FELLOWSHIP APPLICATION GUIDELINES

First-year applicants to the American-Italian Cancer Foundation’s International Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship Program must have received an advanced degree—a PhD, MD, DSc or DVM—no more than three years prior to the date of their applications. AICF’s emphasis, however, is on funding post-doctoral researchers who will be completing their first full post-doctoral year of research during the AICF fellowship period.

Fellowship candidates may apply to conduct research in basic or translational science or clinical research.

Fellowships are awarded for one year, with up to ten fellowships renewable for a second year, pending review by AICF’s Scientific Advisory Board of an interim report prepared by the fellow and a request for renewal from the host institution.

It is expected that projects will have durations of approximately two years. Projects of second-year fellowship applicants must require a second year, and projects of second-year fellowship applicants must end after year two.

AICF no longer requires that the fellow return to his or her country of origin after completing the fellowship.

Review of Applications and Deadlines

Each application received by the AICF office is reviewed to make certain it is complete and that it meets eligibility requirements; incomplete applications will not be reviewed by the Scientific Advisory Board. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that all requirements are fulfilled and all letters of recommendation received by AICF by the stated deadlines.

Fellowship applications are evaluated for:

Merit and relevance of the research proposal
Qualifications and experience of the candidate and his or her mentor
The training and research environment that will be made available to the candidate during the fellowship period
Letters of recommendation

First-year AICF Fellows requesting renewal of their fellowships for a second year may apply from January 1 through February 28, 2010.

Prospective fellows requesting a first year of funding from AICF may apply from January 1PP^PPthrough March 31, 2010.

Notification

All AICF fellowship applicants will be notified on or before July 1, 2010.

Fellowship Stipends

Fellowship stipends, anticipated to be $35,000 for each fellow for 2010-11, are meant to cover living expenses only and do not include reimbursement for any indirect costs that may be incurred by the host institution. Italians coming to the United States to complete their fellowships are tax exempt for up to two years, based upon the United States/Italy scientific education treaty.

Fellowships are paid in installments throughout the award term, which begins on August 1PP^st^PP and concludes on July 31PP^st^PP, as follows:

In U.S.	August		November	February		May	JulyTPTP [1]PTPT
In Italy		October			April		July

Publications

Copies of all publications must be sent to AICF by e-mail and will be posted on the new website at TUTUwww.americanitaliancancer.org UUTT. Applications for renewal, as well as final reports, must include a list of publications. Publications (including abstracts of presentations at scientific meetings) must carry the following acknowledgment:

“Supported by an American-Italian Cancer Foundation Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship”

Reporting Requirements

All AICF Fellows must submit a summary report or abstract not exceeding two pages, describing the results of their research and fellowship training during the first year of the fellowship, on or before June 30, 2011.TPTP [2]PTPT Manuscripts in press or published should be attached to this report; manuscripts accepted for publication after the end of the fellowship period should be submitted to the AICF office at the time of publication.

AICF Recognition

Beginning on July 1, 2009, all host institutions will be asked to acknowledge their “American-Italian Cancer Foundation Fellow(s)” as such on their websites and in all printed materials.

Special Circumstances

Early Termination of Research Project. Should the fellow and/or the sponsor discontinue the project or leave the designated institution, AICF’s Executive Director must be notified immediately. Failure to comply with these requirements will jeopardize possibilities for future AICF support to the host institution. At the discretion of the Executive Director, the stipend may be retracte (if the fellowship has just begun) or pro-rated, based upon the number of months completed; in the latter case, fellows will be required to submit a report on their work during the months of the fellowship.

Transfers. If a transfer is requested, letters from the AICF Fellow requesting the transfer and the current and new mentors/host institutions should be submitted to AICF at least two months before the transfer is to take place. Letters from both the current and new mentors/institutions, along with the new mentor/host institution’s description of their research environment, are required for the transfer to be approved by AICF’s Executive Director.

Late Start of Fellowship Term. Generally, fellowship terms begin on August 1PPstPP. Italian fellows completing their AICF Fellowship in the United States cannot receive the first installment of their fellowship stipend without first receiving their social security number (SSN). For AICF Fellows entering the United States for the first time, the process of obtaining a visa and SSN may take up to three months. In these cases, AICF Fellows are allowed to begin their fellowship term at a later time, or once they receive their SSN, thereby extending the fellowship term by an appropriate number of months to encompass a one year period. Unfortunately, AICF Fellows who begin the fellowship term later than August 1PPstPP are ineligible to apply for funding for year two, due to timing issues

Definition of Terms

Mentor: The senior researcher, clinician, or physician who agrees to act as the supervisor for the candidate’s proposed project. The mentor is the primary representative of the host institution and is required to provide a description of the research environment and an overview of the relevance and importance of the proposed research project. It is the obligation of the mentor to direct the fellow’s scientific development by providing guidance and training for the duration of the fellowship. The mentor agrees to act as AICF’s contact person, unless another contact is named. If a first-year fellow is requesting a renewal for a second year of funding, the mentor must submit an endorsement letter on or before February 28, 2010.

Host Institution: The cancer center, laboratory, or other administrative entity that employs the mentor; where the fellowship candidate’s work is to be performed. Host institutions are not reimbursed for administrative costs or laboratory fees in conjunction with the fellow’s work. The fellow’s stipend goes directly to the AICF Fellow, unless another arrangement is requested. The host institution is responsible for securing the appropriate immigration forms.

Sponsor: The senior professor, administrator or researcher in the institution where the fellowship candidate currently works/from which the candidate recently graduated. The sponsor is required to submit a letter of recommendation on behalf of the fellowship candidate.

Letters of Recommendation: Letters sent directly to AICF from individuals recognized in the field of inquiry the candidate has proposed who are in a position to evaluate the candidate’s qualifications and the relevance/importance of the proposed research project.

FELLOWSHIP APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

Application Due Date: March 31, 2010

Notification Date: June 30, 2010

The application should consist of the following:

Completed application form
Curriculum vitae and candidate’s bibliography (one-page version as well as extended version)
A letter from the candidate describing how the proposed research and training relates to his or her future career aspirations (one page maximum)
A statement of acceptance from the host institution, along with page three of the fellowship application
The research proposal, (one-page version as well as an extended version not to exceed two pages) that includes:

Summary of the proposed research project, including specific aims and methodology
Statement outlining the potential significance of the proposed research project

Required supplementary information (to be sent directly to AICF under separate cover):

Letters of recommendation from the sponsor and mentor on business letterhead
Two additional letters of recommendation on the business letterhead of the individuals making the recommendations
Copy of transcript(s), including the highest degree granted

The completed fellowship application must be submitted as a digital file on a CD ROM, along with one full printed original.

THE COMPLETED FELLOWSHIP APPLICATION, INCLUDING ALL SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION, MUST BE RECEIVED NO LATER THAN MARCH 31, 2010. NO APPLICATIONS WILL BE ACCEPTED AFTER THIS DATE.

Please send all documentation to:

Addie Backlund, Executive Director

American-Italian Cancer Foundation

112 East 71PP^stPP Street, Suite 2B

New York, NY 10021

TPTP[1]PTPT The June installment is paid upon receipt of the fellow’s final report, which is due on or before June 30PP^th^PP; the report serves as an interim report for fellows chosen to complete a second year of the AICF Fellowship.

TPTP[2]PTPT The reports of first-year fellows who are funded for a second year are considered to be interim reports.

Updated

American Italian Cancer Foundation - Fellowship Guidelines