Postdoctoral Fellows and Early-Career Faculty
CRTEC supports the training and education of CU Cancer Center Early-Career Faculty, referred to as Mentored Members. Its efforts include assisting with the CU Cancer Center T32 Training in Cancer Biology grants; organizing and facilitating Cancer Symposium Seminars and Colloquia; disseminating relevant grant and training opportunities; and funding innovation awards.
CRTEC also offers quarterly meetings and workshops for postdoctoral fellows and early-career faculty. These events address their most pressing professional needs. Topics include career development, grant writing and reviewing, mentoring students, and scientific writing and publishing. Additionally, CRTEC hosts an annual retreat to provide valuable networking opportunities for both mentors and mentees.
Targeted Grant Review Session
Mentored Members and Postdoctoral Fellows can request a targeted session to have their grant-in-progress reviewed by faculty. The requestor will identify 4–5 core faculty attendees they would like to review their Specific Aims page, which will be circulated in advance, and hear their Chalk Talk–style overview of their grant. CRTEC will invite Mentored Members from the requestor’s research program and provide refreshments.
For more information or to request a session, contact [email protected].
Cancer Innovation Pilot Grants
Cancer Innovation Pilot Grants are provided as a collaboration between the University of Colorado Comprehensive Cancer Center and the College of Nursing. Cancer Innovation Grants are intended to provide funding support for research-related expenses of novel cancer-focused research projects. that have a high likelihood of leading to NIH F/K or R funding or other extramural support. The award is $10,000 for one year.
Funds can only be used for research-related lab expenses and up to $1,000 in travel costs to present the results of the research from the innovation grant at a scientific conference. Projects must use a portion of the budget in Cancer Center Shared Resources.
Grants will be provided based on scientific merit, the likelihood that the successful completion of the proposed research will add to their current work, and a detailed and specific plan for submitting a subsequent F-, K-, or R-series or similar grant application.
Eligibility
- Pre-Doctoral Students (PhD, MD, or Nursing); Post-Doctoral Trainees (PhD or Nursing); Junior Faculty (Instructor or Assistant Professor); Residents; and Research Fellows are eligible to apply as PI of an Innovation Grant.
- Proposed projects must be largely cancer-focused and have a high likelihood of generating strong preliminary data for a subsequent extramural support mechanism.
- Strongly encouraged are grants that (1) address a cancer health disparity, (2) have a community-engagement component, or (3) are relevant to under-resourced populations: (a) racial/ethnic minorities, (b) medically underserved (e.g., low-income, uninsured, underinsured), or (c) rural and frontier counties.
- Applicant be a Cancer Center member (full, affiliate, clinical, or mentored)
- For more information, please see our membership page.
- Applicants who have experienced a lack of access to education and training activities are strongly encouraged to apply.
Applications open April 5, 2025.
Applications will close July 10 annually (11:59 pm MT).
Conditions of Award
As conditions for receiving a Cancer Innovation Award, we ask the following:
- That you serve as a reviewer in future Innovation Grant cycles.
- That you submit a final report within 30 days of the award end date.
- That you report to us all extramural grants that you apply to for two years after the award end that is related scientifically to this project by filling out two annual update surveys that we will send to you.
Applications
Required application components include:
- NIH Biosketch of the PI
- Research Plan - to include the following (4-page maximum):
- Background
- Hypothesis
- Specific Aims
- Methods
- Methods must include (and explain) the integration of at least one Cancer Center shared resource
- Plan for Statistical Analysis
- Plan for Obtaining Subsequent Extramural Funding
- Timeline with quarterly expected goals
- Budget and Budget Justification (1-page maximum
- Include a detailed budget and justification of the budget items
- In the budget include costs for using at least one Cancer Center Shared Resource in the project.
Review Process and Notification
- Applications will undergo a peer review process and will be scored using the NIH scale and criteria.
- Applicants will be notified of the award in mid-September.
- The grant award period will begin on October 1st.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. I am not a Cancer Center member. Can I still apply?
Applicants must be a member of the Cancer Center to have their applications considered. Please visit this page for more information about Adjunct membership and how to apply.
2. I just submitted my Cancer Center Adjunct Membership application but haven’t heard back. Should I wait for a response before I submit my application?
As long as the Cancer Center membership application has been filled out, you can indicate you are a member on your Innovation Pilot Grant application.
3. Can I put someone’s salary on my budget?
No. Salaries of any kind are not allowed on the budget. The budget should be research expenses only.
4. Is there a specific percentage of the budget that must go towards a Cancer Center Shared Resource?
No. There is no specific percentage. The only requirement is that a Cancer Center Shared Resource must be used for your project.
5. Who will be the PI of this grant?
If the application is accepted, the submitter of the application is the PI.
6. Can I have a co-PI
Yes, a co-PI is allowed, but both you and your co-PI must meet the eligibility requirements.
7. When should I expect to hear a decision
Applicants will hear from us in mid-September.
8. Do I need to submit my application to OGC?
No, you do not need to submit your application to another entity.
9. Are references required?
References are not required, but, if you choose to include them, they will not count toward the 4-page limit.
10. Should the specific aims be written in the NIH format of one page?
You do not need to write your specific aims in the NIH format of one page dedicated to specific aims. They should be stated within the 4-page limit.
Additional Questions?
Reach out to Adela Cota-Gomez at [email protected].
New Investigator Clinical Research Orientation Course
Through Skillsoft, a new course for emerging investigators performing clinical research is now developed and ready for CU Cancer Center members who plan to become involved in clinical research as a principal investigator or sub-investigator, either on a new clinical trial or an existing protocol.
This course does not replace other regulatory trainings or onboarding activities required by the University of Colorado or divisions but gives new investigators an overview of the research infrastructure of the CU Cancer Center and provides practical information to supplement the additional trainings in the onboarding process.
To access the course in Skillsoft:
- Log on to your campus portal.
- Select the Skillsoft tile. Skillsoft will open in a separate window.
- Select Library.
- Under CU Custom Content, select your campus folder.
- Select the specific Category folder you need.
- Locate the title of the course and click LAUNCH.
- Invite them to training opportunities, or sometimes we will sponsor a training.
Mentored Members enjoy CRTEC-specific benefits aimed at assisting with research collaboration, career development, mentorship, and community across the Anschutz campus.
IMPACT Workshops: Investing in Mentorship, Promoting Advancement, and Cultivating Tools
IMPACT Workshops include two workshop series for Mentored Members.
The IMPACT Grant Writing Workshops, held twice per year, guide participants through the early stages of proposal development, including brainstorming ideas, drafting an abstract, and refining a Specific Aims page.
The IMPACT Career Advancement Workshops are a quarterly series that focus on skills and strategies to advance a research career, covering topics such as lab branding and resources for commercializing research.
Each series is advertised on the Cancer Center calendar, the CRTEC calendar, and are shared directly with Mentored Members.
For more information, contact [email protected].
___________________________________________
Mentored Members Retreat
The CRTEC office organizes annual thematic retreats for CU Cancer Center Mentored Members that enhance career development and training. The retreats showcase the research and scientific accomplishments of Mentored Members and provide training and support in essential career skills such as lab management, mentoring, communicating with a lay audience, and leadership development.
The next retreat is scheduled for September 18, 2026.
For more information, contact [email protected].
Psychosocial Oncology Fellowship
The year-long Psychosocial Oncology Postdoctoral Fellowship offers a comprehensive training program focused on providing culturally sensitive, evidence-based psychosocial care to adults with cancer.
The program includes clinical training at the University of Colorado Hospital and CU Medicine specialty clinics, covering individual counseling, assessment, group therapy, inpatient consultation, and psychoeducational classes. Fellows also engage in didactic education in clinical health psychology and participate in research or program development, and invites participation by individuals from groups that have experienced a lack of access in education and training activities.
Additional opportunities include mentorship in psychosocial oncology research, clinical research, quality improvement, and preparation for the EPPP and ABPP board exams.
Learn more about the Psychosocial Oncology Fellowship.
Contact Erin Baurle, PsyD, and Ben Brewer, PsyD, for more information.