Mentored Junior Faculty Fellowship

The Duncan Family Institute Mentored Junior Faculty Fellowship in Cancer Prevention Research supports the critical transition of individuals from training positions to junior faculty, launching them towards research independence. This fellowship fills a gap between support available to postdoctoral fellows and other early career scientists transitioning to a faculty position at the assistant professor level. Ideally, providing continuous support through this critical transition will prevent gaps and launch junior scientists faster towards independent research careers.

This program, developed in collaboration with the Cancer Prevention Research Training Program, extends the long-standing acclaimed prevention research training programs supported in the Division of Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences.

To date, the Duncan Family Institute has provided support for 13 Mentored Junior Faculty Fellows. These appointments are for two years, subject to acceptable progress towards agreed to milestones, transitioning towards career independence through extramural support.

(Closed to new applicants)

About the Fellowship

This funding for a Duncan Family Institute Mentored Junior Faculty Fellowship in Cancer Prevention Research will support the critical transition of individuals from training positions to junior faculty at the instructor level, launching them towards research independence. Such funding fills a gap between support available to postdoctoral fellows and early career scientists transitioning to a faculty position at the assistant professor level. In most cases, fellows will take advantage of the research resources and infrastructure of their faculty mentors and work with them to build and focus their own research projects and scientific agendas. Fellows are expected to develop independence from their mentors’ research focus over the time of the fellowship and to become competitive for assistant professor level positions.

This fellowship supports individuals whose research focus is cancer prevention and control. The Duncan Family Institute supports research in primary, secondary and tertiary prevention. Further, it supports behavioral and lifestyle research studies in individuals and populations across the cancer continuum – healthy people, individuals at elevated risk, cancer patients and cancer survivors.

Examples of research within the scope of this fellowship include: studies targeted to prevention of cancer in healthy individuals; research on prevention of second primary cancers; cancer prevention-relevant molecular and genetic animal studies, such as a chemoprevention study in animals; pilot clinical studies; studies of psychosocial factors that extend survival by reducing co-morbidity and/or improve well-being and quality of life; and research on symptom management and quality of life in cancer patients and survivors. Examples of research studies that are outside the scope of this funding opportunity include: research on prevention of recurrences or metastases and research to predict metastases.

Contact Information

Mickie Lubin, Program Director
Phone: 713-563-2053
mdlubin@mdanderson.org

Jennifer H. Tektiridis, Executive Director
Phone: 713-792-7891
jtektir@mdanderson.org