DOD Breast Cancer Postdoctoral Fellowship Award

The BCRP Postdoctoral Award mechanism was first offered in FY93. Since that time, 1,586 Postdoctoral (including Fellowship and Traineeship) Award proposals have been received and 525 have been recommended for funding. The Postdoctoral Fellowship Award supports exceptionally talented recent medical or other doctoral graduates in their pursuit of innovative, high-impact breast cancer research during their postdoctoral training and allows them to obtain the necessary experience for an independent career at the forefront of breast cancer research. Candidates for this award should exhibit a strong desire to pursue a career in breast cancer research. Under this award mechanism, the postdoctoral trainee is considered the Principal Investigator (PI) and, as such, should write the project narrative with appropriate direction from the mentor. While the PI is not required to have previous experience in breast cancer research, this proposal must focus on breast cancer research. Proposals must provide evidence of the PI’s potential for success in becoming an independent breast cancer researcher based on his/her qualifications, characteristics, achievements, and letters of recommendations. The mentor (or co-mentor, if applicable) must possess the appropriate expertise and experience in breast cancer, to include peer reviewed breast cancer funding and publications, and clearly demonstrate a commitment to guiding the PI’s research and training. The proposal should include information about the mentor’s experience in conducting innovative research and how he/she intends to support the PI’s innovative breast cancer research endeavors. If the mentor is not an experienced breast cancer researcher, then a formal co-mentorship by an established breast cancer researcher is required. Proposals must provide details on the suitability of the PI’s overall training plan and research project for attaining the goals of this mechanism. In addition, proposals must elaborate on the training environment in which the candidate will work and how it will facilitate the candidate’s career development as an independent breast cancer researcher. Proposals with a multidisciplinary research approach to breast cancer are highly encouraged but not required.