Guidelines

READ ELIGIBILITY COMPLETELY AND CAREFULLY BEFORE SUBMITTING FOR INTERNAL REVIEW

The Research Specialist Award is intended to provide salary support and sufficient autonomy so that individuals are not solely dependent on NCI grants held by others or other sources of support for cancer research career continuity.

Budget:

  1. salary support for the Research Specialist commensurate with their level of effort devoted to the institution's NCI funded clinical trials activities with a minimum of 2.4 and a maximum of 4.8 person-months effort supported by this award; and
  2. travel costs to attend research meetings/conferences: not to exceed $2,500 per year

Eligibility Requirements:

  • Eligible Principal Investigators (the Research Specialist) will be clinician scientists who have a clinical degree (M.D., D.O., D.D.S., D.M.D., O.D., D.C., PharmD., N.D., D.V.M.), possess active licensure, and are actively practicing in an oncology clinical setting. Individuals with a Ph.D. or other doctoral degree that have direct contact with patients or healthy subjects in clinical disciplines such as clinical psychology, nursing, clinical genetics, speech-language pathology, audiology, or rehabilitation are also eligible.
  • At the time of application, the Research Specialist cannot be a Principal Investigator on an independent NIH grant (e.g., R01, P01, U10, UG1), or other significant NIH funding (past funding does not affect eligibility). Support from smaller NIH grants (e.g., R03, R21, P50 Career Development awards, P30 funding other than as Principal Investigator), or national network funding will be allowed, as long as the total NCI support does not exceed 6 person-months. Future substantial independent NIH funding will require the awardee to forfeit the R50.
  • The Research Specialist must have a record of involvement in NCI-funded cancer clinical trial-related activities and be engaged in the conduct of NCI-sponsored clinical trials, which are conducted through the NCI clinical trials networks at an academic medical center or NCORP community site.
  • At the time of submission of a new (A0) or resubmission (A1) application, the Research Specialist must have been at the institution for at least the previous two years.
  • The Research Specialist must have a full-time position at the institution and be more than six years from initial faculty appointment at the time of the application submission deadline (including appointments held at other institutions). The Research Specialist must commit 2.4 to 4.8 person-months to NCI-funded clinical activities described in the Research Plan of the R50 application during the life of the award. The Research Specialist may engage in other duties as part of the remaining 9.6 to 7.2 person-month effort not covered by this award. The maximum funded effort allowed on all NCI grants, including the R50, will be capped at 6 person-months. 
  • The Research Specialist must have demonstrated professional accomplishments consonant with their career status and should have demonstrated cancer clinical research experience relevant to the NCI mission. 

Applications are limited to four per institution per receipt date including new (A0), resubmissions (A1) and renewal (T2). In order to maximize the distribution of R50 Clinician Scientist awards to meritorious applicants and projects, award recipients may only receive one renewal of their R50 grant. NCI seeks a broad representation of institutions for this award mechanism and may take this into account when making funding decisions.

Additional Information can be found in the RFA: https://files.simpler.grants.gov/opportunities/2b529176-2d03-42a4-8057-4736a55db1be/attachments/7b5455af-5d85-423a-ae78-bde8362024fc/PAR-28-063-Full-Announcement.html

If you are interested in this funding mechanism, please upload a biosketch and Letter of Intent to this site by December 1, 2026 at 11:59pm.

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11/12/2026 12/01/2026
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Have more questions?
Caitlin Campbell
ccampb52@jhmi.edu