CRI Irvington Fellowship 2027: $243,000 Funding, Eligibility & Deadline

CRI Irvington Postdoctoral Fellowship at a Glance

The Cancer Research Institute Irvington Postdoctoral Fellowship trains early-career researchers in fundamental immunology and cancer immunology while helping them develop the skills and mentoring needed to progress toward scientific independence.

Research Scope

Eligible projects must fall within immunology or cancer immunology and have clear relevance to solving the cancer problem.

CRI emphasizes hypothesis-driven, mechanistic research in areas including fundamental immunology and tumor immunology.

The application should show:

• how the research will advance understanding of the immune system’s role in cancer;
• how the proposed training will provide new scientific skills and approaches;
• why the sponsor and research environment are appropriate; and
• how the training will move the applicant toward scientific independence.

Eligibility Requirements

Doctoral degree

Applicants must have completed a doctoral degree by the date the fellowship is activated.

Mentored research experience

Applicants who will have five or more years of mentored research experience at the activation date are not eligible.

CRI instructs applicants to use their doctoral-degree conferral date when calculating eligibility.

MD applicants do not include residency years in this calculation.

Time in the sponsor’s laboratory

Applicants who will already have spent three or more years in the proposed sponsor’s laboratory by fellowship start are considered only in exceptional circumstances.

Nationality

CRI imposes no citizenship restriction.

Host institution

The fellowship may be conducted in the United States or abroad, but the host organisation must be a nonprofit institution.

Stipend and Financial Support

Across three years, the fellowship therefore provides $228,000 in stipend funding plus $15,000 in institutional allowances, for total support of $243,000.

Institutional allowance

The sponsor may use the annual $5,000 allowance for eligible fellowship-related expenses such as:

• research supplies;
• conference travel;
• health insurance; and
• childcare.

The CRI fellowship must remain the fellow’s primary source of stipend funding. Supplementation is allowed, but fellows cannot simultaneously hold another postdoctoral fellowship.

Sponsor and Training-Environment Requirements

The proposed sponsor must hold a formal appointment as an Assistant Professor or higher at the host institution.

The sponsor is responsible for direct supervision of the proposed research and for providing an appropriate training environment.

Limits for sponsors

• Only one Irvington applicant per sponsor may apply in each application round.
• A faculty sponsor may not have more than three CRI-supported fellows at one time.

Co-mentors

Co-mentors can be included. Where co-mentors are used, CRI’s FAQ requires a joint support letter and relevant CV or biosketch documentation.

Remaining in the graduate laboratory

CRI encourages fellows to obtain new training experience. Applicants remaining in the laboratory where they completed graduate training should clearly explain how the proposed fellowship provides substantial new scientific training and development.

Current Application Requirements

Applicant background

Brief description of research background and accomplishments: maximum 500 words.

Training goals

Description of knowledge and skill gaps and how the proposed training will address them: maximum 250 words.

Other funding

Applicants list other funding sources to which applications have been or will be submitted, including due dates.

CV and bibliography

Applicant CV and bibliography are required. CRI prefers an NIH biosketch format.

Project summary

Summary of the project and its relevance to cancer immunology: maximum 500 words.

Lay abstract

A non-technical English abstract explaining significance and potential clinical relevance: maximum 250 words.

Specific aims

Specific aims are limited to 500 words.

Research proposal

The concise proposal covers background, significance, materials and methods and is limited to:

Tables and figures count within the four-page research-proposal limit. References do not.

Sponsor documentation

The application also requires:

• sponsor support letter;
• sponsor CV or biosketch;
• list of the sponsor’s current research support.

Recommendation Letters

CRI requires exactly two recommendation letters.

1. One should normally be from the applicant’s thesis adviser.
2. The second should be from another individual well acquainted with the applicant’s research.

If the proposed sponsor was also the applicant’s thesis adviser, the applicant should contact CRI for specific instructions.

Recommendation letters must be received by the fellowship application deadline.

How Applications Are Evaluated

CRI’s current programme page identifies the following major considerations:

• candidate qualifications and research track record;
• future potential and path toward independence;
• strength of the proposed sponsor;
• quality of the training environment;
• scientific significance;
• innovation; and
• feasibility of the proposed project.

Applicants are normally informed of Fellowship Committee decisions approximately 10–12 weeks after the deadline.

How to Apply for the March 2027 Round

1. Confirm that your research project fits immunology or cancer immunology.
2. Confirm that your mentored research experience will remain below five years at fellowship activation.
3. Identify an eligible nonprofit host institution.
4. Confirm that your sponsor holds an Assistant Professor or higher appointment.
5. Check that the sponsor is eligible to support an application in the current round.
6. Prepare the applicant background and training-needs sections.
7. Prepare the project summary, lay abstract and specific aims.
8. Complete the maximum four-page research proposal.
9. Prepare your CV or NIH biosketch.
10. Obtain the sponsor letter, sponsor biosketch and research-support information.
11. Arrange exactly two recommendation letters.
12. Complete the institutional certification and DocuSign process through the CRI Grants Portal.
13. Ensure every required signature and attachment is complete before 1 March 2027 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.

When Can the Fellowship Start?

CRI does not prescribe one universal start date.

Fellowships may activate no earlier than four months after the relevant application deadline and no later than one year after that deadline.

Awards activate on the first day of a month.

CareerAidHub Applicant Guidance

Make the training case explicit

CRI evaluates not only the research question but also what new abilities the applicant will acquire. Clearly distinguish the skills you already possess from those the fellowship environment will add.

Avoid making the proposal look like the sponsor’s project

The sponsor letter must indicate whether the application was written by the applicant and identify the source of preliminary data. Your scientific ownership should therefore be clear throughout the proposal.

Explain laboratory continuity if applicable

If you are remaining in your doctoral laboratory or have already spent substantial time with the proposed sponsor, explain why the fellowship still provides meaningful new scientific training.

Plan institutional signatures early

The DocuSign certification creates an additional administrative dependency. Do not treat 11:59 p.m. Eastern on March 1 as your personal drafting deadline.

Researchers comparing related opportunities can review CareerAidHub’s current postdoctoral fellowships, NIH F32 Postdoctoral Fellowship guide, and Postdoctoral Fellowships.