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Application Period: The application period for the 2024 MSF program is December 20, 2023 - February 15, 2024.

The ASTRO Medical Student Fellowship Award for Underrepresented Populations (formerly the Minority Summer Fellowship Award) introduces medical students from backgrounds that are underrepresented in medicine (URiM) to the discipline of radiation oncology early in their medical education.

Medical students in all years are encouraged to apply. Preference will be given to first- and second-year students. In an effort to promote radiation oncology as a career choice, the fellowship will expose students to clinical, basic and translational research questions in radiation oncology.

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About the MSF Award

All MSF awardees will participate in collaborative research projects, receive expert advice from dedicated mentors, build professional networks with peers and radiation oncology professionals, and gain skills that will help them advance in their academic and professional careers. Award winners will receive a $5,000 package that includes:

  • $3,000 stipend for an eight-week training program
  • $1,000 upon submission of the final report
  • $1,000 toward travel expenses related to the 2025 ASTRO Annual Meeting*

*Award winners must submit an abstract related to their research fellowship project to receive complimentary Annual Meeting registration.

ASTRO mentors whose students are selected to participate in the 2024 program will be eligible to receive the ASTRO-BCRF Medical Student Fellowship: Mentor Award. The Mentor Award includes a $2,000 mentor stipend to support mentor participation. Details on mentor requirements are located in the 2024 MSF Guidelines.


2024 MSF Application and Program Activities Timeline

Members of the Health Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (HEDI) Council's Workforce Diversity Committee oversee application review and awardee selection. Workforce Diversity Committee members are assigned as liaisons to each awardee to communicate on a continual basis, provide informal mentorship, receive updates and keep the awardee connected to ASTRO through various activities. Below is a tentative program schedule for the 2024 MSF Program.
 

Application and Awardee Selection
December 20, 2023Application opens
February 15, 2024Application site closes
February 28 - April 1, 2024Application review and awardee selection period
Early April 20242024 MSF Awardees notified
Program Activities
May 20242024 MSF Awardee Welcome Event for Awardees and Mentors, Mentor orientation session
June through AugustVirtual check-in meetings
December 2024Final Research reports due
January 2025Virtual check-in meeting – ASTRO 2025 abstract submission prep for awardees and mentors
March 2025ASTRO 2025 abstract submissions due
June 2025ASTRO 2025 Annual Meeting registration site opens; 2024 MSF awardees receive complimentary registration
August 2025Virtual check-in meeting – ASTRO 2025 Annual Meeting prep for 2024 MSF awardees and mentors
October 20252024 MSF attendance at 2025 ASTRO meeting

Finding a Mentor

Applicants should identify a mentor of their choosing as part of the application process. Should one need assistance in identifying a mentor, the list of volunteer MSF mentors is available online.


Eligibility and Application Information

Browse eligibility criteria, application details and additional program information below.

 

Eligibility Requirements

The following requirements must be met for a trainee to be considered for the grant:

  • Applicant must be enrolled in a U.S. medical school and be in good standing at the time the application is submitted.
  • Applicants of racial and/or ethnic demographic groups historically underrepresented in medicine (URM). For the purposes of this program, races and ethnicities that have been identified as URM include but are not limited to American Indian/Alaska Native, Black/African American, Hispanic/Latino and Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander are given preference.
  • Applicant must identify a mentor with a successful record of research productivity (more information is available in the application guidelines).
  • The primary mentor (and co-mentor, if there is one) must be an ASTRO member.
  • Research must be initiated at a North American institution during the summer of 2024.
  • The selected institution must have an established research and clinical program and an ACGME-accredited radiation oncology residency program with clinical faculty available to serve as mentors.
  • Letters of commitment from both the mentor and the department chair at the selected institution must accompany the application. The letter of commitment from the mentor should confirm that the institution is able to fund the project.
Application
  • Applications must be submitted in ProposalCentral. Emailed, faxed or mailed applications will not be considered.
  • If you need help creating a ProposalCentral account, please read the instructions.
  • Once you create a ProposalCentral account, log in and click on the "Grant Opportunities" tab, then filter by Grant Maker and select ASTRO from the dropdown menu. Finally, click on the link for the Medical Student Fellowship Application and begin submitting your information.
  • The deadline to apply is Thursday, February 15, 2024.
Stipend and Payment Schedule

The ASTRO Medical Student Fellowship Award will offer students a $5,000 package that includes a $3,000 stipend for an eight-week training program (exceptions can be made for a longer program but will need to be approved by the HEDI Workforce Diversity Committee), $1,000 for the completion of a final report and $1,000 toward the cost of travel for the 2025 Annual Meeting.

May 2024

The awardee will receive a direct payment of $3,000 paid at the beginning of the fellowship upon receipt of a confirmation letter, project timeline and completed W-9 form (awardees will be given more detailed instructions in their notification letters). In the confirmation letter, the attendees will need to attest that the summer fellowship research project can take place during the summer break under the constraints of the ongoing pandemic at their host medical school. ASTRO does not pay indirect costs, overhead costs or salary support for the principal or co-principal investigator and has no responsibility for support beyond that stated in this application. This support is not for mentors.

December 2024

After the HEDI Workforce Diversity Committee reviews and approves the awardee’s final report, the awardee will receive an additional $1,000. Final reports must be received by Friday, December 6, 2024 (more details are provided in the application guidelines). Awardees who submit reports later than the deadline (unless pre-approved by the HEDI Workforce Diversity Committee) will not receive this additional $1,000.

The awardee must submit an abstract to the 2025 ASTRO Annual Meeting before the abstract submission site closes. Regardless of whether or not the abstract is accepted for presentation, the awardee is expected to attend the 2025 Annual Meeting; complimentary registration will be provided whether or not the abstract is accepted for presentation/inclusion. ASTRO does not cover the abstract submission fee; it is understood that the stipend will help offset that minor cost.

Fall 2025

An additional $1,000 will be awarded toward travel expenses related to the 2025 ASTRO Annual Meeting. Specifically, the awardee will submit travel expenditures with a completed expense form and itemized receipts after attending the meeting and will be reimbursed for up to $1,000 (any additional costs are the responsibility of the awardee). ASTRO will waive the Annual Meeting registration fee for an awardee only if the awardee provides the name and control number of the abstract they submitted, regardless of whether or not the abstract is actually accepted for presentation/inclusion.


Supported by an education grant from Varian, A Siemens Healthineers Company

The ASTRO-BCRF Mentor Award is supported by a grant from the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. 

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