Fellows of the AACR Academy Cancer Research Impact Grants
The Fellows of the AACR Academy Cancer Research Impact Grants are intended to support promising early-career investigators who are nearing completion of their postdoctoral or clinical research fellowship training programs and are at a critical stage in their transition toward laboratory independence. This program is designed to provide financial support to sustain research momentum and enable talented early-career investigators to complete their academic training in cancer research during an often vulnerable period in professional development.
In addition to research support, grant recipients will be invited to participate in a structured mentee-mentor relationship with a Fellow of the AACR Academy. The AACR Academy Fellow will be charged with supporting the grant recipient’s professional development and transition to independence through consistent mentoring. Each grant recipient is anticipated to be paired with a Fellow of the AACR Academy mentor, with each pair engaging in quarterly virtual mentoring sessions. During these sessions, it is anticipated that the AACR Academy Fellow mentor will provide guidance on ongoing research endeavors, career planning, and advancement within the cancer research community.
Program Guidelines and Application Instructions are available for download. Please read all eligibility criteria and instructions carefully before submitting an application.
Applicants must be actively conducting basic, translational, clinical, or population sciences-focused cancer research in the United States. Ongoing and future research aims must align with AACR’s mission to prevent and cure all cancers through research, education, communication, and collaboration.
At the start of the grant term (October 1, 2026), applicants must:
- Have a doctoral degree (PhD, MD, MD/PhD, or equivalent) in a related field.
- Have held a mentored research position with the title of postdoctoral fellow for at least 3 years or clinical research fellow for at least 2 years, placing them near the anticipated completion of such programs.
- Have completed their most recent doctoral degree within the past five years (i.e., degree cannot have been conferred before October 1, 2021; the formal date of receipt of the degree is the date the degree was conferred, as indicated on your diploma and/or transcript). Exceptions to the 5-year window may be granted for up to 12 months of parental or justified personal/family leave. Applicants exceeding the 5-year limit who believe they are eligible must contact the AACR’s RGA before submitting their application.
- Applicants with a medical degree must have completed their most recent doctoral degree or medical residency – whichever date is later – within the past five years.
- Work under the auspices of a mentor at an academic, medical, or research institution in the United States.
At the start of the grant term (October 1, 2026), applicants cannot:
- Be a candidate for a further doctoral degree.
- Be an employee or subcontractor of a U.S. federal government entity or for-profit private industry.
- Be, or have been, at the rank of instructor, adjunct professor, assistant professor, research assistant professor, the equivalent, or higher. Qualified researchers are invited to apply for an AACR Career Development Award.
- Exception: If you are an MD who is considered a postdoctoral fellow but hold the title of instructor so that you can see patients, you may be eligible. Potential applicants possessing an MD are encouraged to contact AACR’s RGA before submitting an application to verify your eligibility.
All applicants with questions about eligibility should contact the AACR’s Research and Grants Administration at [email protected] before submitting an application.
There are no citizenship requirements, however, in order to be eligible for this grant, applicants must work under the auspices of a mentor at an academic, medical, or research institution in the United States.
By the submission deadline, applicants must be AACR members in good standing (dues paid for the current year):
- Information on AACR membership, including membership categories, due rates, and steps for lapsed or nonmembers, can be accessed on our membership website.
- Assistance with membership can be requested by submitting a myAACR help form or by contacting our Membership Department at [email protected]
- Applicants whose membership is not in good standing or nonmembers who do not apply for membership by the submission deadline will be considered ineligible.
The AACR requires applicants to submit an online application by 1:00 pm U.S. Eastern Time on Tuesday, June 30, 2026 using the ProposalCentral website.
Download Program Guidelines and Application Instructions here.