This is a joint competition for VU and VUMC investigators. All investigators should follow these instructions.
Vanderbilt (VU and VUMC, collaboratively) may choose up to two nominees for the V Foundation V Scholar Award program, which is open to research in all adult cancer types. The foundation especially encourages applications from minority ethnic groups underrepresented in science.
The V Foundation aims to “achieve victory over cancer” in part by funding cancer research grants. The V Scholar Award supports early tenure-track faculty by funding a range of projects from laboratory-based fundamental research through bench to bedside research. This is a $200,000 grant paid over two years and does not cover indirect costs.
Note that this adult cancers competition is distinct from the V Foundation Clinical Scholar announcement, which has a due date of Feb. 27, 2020.
Eligibility
This call for applications is specifically for adult cancer research. Additionally, by May 6, 2020, all of the following must apply:
- Applications from minority groups underrepresented in science are encouraged but not required. For this application: African American or of African descent, Hispanic American (non-European) or Native American and/or Alaskan Native would be included in minority groups
- Applicants must hold a tenure-track faculty position as an assistant professor. Non-promotable, adjunct, affiliated, temporary, part-time or acting faculty positions are not eligible for this grant competition.
- Applicants must have been appointed to their first full-time assistant professor position within the last five years, and have not yet been promoted to associate professor.
- Clinical scientists are eligible if their department can demonstrate that it will fully support the research applicant (e.g., dedicated lab space, start-up funds, dedicated research time).
- Applicants must have at least two years postdoctoral (M.D. or Ph.D.) fellowship training. For M.D.s, a minimum of one year is acceptable if only one year is required for the specialty.
- Applicants must be either U.S. citizens or be a permanent legal resident in the United States.
- Applicants may NOT already have an R01 or R01-equivalent grant. As of the foundation’s due date, applicants who have been awarded R01-equivalent grants (project leader on an NIH multi-investigator grant, ACS) as principal investigators or as co-leader at the time of application submission are not eligible for consideration as a V Scholar. In addition, applicants cannot be a co-leader on a SPORE project or (co)PI of the following NIH grant mechanisms: U01, DP1, DP2, R37, R23. In addition, principal investigators for research project grants (RPGs), analogous to NIH/NCI R01 awards, would also be ineligible.
Internal selection process
Anyone interested in being considered as Vanderbilt’s nominee must submit the following (in PDF format) to LSO@vanderbilt.edu by 5 p.m. on Monday, March 9, 2020.
- Brief (2-page maximum) research plan including summary budget;
- Letter of support from department chair/center director;
- Letters must acknowledge that this grant does not allow indirect costs. This statement can be used/modified: “The Department recognizes that this grant does not allow indirect costs and will commit to covering any associated indirect costs per applicable institutional/school policy.” Consult LSO@vanderbilt.edu for further guidance.
- NIH Biosketch or 5-page CV.
Submissions should reference “2020 V Scholar Award-Adult Cancer Research” in the subject line of the email.
Please contact us at LSO@vanderbilt.edu if you have any questions about the program, foundation or internal review process.