MRA Young Investigator Awards

Eligibility

• Applicants must be within the first five years of their first independent, full-time
academic faculty appointment at the application deadline, at the level of Assistant
Professor (or equivalent position);
• Applicants must designate at least one Mentor who is an established investigator at the
same institution who will ensure that adequate support and guidance are provided for
successful completion of the proposed research project and provide career mentorship. At
least one Mentor with expertise in melanoma research is strongly advised;
• Applicants who have secured an independent full-time faculty position commencing by June
1, 2026 will be considered; in this case, a letter from an institutional official or department
chairperson confirming the planned date of faculty appointment is required at the time of
application;
• Applicants do not have to be on a tenure-track; however, fellows or others who are in training
positions are not eligible to apply;
• Applicants who are in research support positions are not eligible to apply;
• Applicants who have been awarded a prior MRA Young Investigator Award are not eligible to
apply for an additional MRA Young Investigator Award;
• Applicants may serve as PI on only one proposal submitted to MRA for any of the award
mechanisms in this cycle;
• All Young Investigator applicants must have their eligibility confirmed prior to
submitting an application. Applicants must upload the Applicant Eligibility Checklist
and their biosketch in Proposal Central using the LOI function in the Young Investigator
Award by 11:59 pm ET on September 30, 2025. No LOI is required. MRA will confirm
applicant eligibility by email. 

Summary

Young Investigator Awards aim to attract early career faculty with original ideas into the field of melanoma, thereby recruiting and supporting the next generation of melanoma research leaders. Awardees will be provided funding to accomplish innovative and original, preclinical, translational, and/or early clinical research projects. Young Investigators are scientists within the first five years of their first academic faculty appointment. A mentorship commitment from a senior investigator is required.

Overhead

Indirect costs are not supported.

Pre-application deadlines

RSO internal deadline

Pre-application program deadline

Application deadlines

RSO detailed review deadline

RSO final internal review deadline

Program application deadline

NOTE: Consult your Faculty Associate Dean (Research) (ADR) regarding Faculty-specific deadlines and submission processes.

Principal Investigators: Complete a Research Management System (RMS) record, including a copy of your complete application, and submit this for approvals in RMS.

Postdocs, students, and trainees: For fellowships and externally-sponsored research training awards or opportunities, you must complete the Research Funding Application Approval (RFAA) Trainee PDF form, and submit it, along with a complete copy of the application, to Research Services at rsotrainee@ucalgary.ca. Trainees should not use RMS at this time.

Approvals: The University of Calgary requires that all funding applications be approved prior to submission. Approval requires signatures via either RMS or the RFAA Trainee form, in the following order:

• Principal Investigator
• Department Head
• Faculty ADR/Dean
• Research Services (on behalf of the Vice-President Research)

Read the Meaning of Grant Signatures policy to understand what your approval means. Please see the agency guidelines for details about which signatures are required on your application, as it may differ from internal requirements.

Late submissions: Late submissions will only be accepted in cases of medical or family emergencies, or other exceptional circumstances. If you submit your RMS record to Research Services after the internal deadline has passed, you must secure additional approvals. Please read: Late Applications Process.

RESOURCES

Reminder: The sooner the researcher engages with Research Services, the more help we can be!

Contact the following Research Service units for support with:

Projects Involving Indigenous Research:

Support with incorporating wise practices in Indigenous research, community engagement, and Indigenous data management is available through the Indigenous Research Support Team (IRST).

Applicants can reach out by email to IRST at IRST@ucalgary.ca in advance of the RSO internal deadline. For more information about IRST, please visit the IRST webpage.

Knowledge Mobilization, Research Impact Assessment, DORA:

Support for knowledge mobilization/engagement/translation, community partnerships, research impact, responsible research assessment (DORA), and open science, is available through the Knowledge to Impact team.

Applicants can reach out by email to the KI team at knowledge.impact@ucalgary.ca.

For more information and access to resource archives, please visit the KI team webpage.

Research Data Management:

For information on research data management plans, processes, or best practices for your research program, please contact research.data@ucalgary.ca.

EDI in Research:

RSO can provide resources and support to research teams on the integration of equitable and inclusive practices in research design and research practice.

Contact edi.rso@ucalgary.ca for more information.

Research Security:

The Research Security Division is available to ensure researchers adhere to research security guidelines and policies, including the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships (NSGRP) and the policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC).

Visit the Research Security website to learn more or contact researchsecurity@ucalgary.ca.

Pre-Award Submissions:

RMS: Creating a Pre-Award LOI
RMS: Creating a Pre-Award Application