Physician-scientists who are both clinically trained and expert researchers are essential to the successful translation of scientific discovery into more effective patient therapies. They have the unique capacity to blend their insights from treating patients and working in the laboratory in a way that enables and accelerates medical advances. However, the pipeline of physician-scientists is dwindling. The decline in this vital cadre of cancer researchers is occurring at a time when cancer research holds the greatest promise of improving survival and quality of life among cancer patients. A growing shortage of physician-scientists means that major laboratory research discoveries will progress to patient application ever more slowly. If the shortage continues unabated, some may not reach patient application at all, thus presenting a crisis in cancer research.

There are two major obstacles to recruiting more physicians into research careers:

Financial: By the time physicians have completed medical school and their clinical training, they are in their late 20s or early 30s. They are buying homes and starting families. Many also finish medical school with significant educational debt (averaging >$200,000). If they go into private practice, they can immediately begin earning several hundred thousand dollars a year. If they choose research careers, they will earn considerably less, more in the range of $70,000-$100,000. Therefore, many physicians who are interested in research feel they cannot afford that career.

Opportunity: Unless a physician is enrolled in a joint MD/PhD program upon entering medical school, it is very difficult to obtain the extensive research training necessary to perform cutting-edge cancer research after medical school. Physicians who decide later in medical school or during their clinical fellowship that they are drawn to research (“late bloomers”) find themselves at a disadvantage, because they lack sufficient research experience to be competitive with MD/PhD scientists for existing funding opportunities.

In an effort to confront the crisis arising from a growing dearth of physician-scientists, Damon Runyon wishes to encourage more physicians to pursue research careers. To do so, the Foundation established a program designed to recruit outstanding U.S. Specialty Board eligible physicians into cancer research careers by providing them with the opportunity for a protected research training experience under the mentorship of a highly qualified and gifted mentor after they have completed all of their clinical training. The goals are a) to transform these individuals into the highest quality physician-scientists, capable of conducting research that has the potential to transform the diagnosis, treatment and/or prevention of cancer and b) to eliminate the financial disincentive to entering this career path.

This award will provide a funding source that will enable these individuals to pursue research intensively (at least 80% effort) for up to four years, while, if they wish to maintain their clinical skills, continuing to be clinically active (no more than 20% effort). With the recognition that very few other funding sources (if any) exist to support these developing physician-scientists, this award is structured to provide recipients with significant salary support and necessary research expenses, with the expectation that their institutions will provide an environment and additional support (such as benefits and institutional overhead) to ensure their success. In addition, the Foundation will retire up to $100,000 of any medical school debt still owed by an award recipient.

Selection and Review

The Physician-Scientist Training Award Committee will review applications and select awardees for approval by the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation’s Board of Directors.

At the beginning of each review session the following Biases Statement is read aloud: As an organization, the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation seeks to promote gender equality and increase diversity, in all of its forms, throughout our programs. Studies have demonstrated that often subtle and unconscious biases can dramatically affect outcomes in review processes and that by simply acknowledging that unconscious biases exist, we can combat their potential negative impact. To that end, please be aware of your potential unconscious biases when reviewing, scoring and discussing candidates and applications throughout the review process.

The primary criteria used to evaluate applicants are:

• The quality of the applicant, their commitment to pursuing a research career, and potential to excel in cancer research.
• The capacity of the Mentor to provide a robust training experience that will accelerate the development of the applicant’s scientific skills and prepare them to independently conduct high quality, innovative cancer-related research. The Mentor must have generated a proven track record in the successful training of other MDs or DOs in research careers.
• The quality of a formal research proposal written by the applicant in a process that is overseen by their Mentor (importance of the problem, originality and feasibility of the proposed approach, appropriateness of technical aspects of the research plan, and clarity of presentation).
• The commitment of the institution to the development and training of future physician-scientists, including providing the necessary protected time for research.
• The importance of the proposed research to the understanding of cancer and/or prevention, diagnosis or treatment of cancer.

Funding

The award will be for a period of four years. Funding will be allocated to the awardee’s institution each year for the support of the scientist. Funds are to be used for stipend and/or research expenses. No part of this grant can be used for indirect costs or institutional overhead.

Year 1 - $100,000
Year 2 - $110,000
Year 3 - $120,000
Year 4 - $130,000
(Total $460,000)

Debt Repayment Program

The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation will retire up to $100,000 of any qualifying medical school debt still owed by the awardee. Payment will be made annually over the course of the award.
Note: Qualified candidates must first apply to the NIH Loan Repayment Program in order to be eligible for loan repayment from Damon Runyon (see Terms of the Award below).

Dependent Child Allowance

The Foundation also provides a Dependent Child Allowance of $1,000 per child per year. (There is no allowance for a spouse.) Eligible Physician-Scientists must submit a dependent child allowance form and a copy of the birth or adoption certificate for each child.

Other Funding

Awardees may receive funding from other sources to support their research. However, no other physician-scientist career development award from a private source or federal government (e.g., K08 or K23) may be held concurrently with this award.

Letter of Commitment from Institution/Department

A letter endorsed by both the Dean or Center Director, and the Head/Chair of the Department, should (1) confirm the applicant’s and Mentor’s academic appointments, (2) state the institution’s commitment to support the applicant’s research efforts, the nature of the support that will be provided, and guarantee a minimum of 80% protected time for the applicant’s research to fulfill the terms of the award. The Foundation will monitor the awardee’s protected time during the course of the award to ensure that this commitment is being met.

Terms of the Award

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

Please note: The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation will not modify the terms of its policies at the request of individual institutions. Policies have been approved by our Board of Directors, and we do not have the resources to negotiate separately with the many institutions that receive our support.

All awards are made to the sponsoring institution for support of the designated Physician-Scientist. An award does not constitute an employer-employee relationship between the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation and the awardee.

Physician-Scientists must devote their principal time and effort (at least 80%) to research activities.

The Damon Runyon Foundation will allow up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave for birth/adoptive parents consistent with their institution’s policy. The Foundation must be notified in advance of the leave.

If the awardee transitions to a fully independent assistant professorship appointment (or equivalent) during the award term, they must terminate the award.

If the awardee's title changes to Assistant Professor (or equivalent), Damon Runyon will only continue their funding if the institution supplies a written statement confirming that:

• The Physician-Scientist, as Assistant Professor, will not be receiving their own independent laboratory space and/or start-up package (indicators of a fully independent faculty position),
• the Physician-Scientist is remaining in their Mentor’s lab in a training position equivalent to a postdoctoral position, and
• the Physician-Scientist will continue to dedicate at least 80% of their time to research.

*Please note that the purpose of this policy is not to delay promotion to independent faculty positions, but to ensure that our funding is used to help early career physician-scientists become qualified and eligible to obtain those positions.

Medical School Loan Repayment Program for Physician-Scientists

The Damon Runyon Physician-Scientist Training Award is designed to encourage more physicians to pursue research careers.  As part of this award program, the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation (the “Foundation”) will pay up to $100,000 of outstanding medical school loans of Damon Runyon Physician-Scientist Training Award recipients pursuant to the below policy.

Note: Qualified candidates must first apply to the NIH Loan Repayment Program in order to be eligible for loan repayment from Damon Runyon.

Qualifying loans: Debt incurred for tuition and direct educational expenses during medical school and any interest thereon.  (Loans for general items or living expenses [e.g., housing, transportation, and consumables] do not qualify for this program.)  Loans must be from a government entity, academic institution, or commercial or chartered lending institution.  Qualifying medical school loans, which have been combined or refinanced with non-qualifying loans, will be partially eligible based on the ratio of eligible and ineligible expenses included.

Eligibility and amount of support: Up to $100,000 debt will be paid in the aggregate over the four-year award period not to exceed $25,000 in any one-year period, if the following conditions are met:

(i) Participants in this program must submit documentation regarding the loans (e.g., receipts and supporting documents for tuition and directly related expenses, loan agreements, and payment information) to the Foundation within one month of acceptance of a Physician-Scientist Training Award to determine whether they qualify for this program. Documentation of loan status and payment information must be provided to the Foundation annually, no later than one month prior to the award renewal date, as a condition of continued participation.
(ii) Participants enrolled in NIH-sponsored loan repayment programs or any other debt relief programs must disclose the details of such agreements to the Foundation.
(iii) Participants must agree to refund all amounts paid under this loan repayment program if they terminate the Physician-Scientist Training Award prior to completion of the four-year term.

Payments: For each year of eligibility, the Foundation will pay directly to each lender an amount representing the total payments owed by the participant for all qualifying loans for that year up to an aggregate maximum of $25,000 (“Annual Debt Payments”).  If the participant has qualifying loans with annual payments in excess of $25,000, the Foundation, in its discretion, will determine which loans it will pay.

Consolidated loans: Participants must submit the loan agreement for consolidated loans as well as loan agreements for each of the underlying loans.

Leave without pay: Loan repayments will not be made during leaves of absence unless written permission is granted by the Foundation.

Obligations not qualifying for repayment: (i) Loans not obtained from a government entity, academic institution, or a commercial or other chartered lending institution such as loans from friends, relatives, or other individuals.  (ii) Delinquent loans, loans in default, loans not current in their payment schedule, or loans already repaid.  (iii) Late fees, penalty fees, additional interest charges, or collection costs.

Reimbursement for increased income tax liabilities: Loan repayments made to lenders represent taxable income to program participants.  This income will be reported annually to the IRS and may result in an increase in participants’ Federal, State, and Local tax liabilities.  To offset tax liability increases, the Foundation will approximate the added liability using the applicable tax rates each year and pay this amount directly to the participant at the time of each repayment (“Additional Tax Payment”).  For purposes of the foregoing, the assumed tax rate shall be determined by the Foundation, in its sole discretion, and may or may not equal the tax rate that actually applies to the participant.

Payback Agreement: If a participant in this program terminates their Physician-Scientist Training Award prior to the end of the award term, the Foundation shall, in its sole discretion, be entitled to require repayment by the participant of all Annual Debt Payments and Additional Tax Payments.  The Foundation reserves the right to waive this payback requirement if the participant continues to conduct cancer research after early termination of the Physician-Scientist Training Award.  This payback will be paid over the same period of time and in the same amounts as the initial payments by the Foundation.

Transfers or Termination

Should the Physician-Scientist wish to discontinue the project, leave the designated institution or modify any aspect of the award, they must seek approval from the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation in advance. Failure to comply with this requirement will result in an immediate termination and may jeopardize any future awards to the institution by the Foundation.

The award will be granted for a period of four years and is subject to review and approval each year as set out under the terms and conditions.