Program Description

The Damon Runyon Fellowship identifies the nation’s top postdoctoral fellows and provides funding that enables them to complete their training under the mentorship of a leading senior scientist and encourages them to follow their own bold ideas.  At the end of the Fellowship, there are often a select few who have greatly exceeded the Foundation’s highest expectations.  These spectacular young scientists are the most likely to make paradigm-shifting breakthroughs that transform the way we prevent, diagnose and treat cancer.  To catapult their research careers—and their impact on cancer—the Foundation will make an additional investment in these exceptional individuals by selecting them as recipients of the Dale F. Frey Award for Breakthrough Scientists.

In doing so, the Foundation will:

• provide additional financial support to enable these scientists to continue the pursuit of bold and innovative ideas
• accelerate the path to independence
• encourage a continued career in cancer research

Selection Criteria

• Exceptional productivity and significant accomplishments during the Damon Runyon Fellowship
• Potential of the applicant to become a leader in the field of cancer research
• Potential of the research to impact the prevention, diagnosis or treatment of one or more forms of cancer

All Dale F. Frey Awards are approved by the Board of Directors of the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation acting upon the recommendation of the Fellowship Award Committee (FAC).

This award was created to honor Dale F. Frey, retired Chairman of the Damon Runyon Board of Directors, in recognition of his sixteen years of visionary leadership.

Eligibility

Damon Runyon Fellows are eligible to apply in the third year of their Fellowship.  Currently, Damon Runyon Fellows selected in November 2009 and May 2010 (DRG-109-10 and DRG-2035-10 to DRG-2066-10) are eligible to apply.
    ›  Fellows who have terminated their awards early to accept an independent academic faculty position or other funding are eligible.
    ›  Fellows who have moved to a position at a for-profit organization are not eligible.

Fellows may only apply once, at the deadline date that correlates with their award selection date.

Funding

• The award is $100,000 paid over one year and must be expended within two years of the initial award date.
• All awards will be made to the host institution for the support of the designated investigator.
• The funds are intended to be flexible and can be used for a variety of scientific needs including the awardee’s salary, salaries for professional and technical personnel, equipment, supplies, and other miscellaneous items required to conduct the research.  Funds may also be used to defray the cost of the recipient’s healthcare benefits.
• Should the awardee move to an independent position at another institution during the award period, the funds may be transferred to the new institution.
• The award cannot be used for indirect costs or institutional overhead.

Reporting

SCIENTIFIC

All reports are kept strictly confidential.  The reports serve as an auditing tool to monitor research progress and award impact.

At the completion of the award, the awardee must submit:
1.    A summary of research performed during the award and evaluation of the results.  The summary should be technical, but targeted to a general scientific audience.  Figures and references may be included if appropriate. 
2.    A lay abstract of total accomplishments over the term of the award, including impact of the research on cancer.
3.    A statement indicating how the Dale F. Frey Award made a difference to the Scientist.
4.    A statement of future plans.
5.    An up-to-date curriculum vitae.
6.    A completed intellectual property disclosure form.

FINANCIAL

The institution’s financial officer must maintain a separate account including receipts for each award, and this account must be available for audit by representatives of the Foundation.  All funds must be expended within two years of the initial award date.  Reports of expenditures on forms provided by the Foundation must be submitted within 30 days of the end of each year.  Upon expiration of the award, a final report of expenditures, with the refund of any unexpended balance, must also be submitted within 30 days.

Financial Expenditure Report Preparation Guidelines:
Please use the Damon Runyon Frey Award Financial Expenditure Report form provided by the Foundation.

Monies may be used to cover salary (investigator, technical staff, students and postdoctoral fellows) and/or research costs (supplies, equipment, etc.).  Funds may also be used to defray the cost of the recipient’s healthcare benefits.

Publications/Presentations

Publications (including abstracts of presentations at scientific or clinical meetings) resulting from projects supported by the Foundation must carry the following acknowledgment: “[Name of Awardee] is supported (in part) by the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation (DFS-#[___]).”

Contact the Foundation at katie.greis@damonrunyon.org if you do not know your DFS#.

Awardees are also encouraged to identify themselves as a recipient of the Dale F. Frey Award of the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation when presenting their work at professional conferences.  Download a copy of the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation logo for inclusion in PowerPoint presentations or posters.

Terms of the Award

All awards are made to the host institution for support of the designated Dale F. Frey Scientist.  An award does not constitute an employer-employee relationship between the Foundation and the recipient.

Dale F. Frey Scientists are permitted to obtain additional awards or grants.
 
The Scientist must commit at least 80% of his/her full-time professional effort to research activities.

Should the awardee wish to leave the designated institution or modify any aspect of the award, he or she must seek approval from the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation in advance.  Failure to comply with this requirement may jeopardize any future awards to the institution and/or awardee by the Foundation.

All awardees must adhere to the terms of both our award statement and our invention policy.

Application Guidelines

Important Dates

Application deadline:  July 16, 2012
Selection meeting:  November 9, 2012
* The award will begin immediately following the term of the original Fellowship.  For those whose Fellowships have already ended, the award will begin on January 1, 2013.

Deadlines

(Please note: completed applications and CDs or DVDs must be in our office by 4:00 pm (ET) on the deadline—NOT simply postmarked by the due date.)
Applications are due on or before July 16, 2012.

Damon Runyon Fellows selected in November 2009 and May 2010 (DRG-109-10 and DRG-2035-10 to DRG-2066-10) are eligible to apply.

Application Materials

1.    Application cover sheet with all required signatures
2.    A brief a) summary of research progress and accomplishments under the Damon Runyon Fellowship, b) description of research vision and its potential impact on cancer, and c) description and projected timeline (next 5-10 years) of career goals (parts a, b and c not to exceed 2 pages in total of single-spaced, 12-point type with at least 0.5 inch margins)
3.    Updated curriculum vitae, including full bibliography, a list of conferences and seminars attended and presentations given over the course of the award, and other honors or awards received

Application Submission Instructions

The above application materials should be submitted to the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation for arrival at our offices on or before July 16.  Along with the original application (hard copy), applicants must submit a CD or DVD of all the required materials IN PDF FORMAT.

Please number your pdf files to correspond to the required materials listing below.  To ensure proper organization of the files, please name all your files as:

Fellow’s last name, file #

REQUIRED MATERIALS
1.    Application cover sheet
2.    Two-page research description
3.    Curriculum vitae

AND two reference letters using the Foundation’s form (sent directly to the Foundation by referees)

ON THE CD or DVD (NOT THE CASE), PLEASE CLEARLY LABEL THE FELLOW’S NAME.

Send Complete Application and CD or DVD to:

Award Programs
Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation
One Exchange Plaza
55 Broadway, Suite 302
New York, NY  10006

FAXED OR E-MAILED APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED

Reference Letters

Referees must submit their letters using our reference letter form on or before the application deadline.  Please download and send the form to your referees or direct them to our website (www.damonrunyon.org).
Two (2) letters of reference from 1) current Damon Runyon Fellowship Sponsor and 2) a qualified individual, external to the institution where the applicant is completing his/her postdoctoral research, who can evaluate the applicant’s impact in the field of cancer research and assess his/her potential for successful independent cancer research.  The second referee may not have any of the following relationships with the applicant: collaborator, coauthor or formal mentor.  Referees are asked to rank the applicant’s research and leadership potential in comparison with others at a comparable career stage.

Referees must use the reference letter form and e-mail (freyaward@damonrunyon.org) OR fax (917.591.4780) their letters to the Foundation as pdfs on or before the application deadline.  Do not follow up with a hard copy.  For referees who are writing letters on behalf of more than one applicant, please submit each letter separately.

Note: Please notify the Foundation immediately of any changes to your contact information provided in the application.