Eligibility

To be considered for the CPFP, you must meet the following eligibility requirements:

  1. Doctoral degree
    1. You must have a Ph.D., M.D., or other doctoral degree in a related discipline (e.g., basic science, epidemiology, health services research, medicine, behavioral science, nursing, social science, nutrition, health education/health promotion, law, dentistry, statistics, geography, exercise science, or engineering)
    2. Applicants currently enrolled in accredited doctoral degree programs that have not yet fulfilled all degree requirements will be considered for entry into the program, with the understanding that all requirements will be completed before the start of the CPFP. Assurance to this effect must be supplied in writing by the chair of the dissertation committee (e.g., Ph.D. candidates) or the dean of the school (e.g., M.D. candidates).
    3. Foreign education must be comparable to that received in the United States.
  2. Prior postdoctoral experience
    1. You must have less than 5 years of relevant postdoctoral experience at the time of appointment.
  3. Citizenship
    1. You must be a citizen or permanent resident of the United States at the time you apply (The I-551 stamp in a passport is acceptable; “Employment Authorization” documents are not acceptable.)

      - OR -
    2. You must apply through the Fundación Inciensa (FUNIN)-NCI Partnership.

Background Check: In order to be approved for logical and physical access to NIH facilities and systems, candidates must be able to pass a Federal background check, using Standard Form-85 (read SF-85). NOTE: Section 14 of the form asks "In the last year, have you used, possessed, supplied, or manufactured illegal drugs?" The question pertains to the illegal use of drugs or controlled substances in accordance with Federal laws, even though permissible under state laws.

Fundación Inciensa (FUNIN)-NCI Partnership

The NCI has formed a collaborative partnership with Costa Rica to promote cooperation in all aspects of cancer research, treatment, and prevention. As part of this partnership, the CPFP is open to applicants from Costa Rica. It is intended that individuals applying through this partnership will pursue careers in cancer prevention in Costa Rica upon completion of the fellowship.

The program provides M.P.H. training in Costa Rica (year 1) and mentored research at NCI (years 2-4). If the applicant already has an M.P.H. degree and primary degree in a health-related discipline, or a Ph.D. in epidemiology or biostatistics, the fellowship will typically begin directly with mentored research at NCI (years 1-4).

To be eligible to apply through the consortium, the applicant must:

  • Possess a doctoral degree (Ph.D., M.D., or equivalent) or expect to complete the degree requirements by the start date of the fellowship. Assurance that all requirements will be completed must be supplied in writing by the chair of the dissertation committee (e.g., for Ph.D. candidates) or dean of the school (e.g., for M.D. candidates).
     
  • Demonstrate English language proficiency.
     
  • Be a citizen of the Costa Rica. Proof of citizenship (birth certificate or passport) is required.

The partnership will provide funds to attend and interview at NCI, if invited; move to the United States and return; pursue M.P.H. training in Costa Rica; and provide one trip to Costa Rica annually for each selected fellow to maintain scientific ties and networks within Costa Rica.

Prior to applying to the CPFP through the partnership, applicants must contact FUNIN at beca@acibfunin.com or +506 2220 3205 to ensure that eligibility criteria are satisfied. Applicants should allow sufficient time to obtain approval through the partnership prior to the August application deadline. For more information, you may also call the Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program Office at +1 240-276-5626, or email us at CPFPCoordinator@mail.nih.gov.

To learn more about FUNIN, see: https://acibfunin.com.