Student & Trainee Grant Program

project funding opportunities for students & trainees

Since the Student & Trainee Grant Program’s inception in 2016, NNECOS has awarded more than $42,500 to support student and trainee-led projects in Northern New England!

$12,000 in Funding Available Annually!

The NNECOS Student and Trainee Project Grant is intended to foster the development of a healthcare trainee’s skills in the exploration of a clinical question. Projects are intended to be very broad and could include research, quality improvement, cancer survivorship, and quality of life. Preference will be given to projects promoting interprofessional collaboration.

Full Details:

You are eligible to submit a proposal if you are a student or trainee involved in oncology healthcare at the undergraduate, graduate, and postgraduate level.

Priority will be given to projects that foster the development of a healthcare trainee’s skills and career development in the exploration of clinical research questions that are pertinent to our patient population in northern New England.

Projects are intended to be broad and could include research or quality improvement. All applicants are required to have a mentor for their project and provide a framework for ongoing mentorship support throughout the duration of their project.

Awards are for a 1-year term with a maximum of $2,500 a year. Please note NNECOS is unable to fund indirect costs, investigator salaries, or travel expenses as part of the grant budget.

Application deadlines are April 15th and October 15th of each year. Off-cycle applications may be considered upon request. Please email info@nnecos.org for more information. Awards are determined by an interprofessional team of healthcare clinicians and faculty members* and NNECOS staff. Grant applicants and recipients will be notified following a 30-day review period.

Cover Page: Cover page should include project title, applicant name and contact information, and identified mentor. Include description of the team composition and the student and faculty team members’ roles as relevant.

Applicant CV: Should not exceed 3 pages.

Research Plan: Research plan should include all of the following and not exceed 3 pages (11-point Arial font, with page margins of 1 inch top/bottom/sides; page limit does not include references):

  • Specific Aims. List the hypotheses, objectives, and goals of your proposed research.
  • Background and Significance. Concisely summarize relevant work done by your research team and others. Specifically state how the successful completion of the work proposed will advance scientific knowledge that is relevant to cancer prevention, detection, treatment, and/or survivorship.
  • Innovation. Explain how the application fills an unmet gap in the field of oncology with a focus on patients in our region.
  • Preliminary Studies. While preliminary data are not required for this pilot grant mechanism, there should be sufficient evidence to support funding a novel discovery or new significant research direction in cancer.
  • Research Design. Describe your overall hypothesis, proposed methods, procedures, and data analysis. Include your approach and analysis and explain your project’s feasibility. Discuss potential difficulties and limitations of your proposal.
  • Timeline. Include timeline for proposed project, including dates for reporting to NNECOS semi-annually and which member of the team will be tasked with reporting. Projects involving human subjects must be reviewed by the IRB. Include information for work with selected project mentor to advance the goals and objectives.
  • Outcomes & Future Directions. Identify the proposed project’s final product and how/when it will be presented (e.g., oral presentation, poster, publication, website, media presentation, or political action). Identify how results of this proposal will advance the applicant’s career, care of oncology patients, and/or future research proposals.
  • References. Each literature citation should include title, authors, book or journal, volume.

Mentor Letter of Support: Provide a letter of support from the applicant’s primary mentor.

Proposed Budget Table: Be as thorough as you can as you list, in table format, all the possible expenses you might encounter during the execution of your project. Include:

  • Projected number of hours and rate of pay for all staffing requests (e.g., consulting fees, biostatistician)
  • Supportive resources (e.g., software, survey fees, educational items, supplies)
  • Miscellaneous expenses (e.g., postage, reimbursement for subjects)

Funds for services of collaborating facility employees required in the operations of a project (e.g., research coordinator, statistician) will be considered but should not exceed national averages for their role.

*If a faculty mentor listed for a particular application is a member of the NNECOS grant review team, he or she will be recused from the review.

It is the team’s responsibility to:

  • Contact the IRB of their respective institutions to obtain project approval or exemption for projects involving human subjects.
  • Conduct their projects as proposed.
  • Assign a team member (or members) to report to NNECOS on a semi-annual basis.
  • Ensure the completion of their project during the proposed time period.
  • Meet with their faculty mentor at regular intervals to ensure the quality of the project, preparedness for presentation, and timely completion.
  • Present their findings/products either as a poster or platform presentation at either the Spring or Fall annual NNECOS meetings, as well as other appropriate venues.

Please submit all application materials as a single PDF document to info@nnecos.org with the subject line “Student Grant Application – [Your Last Name].”

Completed applications must be received via email no later than 11:59pm on the stated deadline.

Questions? Contact us at info@nnecos.org!

Congratulations to our past Student & Trainee Project Grant Recipients!