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Damon Runyon Fellowship Award (2027 cycle, March 2027 deadline)
The Damon Runyon Fellowship Award is a four-year postdoctoral fellowship in cancer-related biomedical research, with a stipend rising from $70,000 in Year 1 to $76,000 in Year 4, plus a $2,000 annual expense allowance, up to $100,000 of medical-school debt repayment for physician-scientists, and a $1,000 annual dependent-child allowance. The next cycle opens 15 January 2027 and closes 15 March 2027 at 16:00 ET, with awards beginning in July, August, September or October 2027. Level 1 (basic scientists) and Level 2 (physician-scientists) have different timing rules.
| Amount / funding | Stipend $70,000 (Year 1), $72,000 (Year 2), $74,000 (Year 3), $76,000 (Year 4) + $2,000 per year expense allowance; 4-year term, years 2–4 contingent on progress reports. Up to $100,000 medical-school debt repayment for physician-scientists (NIH Loan Repayment Program application first). $1,000 per year dependent-child allowance. |
|---|---|
| Deadline | Next cycle: applications open 15 January 2027, due 15 March 2027 at 16:00 ET; selection meeting 8 May 2027; award begins the first day of July, August, September or October 2027. (The overview page body still shows the previous 2026-08-14 deadline; the March 2027 date comes from the official deadlines table.) |
| Start date | First day of July, August, September or October 2027 |
| Level | Postdoc |
| Funding type | full |
| Field | 03 Medicine & Health Sciences |
About this scholarship
The Damon Runyon Fellowship Award is a four-year postdoctoral fellowship in cancer-related biomedical research, with a stipend rising from $70,000 in Year 1 to $76,000 in Year 4, plus a $2,000 annual expense allowance, up to $100,000 of medical-school debt repayment for physician-scientists, and a $1,000 annual dependent-child allowance. The next cycle opens 15 January 2027 and closes 15 March 2027 at 16:00 ET, with awards beginning in July, August, September or October 2027. Level 1 (basic scientists) and Level 2 (physician-scientists) have different timing rules.
Minimum requirements
MD, PhD, MD/PhD, DDS, DVM, DO or equivalent. Level 1: degree no more than 18 months before the deadline, in the sponsor's lab no more than 1 year before the deadline, 100% research time. Level 2: residency/clinical training completed, U.S. board-eligible at start, at least 80% time, before the first assistant-professor appointment.
Application checklist
- Confirm the degree: MD, PhD, MD/PhD, DDS, DVM, DO or equivalent, with a diploma copy
- For Level 1 basic scientists: degree no more than 18 months before the deadline and in the sponsor's lab no more than 1 year before the deadline, with 100% time on Damon Runyon research
- For Level 2 physician-scientists: residency/clinical training completed, U.S. board-eligible at start, at least 80% time, and apply before the first assistant-professor appointment
- Confirm the sponsor is tenured/tenure-track or equivalent at a university, hospital or research institution, and that no more than two fellows per sponsor applies
- Confirm no prior accepted postdoctoral fellowship award (a T32 may be held at application but not concurrently) and that the project is not a direct extension of graduate work; apply when the cycle opens on 15 January 2027, before 15 March 2027 at 16:00 ET
Application tips
- The March 2027 date comes from the official deadlines table — ignore the older August 2026 date still visible in the overview page body.
- Level 1 and Level 2 have different time clocks (18 months since degree vs board-eligibility and pre-assistant-professor status) — apply under the correct level.
- Non-U.S. citizens may apply only for research at a U.S.-based institution; U.S. citizens may apply abroad only for outstanding or transformative opportunities.
- Physician-scientists should start the NIH Loan Repayment Program application first if they want the debt-repayment benefit.
Always verify deadline, amount and eligibility on the official page before applying. Values marked ESTIMATE are based on a previous cycle and are not confirmed for the current round.
Tags: damon runyon, cancer, postdoctoral fellowship, biomedical