Rita Allen Foundation Scholars Program
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Limiting Language
One nominated candidate per eligible institution is accepted per year
Program Overview
The Rita Allen Foundation Scholars program funds basic biomedical research in the fields of cancer, immunology, and neuroscience, as well as pain, through the Rita Allen Foundation Award in Pain. The Rita Allen Foundation Scholars program has supported more than 200 scientists since 1976. The program embraces innovative research with above-average risk and groundbreaking possibilities. Scholars have gone on to win the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine, the National Medal of Science, the Wolf Prize in Medicine and the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences.
Full sponsor guidelines are linked here.
Award Amount
Scholars can receive up to $110,000 per year for a maximum of five years. Recipients of the Award in Pain can be granted $50,000 per year for up to three years.
Eligibility
To be eligible for a Rita Allen Foundation Scholars Award, candidates must either apply through the Scholars Award in Pain or be nominated by an eligible institution and have completed their training and provided persuasive evidence of distinguished achievement or extraordinary promise in research in one of the relevant fields (cancer, immunology, neuroscience. or pain). United States citizenship is not a requirement; however, awardees must be legally employed at the time of application at a U.S. degree-granting or research institution that is an invited participant in the Rita Allen Foundation Scholars Program. Awards are made to the 501(c)(3) organization; awards are not made to an individual. Scholars must perform research at a non-profit institution in the U.S. during the entire period of Rita Allen Foundation support.
Institutions should consider the following when considering whom to nominate for the Rita Allen Foundation Scholars program:
- Candidates should be independent investigators in the early stages of their careers and research.
- The caliber of early-stage investigators suggests nominees would be appointed to tenure-track positions at their respective institutions.
- It is preferable that candidates be in the first three years of their tenure track. (This is taken into consideration in the rating of applications by the Scientific Advisory Committee.)
- A senior postdoc should not be a candidate; wait until s/he is in a tenure-track position, as described.
- Associate professors should not be candidates.
- Candidates must have received committed startup funds from their respective institutions.
- Candidates must have lab space from their institutions.
Rita Allen Foundation Scholars may not accept an award from the Beckman Young Investigator Program, Pew Scholars Program in the Biomedical Sciences, Searle Scholars Program, or Vallee Scholars Program that would take effect beginning in year one of the RAF award. Rita Allen Scholars may apply for awards from these organizations that would take effect beginning in year two of the RAF award. Other sources of funding also may influence selection.