, MD/PhD, DDS, DVM, DO or the equivalent) must have completed their residencies and clinical training, must be board eligible in the United States at the start date of the Damon Runyon-St. Jude Pediatric Cancer Research Fellowship Award, and be able to devote at least 80% of their time to Damon Runyon-supported research activities. Applicants may apply at any time prior to their initial assistant professorship appointment (or equivalent); postdoctoral fellows, clinical fellows, and clinical instructors are eligible to apply. Candidates holding or awarded NIH K awards at the time of application are not eligible to apply. Candidates holding institutional K12 awards may apply but must turn-back K12 funding if they are awarded a Damon Runyon-St. Jude Pediatric Cancer Research Fellowship Award.

All applicants must include a copy of their diploma to confirm date of conferral. (See Deadlines chart). 

The proposed research must be conducted at a university, hospital, or research institution.

No more than two Fellows will be funded to work with the same Sponsor at any given time (including Co-Sponsors).

Only one application will be accepted from a Sponsor or Fellow per review session (including Co-Sponsors); there is no limit, however, to the number of applications from an institution.

Postdoctoral training in the same institution in which the applicant received their degree is discouraged, particularly if it is in the same department. If either situation applies, the applicant must address the reason(s) in the application. Proposals to continue training in the laboratory where the applicant received their PhD will not be considered. Proposals that are direct extensions of graduate work will not be funded.

Candidates who have already accepted a postdoctoral research fellowship award are not eligible. Candidates may hold a T32 at the time of application, but not concurrently with the Damon Runyon-St. Jude Pediatric Cancer Research Fellowship Award.

Candidates who are pursuing a degree are not eligible.

Candidates applying to work in foreign-based or United States government laboratories may be awarded a fellowship if the program represents an unusual opportunity for postdoctoral training.

Foreign candidates may apply to do their research only in the United States.

Terms of the Award

All Fellows must adhere to the terms of both our award statement and our invention policy.

Please note: The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation will not modify the terms of its policies at the request of individual institutions. Policies have been approved by our Board of Directors, and we do not have the resources to negotiate separately with the many institutions that receive our support.

All awards are made to the sponsoring institution for support of the designated Fellow. An award does not constitute an employer-employee relationship between Damon Runyon/St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the recipient. Supplementation of stipends is permitted from either the host institution or sponsor’s grants, but not by any other fellowship awards or grants. The total stipend should not exceed the level of support for other professionals at the same level of training in that institution.

Fellows are permitted to obtain additional awards or grants to cover research expenses only. Fellows are not permitted to hold any other award or grant that supplements their stipend. Fellows are required to seek approval from Damon Runyon before applying for any other award or grant. Scientific and budgetary overlap are not allowed. Therefore, it is critical that all current and pending grant support for your research be reported and the relationship of that support to the Damon Runyon funded project be explained.

Damon Runyon-St. Jude Pediatric Cancer Research Fellowship Awards are intended for full-time research.

Physician-scientists must devote their principal time (at least 80 percent) to Damon Runyon-supported research activities. Activities constituting the remaining 20 percent of time should be clearly specified in the application and in the annual progress report.

Fellows are not permitted to pursue additional degrees during the course of their fellowship.

MEDICAL AND FAMILY EMERGENCY LEAVE POLICY

Damon Runyon will allow up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave for illness or a family emergency consistent with their institution's policy. Damon Runyon must be notified in advance of the leave. The Fellowship will be extended to compensate for the time on leave. For example, if an unpaid leave of absence for 3 months is taken, the award will be extended for 3 months in the award year the leave is taken.

Please contact your Institution’s Human Resources Department to find information on Short-Term Disability, State Paid Family and Medical Leave, and/or other resources.

PARENTAL LEAVE POLICY

Damon Runyon will allow up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave for birth/adoptive parents consistent with their institution’s policy. Damon Runyon must be notified in advance of the leave.

VISA STATUS

It is the responsibility of the host institution to make every effort to ensure that Fellows follow federal immigration policy. If a Fellow’s visa status changes and/or expires, preventing the Fellow from working at their designated institution, Damon Runyon must be notified immediately. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in immediate termination of the award and may jeopardize any future awards to the institution and/or Sponsor by Damon Runyon.

MEDICAL SCHOOL LOAN REPAYMENT PROGRAM FOR PHYSICIAN-SCIENTISTS

Damon Runyon encourages physicians to pursue research careers.  As part of this award program, Damon Runyon will pay up to $100,000 of outstanding medical school loans of Damon Runyon-St. Jude Pediatric Cancer Research Fellowship Award recipients pursuant to the below policy.

Qualifying candidates must first apply to the NIH Loan Repayment Program to be eligible for loan repayment from Damon Runyon.

Qualifying loans: Debt incurred for tuition and direct educational expenses during medical school and any interest thereon.  (Loans for general items or living expenses [e.g., housing, transportation, and consumables] do not qualify for this program.)  Loans must be from a government entity, academic institution, or commercial or chartered lending institution.  Qualifying medical school loans, which have been combined or refinanced with non-qualifying loans, will be partially eligible based on the ratio of eligible and ineligible expenses included.

Eligibility and amount of support: Up to $100,000 debt will be paid in the aggregate over the four-year award period not to exceed $25,000 in any one-year period, if the following conditions are met:

(i) Participants in this program must submit documentation regarding the loans (e.g., receipts and supporting documents for tuition and directly related expenses, loan agreements, and payment information) to Damon Runyon within one month of acceptance of a Damon Runyon-St. Jude Pediatric Cancer Research Fellowship Award to determine whether they qualify for this program. Documentation of loan status and payment information must be provided to Damon Runyon annually, no later than one month prior to the award renewal date, as a condition of continued participation.
(ii) Participants enrolled in NIH-sponsored loan repayment programs or any other debt relief programs must disclose the details of such agreements to Damon Runyon.
(iii) Participants must agree to refund all amounts paid under this loan repayment program if they terminate the Damon Runyon-St. Jude Pediatric Cancer Research Fellowship Award prior to completion of the four-year term.

Payments: For each year of eligibility, Damon Runyon will pay directly to each lender an amount representing the total payments owed by the participant for all qualifying loans for that year up to an aggregate maximum of $25,000 (“Annual Debt Payments”).  If the participant has qualifying loans with annual payments in excess of $25,000, Damon Runyon, in its discretion, will determine which loans it will pay.

Consolidated loans: Participants must submit the loan agreement for consolidated loans as well as loan agreements for each of the underlying loans.

Leave without pay: Loan repayments will not be made during leaves of absence unless written permission is granted by Damon Runyon.

Obligations not qualifying for repayment: (i) Loans not obtained from a government entity, academic institution, or a commercial or other chartered lending institution such as loans from friends, relatives, or other individuals.  (ii) Delinquent loans, loans in default, loans not current in their payment schedule, or loans already repaid.  (iii) Late fees, penalty fees, additional interest charges, or collection costs.

Reimbursement for increased income tax liabilities: Loan repayments made to lenders represent taxable income to program participants.  This income will be reported annually to the IRS and may result in an increase in participants’ Federal, State, and Local tax liabilities.  To offset tax liability increases, Damon Runyon will approximate the added liability using the applicable tax rates each year and pay this amount directly to the participant at the time of each repayment (“Additional Tax Payment”).  For purposes of the foregoing, the assumed tax rate shall be determined by Damon Runyon, in its sole discretion, and may or may not equal the tax rate that actually applies to the participant.

Payback Agreement: If a participant in this program terminates the Damon Runyon-St. Jude Pediatric Cancer Research Fellowship Award prior to the end of the award term, Damon Runyon shall, in its sole discretion, be entitled to require repayment by the participant of all Annual Debt Payments and Additional Tax Payments.  Damon Runyon reserves the right to waive this payback requirement if the participant continues to conduct cancer research after early termination of the Damon Runyon-St. Jude Pediatric Cancer Research Fellowship Award.  This payback will be paid over the same period of time and in the same amounts as the initial payments by the Foundation.

Should the Fellow and/or Sponsor wish to discontinue the project, leave the designated institution or modify any aspect of the award, they must seek approval from the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation in advance. Failure to comply with this requirement may jeopardize any future awards to the institution and/or Sponsor by the Foundation.

Confidentiality Agreements

Fellows may not enter into confidentiality agreements that prevent or delay them from publishing and/or presenting their Damon Runyon-supported research.

Reporting

Scientific

Second-, third- and fourth-year funding of awards is contingent upon satisfactory review of the annual progress reports. All reports are kept strictly confidential. The reports serve as an auditing tool to monitor research progress and assure that the Fellow's research is on target with the funded project.

At the end of the 11th, 23rd and 35th months of funding, the Fellow must submit a detailed progress report that includes:

1. A summary of research performed during the award year and evaluation of the results. The summary should be technical but targeted to a general scientific audience. It should be sufficiently detailed such that the Fellow's research activities over the award year are clearly articulated. Figures and references may be included if appropriate. The report must be signed by both the Fellow and the Sponsor. The report should not exceed three pages.
2. A brief, lay abstract of research performed during the award year, including how the research is relevant to pediatric cancer. The lay summary should not exceed one page.
3. A bibliography of publications from the award year (submit pdf copies of publications).
4. A list of conferences and seminars attended, and presentations given during the award year.
5. A brief description of collaborations and partnerships related to the Damon Runyon-funded research, with either academic and/or industry scientists. Please identify your collaborator(s) and their academic/industrial affiliation(s).
6. A brief description of your participation in any community-based educational mentorship program (e.g., STEM or Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives).
7. A brief summary, from the Sponsor, assessing the Fellow’s scientific progress and professional development.
8. A completed intellectual property disclosure form.
9. A completed expense allowance usage form.
10. A request for Open Access fee reimbursement, if applicable.

At the completion of the fellowship, the Fellow must submit a detailed progress report that includes:

1. A summary of research performed during the period of the Fellowship and evaluation of the results. The summary should be technical but targeted to a general scientific audience. It should be sufficiently detailed such that the Fellow's research activities over the award period are clearly articulated. Figures and references may be included if appropriate. The report must be signed by both the Fellow and the Sponsor. The report should not exceed three pages.
2. Two abstracts (one lay and one scientific) of the accomplishments over the term of the award, including how the research is relevant to pediatric cancer.
3. A bibliography of all publications resulting from the research (submit pdf copies of publications). 
4. A list of conferences and seminars attended, and presentations given during the award year.
5. A brief description of collaborations and partnerships related to the Damon Runyon-funded research, with either academic and/or industry scientists. Please identify your collaborator(s) and their academic/industrial affiliation(s).
6.  A brief description of your participation in any community-based educational mentorship program (e.g., STEM or Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives).
7. A statement indicating how the Damon Runyon award made a difference to the Fellow.
8. A statement of future plans.
9. An up-to-date curriculum vitae.
10. A brief summary, from the Sponsor, assessing the Fellow’s scientific progress and professional development.
11. A completed intellectual property disclosure form.
12. A request for Open Access fee reimbursement, if applicable.

Financial

The institution's financial officer must maintain a separate account including receipts for each Damon Runyon-St. Jude Pediatric Cancer Research Fellowship, and this account must be available for audit by representatives of the Damon Runyon. Reports of expenditures on forms provided by the Foundation must be submitted within 60 days of the end of each award year. Any unexpended expense allowance may be carried over to the next award year, but any unexpended stipend must be returned to the Foundation at the end of each fellowship year. Pre-award and/or pre-fellowship award year spending is not allowed. Upon termination or expiration of the fellowship, a final report of expenditures, with the refund of any unexpended balance, must also be submitted within 60 days.

Financial Expenditure Report Preparation Guidelines:

1. Please use the Damon Runyon-St. Jude Pediatric Cancer Research Fellowship Financial Expenditure Report form.
2. Indicate any carry-over of the previous year’s expense allowance in the second row as an amount received in addition to the current year’s $2,000 allowance.
3. If the expense allowance was used for travel, please provide the following details:
   a. name and location of scientific meeting or conference attended,
   b. dates of meeting/conference and
   c. use of funds; restricted to registration fee, lodging, meals, transportation (if by train or plane, must be coach class ticket only).
4. If the expense allowance was used for supplies, please provide a list of the general categories of the supplies. If any one piece of equipment purchased costs $1,500 or more, please provide the name of the item, date of purchase, and price.
5. The only allowable purchases that may be listed in the “other” category are:
   a. health insurance (if requested by the Fellow)
   b. scientific subscriptions
   c. contact our office for approval of any items not listed here
6. Damon Runyon requires that the Dependent Child Allowance be reported as received in the annual financial report but does not require reporting on how the allowance is spent.

Publications, Presentations and Websites

Publications (including abstracts of presentations at scientific or clinical meetings) resulting from projects supported by Damon Runyon must carry the following acknowledgment:

"[Name] is a Damon Runyon-St. Jude Pediatric Cancer Research Fellow supported by the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation and St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (SJP-#[___])."

Contact awards@damonrunyon.org if you do not know your SJP-#.

Awardees should identify themselves as Damon Runyon-St. Jude Pediatric Cancer Research Fellows, particularly when presenting their work at professional conferences and on their websites. Download a copy of the Damon Runyon and St. Jude logo for inclusion in PowerPoint presentations, posters, and on your website.

Damon Runyon-Jake Wetchler Award for Pediatric Innovation

The Damon Runyon-Jake Wetchler Award for Pediatric Innovation is given annually to a third-year Damon Runyon Fellow whose research has the greatest potential to impact the prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of one or more forms of pediatric cancer. The research can be focused on basic mechanistic or translational studies, as long as it has the potential to impact pediatric cancers. The award is a one-time $10,000 prize and the winner will be announced at the Fellows’ Retreat in October. The application is due on or before August 15, 2025. 

Damon Runyon-Jake Wetchler Award for Pediatric Innovation Application Guidelines

Damon Runyon-Dale F. Frey Award for Breakthrough Scientists

At the end of the Fellowship, there are often a select few Fellows who have greatly exceeded the Foundation’s highest expectations. To catapult their research careers—and their impact on cancer—Damon Runyon will make an additional investment in these exceptional individuals by selecting them as recipients of the Damon Runyon-Dale F. Frey Award for Breakthrough Scientists. Fellows are eligible to apply for the Dale F. Frey Award one time only, in the fourth year of their award.

Forms for Awardees

Award Statement
Award Acceptance Form
Loan Repayment Form
Dependent Child Allowance Form
Expense Allowance Usage Form
Expenditure Report Form
Invention Policy
Intellectual Property Disclosure Form
Progress Report Form- Annual
Progress Report Form- Final

Contact Information

Award Programs | awards@damonrunyon.org

See Application Guidelines