Application Period: December 14, 2022 - February 16, 2023
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 (URM) to the discipline of radiation oncology early in their medical education. 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.
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 2024 ASTRO Annual Meeting.*
*Award winners must submit an abstract related to their research fellowship project to receive complimentary Annual Meeting registration.
Download and Share the 2023 MSF Flyer.
2023 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 2023 MSF Program.
| Application and Awardee Selection |
| December 14, 2022 |
Application opens |
| February 16, 2023 |
Application site closes |
| February 24 – March 17, 2023 |
Application review and awardee selection period |
| Late March 2023 |
2023 MSF Awardees notified |
| Program Activities |
| April 2023 |
2023 MSF Awardee Welcome Event for Awardees and Mentors |
| June through August |
Monthly virtual check-in meetings |
| December 2023 |
Final Research reports due |
| January 2024 |
Virtual check-in meeting – ASTRO 2024 abstract submission prep for awardees and mentors |
| February 2024 |
ASTRO 2024 abstract submissions due |
| June 2024 |
ASTRO 2024 Annual Meeting registration site opens; MSF fellows receive complimentary registration |
| August 2024 |
Virtual check-in meeting – ASTRO 2024 Annual Meeting prep for students and mentors |
| October 2024 |
Attendance at 2024 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, he or she can view the list of volunteer MSF mentors.
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 2023 (applicants should discuss the impacts of COVID-19 with their mentor and ensure that the project can take place even under any related constraints at the host medical school).
- 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.
- A PDF overview of the application is provided for your reference.
- 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 Minority Summer Fellowship Application, and begin submitting your information.
- The deadline to apply is Friday, February 11, 2022.
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 2024 Annual Meeting.
May 2023
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 2023
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 1, 2023 (more details are provided in the application guidelines). Awardees who submit reports later than the deadline (unless pre-approved by the HEDI Workforce Divresity Committee) will not receive this additional $1,000.
The awardee must submit an abstract to the 2024 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 2024 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 2024
An additional $1,000 toward travel expenses related to the 2024 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.
MSF Awardees
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