HCC SPORE in Leukemia CEP and DRP
Career Enhancement Program - Request for Applications
The overall goal of the Career Enhancement Program is to bring talented new researchers into the area of Lleukemia research. One priority of this SPORE is to protect the time of translationally oriented young investigators to pursue their careers. The purpose of the Career Enhancement Program of the HCC Leukemia SPORE is to establish a formal process for the identification, selection, and funding of individuals pursuing careers in the study of the basic and clinical aspects of leukemia, with a particular emphasis on translation, and to provide opportunities for one-on-one mentorship with senior HCC SPORE investigators.
Eligibility:
Early career stage faculty members (Instructor or within 5 years of promotion to Assistant Professor) who have not previously successfully competed as PI for a substantial government or foundation independent research award such as an R01 or R01-equivalent. This is not a training program and does not support pre- or post-doctoral fellows, irrespective of whether they are working in the pre-clinical or clinical domain. However, advanced post-doctoral or clinical fellows who provide a letter from an institution stating that the candidate will be joining its faculty within the year are eligible for this program. Investigators supported by NCI career development awards (K series) may also be eligible for support through this program. Clinical, population science, lab-based researchers and computational biologists, and data scientists/cancer bioinformatics scientists are all eligible to apply.
Mentors:
The identification of an appropriate mentor(s) is critical, and potential mentors in our Career Enhancement Program must be members of the faculty at HCC participating institutions. Mentor candidates who are not members of the SPORE will be evaluated based upon commitment, facilities, and environment available for the mentor to assure proper training of the Career Enhancement Program applicant in translational leukemia research.
Submission deadline: Wednesday, July 1, 2026 at 5 PM
Awards are anticipated to be one year starting in August.
Selection Criteria:
- The quality of the science proposed.
- The candidate’s potential for an independently funded research career.
- The dedication of the candidate to a particular clinical problem in leukemia, and their likelihood to remain interested in translational leukemia research in the future.
- The track record of the individual and their potential to contribute to the field.
- If applying for a second year, the progress achieved in the first year and a compelling rationale for how a second year of funding will help achieve the applicant’s career development objectives.
- The programmatic needs of the SPORE. The Career Enhancement selection committee may consider specific current and future needs to build strength in one or more areas, and target selection to these areas. When possible, we will solicit nominations in these areas of concentration when they have been identified.
- Research and mentorship track record of the proposed mentor.
- The potential for the candidate to continue a productive relationship with investigators in the Leukemia SPORE and Cancer Center, including willingness to identify a mentor and involve that person in planning a career in leukemia research.
Application:
Candidates should email their completed application in a single file pdf to: Paige_Tobie@dfci.harvard.edu
The application should contain the following components:
- Project title and names of the candidate and primary mentor
- Research Abstract (½ page)
- Research Proposal to include Background and Relevance, Specific Aims, Preliminary Data, and Experimental Methods. Statistical considerations are necessary. Not to exceed 5 pages, including figures, exclusive of references.
- Translational Objectives of the Proposed Research (1 page)
- Applicant’s Career Goals (1 page); If applying for second year please summarize the progress in the first year including how the original career development objectives were satisfied.
- Mentor’s Letter of Support detailing the mentorship plan
- Applicant’s NIH Biosketch
- Applicant’s Other Support
- Mentor’s NIH Biosketch
- Mentor’s Other Support
- IRB/IACUC approval documents (if applicable)
- Budget and Justification (phs398 format)
- DHHS Rate Agreement
Budget:
Career Enhancement awards will be up to $50,000 direct cost for one year with a chance of re-application for a second year based on merit. Funds should be used to support research activities, including partial salary support for the candidate, research personnel, supplies, travel, and/or other expenses, but cannot be used for the purchase of any large equipment. Funds must be spent within one year (no carryforward allowed). If awarded, indirect costs will be added to the award as appropriate based on the source of funding for each individual award. For this reason, please include only direct costs in your budget.
Related Files
Career Enhancement Program | Developmental Research Project
Developmental Research Project - Request for Applications
The objectives of the Developmental Research Program are to provide a continuous flow of new ideas and projects to stimulate leukemia research in the context of the Leukemia SPORE. It encourages new research directions and methodologies and facilitates collaborations. By providing initial support to pilot projects, it will foster the development of new translational research. It also allows the Leukemia SPORE to have participation and recruitment of investigators outside of areas traditionally associated with leukemia research. This Program will rely on scientific and programmatic review by a Developmental Research Program committee, which will assure selection of the most promising and highest quality projects with high likelihood of translational impact.
Eligibility:
Faculty members at all levels are eligible. Clinical, translational, population science, or lab-based researchers are all eligible.
Submission deadline: Wednesday, July 1, 2026 at 5 PM
Awards are anticipated to be one year starting in August.
Selection Criteria:
Candidates may be either clinicians with an MD degree who are interested in translational research, or scientists with a PhD degree (or an equivalent higher degree), who are interested in the application of basic science to the problems of leukemia therapy. Selection will be made according to the following criteria:
- The quality and novelty of the science proposed.
- Translational nature of the proposed project.
- The dedication of the candidate to a particular clinical problem in leukemia, and their likelihood to remain interested in translational leukemia research in the future.
- The track record of the individual and their potential to contribute to the field.
- The programmatic needs of the SPORE.
Application:
Candidates should email their completed application in a single file pdf to: Paige_Tobie@dfci.harvard.edu
The application should contain the following components:
- Project Title and Names of the Investigator(s)
- Research Abstract (½ page)
- Research Proposal to include Background and Relevance, Specific Aims, Preliminary Data, and Experimental Methods. Statistical considerations are necessary. Not to exceed 5 pages, including figures, exclusive of references.
- Translational Objectives of the Proposed Research (1 page)
- NIH Biosketch of the Applicant(s)
- Other Support of the Applicant(s)
- IRB/IACUC approval documents (if applicable)
- Budget and Justification (phs398 format)
- DHHS Rate Agreement
- Appendix. 2 reprints may be included. Figures may not be included in the Appendix.
Budget:
Developmental Research Projects awards are anticipated to be $75,000 to $100,000 direct costs for 1 year. In general, these awards will support awardees for up to 1 year of funding with a chance of re-application for a second year based on merit. The funds can be used toward the awardees’ salary, research supplies, and/or salaries of researchers. Detailed breakdown of the budget with justification is requested. Funds must be spent within one year (no carryforward allowed). If awarded, indirect costs will be added to the award as appropriate based on the source of funding for each individual award. For this reason, please include only direct costs in your budget.