2026 Cancer Research Institute (CRI) Irvington Postdoctoral Fellowship Program

Eligibility

• Applicants must have a doctoral degree by the date of award activation and must conduct their proposed research under a sponsor who holds a formal appointment as an assistant professor or higher rank at the host institution.
• Applicants must be working in areas directly related to immunology or cancer immunology. An eligible project must fall into the broad field of immunology with relevance to solving the cancer problem.
• Applicants who will have 5 or more years of mentored research experience at the time of award activation are not eligible, with the exception of M.D. applicants, who should not include years of residency in this calculation. Applicants should use their doctoral degree conferral date when calculating eligibility.
• Only in exceptional circumstances will applicants who have already spent 3 or more years in a sponsor’s laboratory by the start date of fellowship be considered for a fellowship award.
• The fellowship can be performed in the United States or abroad but must take place at a non-profit institution. There are no citizenship restrictions.
• Only 1 fellow per sponsor may apply per application round, and faculty sponsors may not have more than 3 CRI-supported fellows at any time.
• Resubmissions: Applicants are permitted to resubmit their fellowship application at a subsequent deadline provided that the new application is improved to reflect progress. Changes to the application should be addressed within the subsequent application.

Summary

The CRI Irvington Postdoctoral Fellowship Program is one of the most prestigious training opportunities in immunology and cancer immunology. It supports outstanding young researchers at the world’s leading universities and research institutions, providing the resources, mentorship, and professional development needed to launch independent scientific careers at the forefront of discovery.

Financial Support

Fellowships provide three years of support, including a stipend of $74,000, $76,000, and $78,000 in years 1-3. The host institution receives a $5,000 annual allowance for use at the sponsor’s discretion to cover costs such as research supplies, conference travel, health insurance, or childcare. CRI also provides dedicated support for fellows to attend the CRI Bioinformatics Bootcamp. Deductions for administrative overhead are not allowed from either the stipend or the institutional allowance.

Deadlines

The application deadlines are March 1 and September 1 annually; when those dates fall on the weekend or holiday, applications are due the following workday. Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on these dates. Applicants are notified of fellowship committee decisions within approximately 10-12 weeks of the application deadline.

Fellowships can be activated 4 months after the application deadline but no later than 1 year following the deadline. Awards activate on the first of the month.

Overhead

Deductions for administrative overhead are not allowed from either the stipend or the institutional allowance.

Application deadlines

Program application deadline

Application deadlines

RSO Detailed Review Deadline (Spring Intake)

RSO Final Internal Review Deadline (Spring Intake)

Program Application Deadline (Spring Intake)

RSO Detailed Review Deadline (Fall Intake)

RSO Final Internal Review Deadline (Fall Intake)

Program Application Deadline (Fall Intake)

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 fellowships@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.

Instructions for Applying

The application process requires you to access CRI’s Application Portal for institutional signatures and certification.

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Application Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

Invention Disclosure Form

Annual Invention Update Form

Standard Revenue Sharing Agreement