Beginning investigators

Global Education and Training Initiative (GETI)
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Beginning investigators

Beginning investigators

Advance your career by visiting another institute: American Cancer Society international fellowships for beginning investigators (ACSBI).

The ACSBI fellowship emphasizes the transfer of knowledge from the host institute to others at the home institute. It offers the fellow the opportunity to be mentored by experts in the chosen field, receive hands on experience in clinical, behavioural or basic research, intellectual stimulation, research guidance, narrative transfer and many other opportunities to evolve scientifically and academically.

The goals include not only developing future leaders in cancer research in low/middle income countries, but also facilitating a global effort in cancer prevention and control. This will be done by developing the necessary intellectual infrastructure in home countries (since ACSBI fellows must return to their home institute), encouraging collaborative interactions to facilitate interdisciplinary basic and applied cancer research, and establishing a network of researchers and translational scientists for rapid dissemination of new knowledge and technology in developing and sharing of best practices.

Since its inception, the ACSBI fellowships have contributed to the development of the professional capacity of over 450 Fellows from over 63 countries.

- Click here to apply -

Target candidates

 Strong preference will be given to research investigators, clinician scientist, epidemiologists, public health professionals from low-, lower-middle- and upper-middle-income countries, as defined by the World Bank.

Duration

 12 months
Extension Up to 12 months with funding secured by the fellow from other sources and at no cost to the UICC
Available 6-8 per year
Value US $50,000 each for travel and stipend
Application closing date 1 November
Notification of result April the following year
2013 results Click here to read the fellowship award recipients list

Objectives
  • To foster a bi-directional flow of research knowledge, experience, expertise, and innovation between countries
  • To support the promotion of cancer control in developing countries through epidemiology, cancer control etc
  • To advance the academic career development of beginning cancer investigators through clinical, behavioural or translational research projects

Goals
  • Increased research capacity
  • Building up of infrastructure capacity at the home institution Cancer control
  • Reduced burden of cancer in own country
  • Development of individuals to disseminate and apply learned skills and knowledge upon return to home institute

Eligibility
  • Be a beginning investigator or clinician in the early stages of their independent investigator career and must possess a terminal*, advanced degree with a desire to become an independent investigator
  • Applicants are to be in the early phases of their career and no longer under research mentoring.
  • Hold an academic university or hospital position with an explicit commitment to return to the home institute
  • Conduct the research at not-for-profit institutions. 

Please note that this is not a first post doctoral fellowship
  • Fellowships cannot be granted to candidates who are already physically present at the proposed host institute whilst their applications are under consideration.

Research plan
  • Applied* or clinical* or translational* cancer research projects will receive funding preference, particularly meritorious applications from the target candidate group.
  • We especially encourage epidemiology applications

Annual competitive selection is conducted by an international panel of experts based on:

  • the scientific evaluation of the research plan
  • the experience and qualifications of the candidate
  • the suitability of the host organization and host supervisor
  • appropriate duration
  • a telephone interview with the candidate
  • the availability of appropriate facilities and resources to apply and disseminate the acquired skills upon return to the home organization

Note: This is not a clinical training fellowship

Unsolicited applications will not be accepted from, nor will fellowships be awarded for, the support of research conducted at for-profit institutions nor will any projects concerning human embryonic stem cells or human fetal stem cells and tissue be funded by ACS.

*Definitions

Terminal degree: is generally accepted as the highest degree in a field of study. An earned academic (or research) doctorate such as a Doctor of Philosophy is considered the terminal degree in most academic fields of study in some countries. Many professional degrees are also considered terminal degrees because they are the highest professional degree in the field, even though "higher" research degrees exist.

Applied research: is directed towards achieving specific objectives such as the development of a new drug, diagnostic test or procedure, therapy, or surgical procedure. It involves the application of existing knowledge, much of which is obtained through basic research, to a specific biomedical problem. It can be conducted with animals, non-animal alternatives such as computer models or tissue cultures, or with humans.

Clinical research: builds upon knowledge learned through basic and applied research, and is conducted on human beings, usually in a hospital, clinical or community setting.  The knowledge obtained from this research results in establishing treatments and drugs, psychosocial and behavioral interventions, or policy changes that directly improve human health, quality of life or healthcare delivery. 

Translational Research: is the translation of novel findings obtained from basic research laboratories into testable hypotheses for evaluation in clinical trials in human subjects.

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