The CRI IGNITE Award — Inspiring Growth and Nurturing Independence Through Excellence — supports the transition of outstanding postdoctoral researchers into independent tenure-track investigators. The program offers two sequential phases of funding:
Phase 1: Foundation Phase – Up to 2 years of postdoctoral support
Phase 2: Independence Phase – Up to 3 years of faculty support
IGNITE provides more than funding — it delivers a structured pathway to independence at a time when such opportunities are shrinking.
Focus and Scope
Success in early-career research depends on both individual talent and institution commitment. IGNITE therefore requires a formal co-investment from the hiring institution during the Independence Phase. This commitment includes essential resources–such as lab space, protected research time, and mentorship.
By aligning CRI’s support with institutional responsibility, IGNITE maximizes the potential of long-term career success. Early-stage funding is a proven catalyst, enabling new faculty to establish a research program, generate the preliminary data required for subsequent competitive awards, and build the momentum necessary for career sustainability.
Studies show that investigators who secure early support are significantly more likely to attain tenure and maintain long-term research productivity. The IGNITE Award is designed to provide precisely this kind of catalytic funding — targeted, timely, and transformational.
Through IGNITE, CRI affirms its longstanding commitment to advancing cancer immunotherapy through investment in people — not just projects. IGNITE fills a critical gap in the scientific ecosystem, complementing CRI’s existing career development awards and ensuring that the most promising scientists are not lost at the very moment their careers — and their ideas — are ready to take flight.
Financial Support
Phase 1: Foundation Phase – Provides up to 2 years of mentored postdoctoral funding at $150,000 per year
Phase 2: Independence Phase – Up to 3 years of independent faculty support at $250,000 per year
Phase 1: IGNITE Foundation Phase
Eligibility
Must be in a mentored postdoctoral position at time of application
No more than 5 years of postdoctoral experience at time of application. Candidates with more than 5 years postdoctoral experience may be granted an exception. Contact CRI for more information.
Must commit to a minimum of 12 months of mentored research before transition
Open to U.S. and international researchers; CRI does not have citizenship requirements
May conduct research in the U.S. or abroad
Have not currently or previously held an independent research faculty or tenure-track faculty position, or its equivalent, in academia, industry or elsewhere
Deadlines
The application deadline is January 9, 2026. Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on this date. Applicants are notified of committee decisions within approximately 10-12 weeks of the application deadline.
Instructions for Applying
The application process requires you to access CRI’s Application Portal for institutional signatures and certification.
The following is a list of all required materials in the online application:
Candidate Specific Documentation
Candidate’s CV and bibliography
Background and Accomplishments
Describe your commitment to a career in a biomedical or clinical research in a field relevant to cancer immunology
Describe your potential to develop into a successful, independent investigator
Publication History
List 1-3 publications of note from your career until now, providing a description of why they are significant
Career Goals and Objectives
Describe your current and long-term research and career objectives.
Provide a clear scientific narrative that: 1) demonstrates how your previous research and training experiences logically lead to the proposed mentored activities in Phase 1 and support your transition to the independent research in Phase 2; and 2) explains why additional mentored development is necessary to achieve research independence.
Describe your plans to separate scientifically from your mentor and advance to research independence.
Career Development Plan During Award Period
Applications must provide a structured plan outlining the research training, career development activities, and skill-building necessary to transition to independent research. Summarize current activities and how they support your career goals. Detail proposed activities aimed at enhancing research expertise and related competencies such as grant writing, communication, leadership, and lab management. The plan should be tailored to your specific needs and focused on achieving research independence. Explain how mentored training will boost your productivity and support new research directions, and why continued mentorship is essential for a successful transition.
Maximum page limit for items 2-5 is 3 pages.
Mentor, Co-Mentor, Letters of Reference Section
Letter of Support from Mentor/Co-Mentors:
The primary mentor’s statement should include:
their research qualifications and prior mentoring experience;
a supervision plan outlining how they will support the candidate’s scientific and professional independence;
planned career development activities;
a strategy for transitioning the candidate from the mentored to the independent phase, including how independence will be fostered;
a description of the research components the candidate can carry into the independence phase;
if applicable, confirmation of any resources or reagents the candidate may take with them.
All Co-mentors must provide similar information, detailing their expertise, specific roles, and how they will coordinate with the primary mentor and candidate to ensure cohesive mentorship.
The primary mentor must also commit to supporting the candidate’s transition to an independent position, including guidance during the job search and negotiation process.
Mentor and/or Co-mentors Biosketches
List of Mentor and/or Co-mentors Current Research Support
Two Letters of Recommendation from others besides mentor
References do not need to provide their biographical sketches.
Research Plan Section
Detailed budget for years 1-2 (template provided)
Project Title
Lay Summary
Technical Summary
Specific Aims
Research Plan (Page Limit: 2-3 pages)
The research plan must span both phases of the IGNITE Award. You should indicate the research planned for each phase. This narrative should describe what you will accomplish during the mentored phase research that will enable you to launch an independent research program.
The research plan should state the significance, innovation and approach of the proposed research during the mentored and independence phases of the award. The research plan should provide a detailed rationale, experimental approach, and expected/alternative outcomes for the proposed studies. Although it is anticipated that candidates will be best able to describe their current and past research, the research plan for the independence phase of the award should be described in sufficient detail for reviewers to evaluate the merit of this component of the application.
Phase 2: IGNITE Independence Phase
Eligibility
Tenure-track full-time assistant professor position (or equivalent) offered and accepted
Completed a minimum of 12 months of the Phase 1 award. Candidates achieving a tenure-track offer before 12 months should contact CRI for eligibility.
For the duration of the independence phase of the grant, the institution must provide the candidate with a minimum amount of protected time to allow for at least 65% effort to conduct research, including the CRI-funded project.
Funding is contingent upon an adequate start-up package. The institution may not require the use of funds to offset a typical start-up package (salary and other).
Application Process to be Invited to Phase 2:
Applicants will be advised to contact CRI to discuss process for securing an invitation to apply to Phase 2.
Supporting Materials
The following is a list of all required materials in the online application:
Detailed budget for years 3-5 (upon request and review, leftover funds from Phase 1 may be carried over to Phase 2)
Applicant’s Biographical Sketch
New Resources Page(s): Describe facilities and resources at the independence phase institution. Include a detailed explanation of existing equipment purchased during the mentored phase that will transition to the independence phase institution. Describe any special facilities used for working with biohazards or other potentially dangerous substances.
Final Progress Report for the mentored phase: Describe the research accomplishments and training and professional development activities during the mentored phase.
Letter of Support from mentored phase mentor. The primary mentor should assess the applicant’s progress and performance during the mentored phase, both in research and in terms of development into an independent investigator. In addition, the mentor(s) should address whether the applicant will have access to the required resources (reagents, model systems, etc. from the mentor’s lab) to continue the project after transitioning to independence.
Updated Specific Aims and Research Plan (maximum 2 pages): Describe the research plan and provide a timeline for the proposed independence phase and identify any changes from the original research described in your initial application (do not include research that has already been completed in the mentored phase).
A letter from the Department or Division Chairperson that describes the institution’s commitment to the applicant and plans for their career development that includes:
Describe the applicant’s academic appointment. For non-tenure-track assistant professor appointment: the institution should provide a justification that the proposed appointment is the equivalent of a tenure-track assistant professor position.
For the duration of the independence phase of the grant, the institution must provide the candidate with a minimum amount of protected time to allow for at least 65% effort to conduct research, including the CRI-funded project.
The start-up package and other institutional support must be described in detail and must be comparable to that of other recently hired tenure-track assistant professors.
Assurance that IGNITE funds will not be used to offset the startup package or to offset the usual institutional commitment to provide salary for tenure track (or equivalent) assistant professors.
Detailed description of office and lab space, facilities, resources, and other support needed to conduct the proposed research.
The independence phase institution must describe how the applicant’s ability to apply for and secure independent research grant support will be fostered and supported during the independence phase of the IGNITE Award.
A copy of the official job offer letter for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position (or equivalent). Important: the offer cannot be contingent on the continuation of the IGNITE Award and should include a strong start-up package. A signed copy is required before final award activation.
