The National Foundation for Cancer Research (NFCR) Graduate Fellowship Program for Biomedical Research and Data Science for Cancer Research is designed to support exceptional doctoral students who are applying to or have been admitted to PhD programs at accredited research universities in biomedical research and data science, or closely related quantitative fields, and who are committed to advancing data-driven cancer research aligned with NFCR’s mission.
The program provides stable, multi-year financial support covering full tuition, a competitive stipend, and health insurance. By alleviating financial uncertainty, the fellowship enables fellows to focus fully on rigorous doctoral training and high-impact research that advances fundamental discovery and accelerates translation to patient benefit.
Fellow Selection Criteria:
1. Academic Excellence
Strong undergraduate performance and outstanding results on graduate admission tests (such as the GRE), particularly in quantitative reasoning.
2. Doctoral Program Status
Application to or admission into a full-time PhD program in biomedical research, data science, or a related field at an accredited U.S. university.
3. Mission Alignment
Research interests and career goals are consistent with advancing biomedical and cancer-related research in support of NFCR’s mission.
4. Professional Experience and Leadership
Experience in a highly competitive analytical or consulting environment, demonstrating advanced problem-solving ability, leadership, and strong communication skills.
5. Research Potential
Prior experience in quantitative, data-analytical, or computational research and evidence of the ability to conduct innovative, high-impact scientific work.
6. Interdisciplinary Orientation
Demonstrated ability to work across disciplines such as statistics, data science, biology and machine learning.
7. Mentorship and Research Environment
Strength of the proposed academic environment and the quality of faculty mentorship.
Requirements for the Application will include:
» Official current transcripts from all prior colleges and universities (including any Master’s-level coursework)
» Graduate Admission Test Results (such as the GRE)
» Proof of doctoral program status (a copy of the application or admission letter)
» Two letters of recommendation and/or professional references
» Résumé or curricula vitae
» Evidence of research potential (e.g., research manuscripts or publications in biomedical research and data science)
» Color photo (headshot preferred)
» Personal Statement demonstrating interdisciplinary orientation, mentorship, and research environment, and alignment with NFCR’s mission.
Please download and complete the PDF linked above, then send it, along with the required documents, to NFCR Director of Institutional Relations Dr. Hali Hartmann.
Why Biomedical Research and Data Science Are Critical to NFCR’s Mission
Cancer research is experiencing a paradigm shift driven by the exponential growth of biomedical, clinical, and population-level data. Advances in genomic and molecular profiling, digital pathology, medical imaging, electronic health records, cancer registries, and real-world clinical data have created unprecedented opportunities—along with significant analytic challenges. These opportunities to advance discovery and accelerate early detection, prevention, intervention, and personalized medicine and treatment are core to NFCR’s mission to make cures possible for all cancers.
Biomedical research and data science are essential for transforming complex, high-dimensional data into reliable scientific knowledge and meaningful clinical impact.
Why NFCR Invests in Graduate Training
NFCR’s mission to conquer cancer requires sustained investment in the people who will lead future scientific breakthroughs that could be transformed into life-saving detection, prevention, and treatment approaches. Dedicated fellowship support ensures stable, multi-year funding that allows trainees to pursue ambitious, high-impact cancer research.
