AACR-QuadW Foundation Sarcoma Research Fellowship in Memory of Willie Tichenor
The AACR-QuadW Foundation Sarcoma Research Fellowship in Memory of Willie Tichenor represents a joint effort to encourage and support a postdoctoral or clinical research fellow to conduct translational or clinical sarcoma research and to establish a successful career path in this field.
The fellowship provides a one-year grant of $60,000 to support the salary and benefits of the fellow while working on a mentored sarcoma research project. Funds may also be designated for non-personnel expenses, such as research/laboratory supplies, equipment, publication charges for manuscripts that pertain directly to the funded project, and other research expenses. However, grant funds cannot be used to compensate for clinical practice with patients or for indirect costs.
Program Guidelines and Competitive Letter of Intent Instructions are available for download. Please read all eligibility criteria and instructions carefully before submitting your application.
Research projects must be translational or clinical in nature and must have direct applicability and relevance to sarcoma.
Proposed research projects should be aimed toward developing personalized, therapeutic options for the treatment of sarcoma patients. Investigators using novel experimental tools and techniques geared toward better understanding of sarcoma in an effort to elucidate the mechanisms of currently available therapies and/or to identify new therapeutic targets are encouraged to apply. Emphasis will be placed on proposals involving research with immediate clinical applications, including those with predictive biomarker studies.
At the start of the grant term on July 1, 2027, applicants must:
- Have a doctoral degree (PhD, MD, MD/PhD, or equivalent) in a related field.
- Hold a mentored research position with the title of postdoctoral fellow, clinical research fellow, or the equivalent
- If eligibility is based on a future position, the position must be confirmed at the time of submission, and CANNOT be contingent upon receiving this grant. Applicants are advised to contact the AACR’s Research and Grants Administration (RGA) at [email protected] before submitting their Letter of Intent to confirm they will hold an eligible position.
- Have completed their most recent doctoral degree or medical residency within the past five years (i.e., degree conferral or medical residency completion date is July 1, 2022, or later; 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 Letter of Intent.
- Be able to dedicate at least 50% effort to the proposed research project throughout the duration of the grant term.
- Work under the auspices of a mentor at an academic, medical, or research institution anywhere in the world.
At the start of the grant term (July 1, 2027), 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. They may serve as collaborators, but no grant funds may be directed toward these individuals.
- Concurrently hold another AACR grant.
- Current AACR grantees may apply only if their current grant ends before the start of the grant term for this funding opportunity (i.e., July 1, 2027). Also, the terms of their current grant must stipulate that the final progress reports be approved by the AACR before July 1, 2027.
- 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 a Letter of Intent to verify your eligibility.
There are no citizenship or geographic requirements. However, by submitting an application for this grant, an applicant applying from an institution located in a country in which they are not a citizen or a permanent resident assures that the visa status will provide sufficient time to complete the project and grant term at the institution from which they applied.
By the submission deadline, applicants must be AACR Active members in good standing (dues paid for the current year):
- Information on AACR membership, including membership categories, dues 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 Letter of Intent by 1:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on Thursday, November 12, 2026, using the ProposalCentral website.
Program Guidelines and Competitive Letter of Intent Instructions are available for download. Please read all eligibility criteria and instructions carefully before submitting your application.