Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund Postdoctoral Fellowship 2027

Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund Postdoctoral Fellowship 2027

The Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund for Medical Research awards one of the longest-running and most respected postdoctoral fellowships in the biomedical sciences. Established in 1937 to support research on cancer, the Fund now backs fundamental scientific research that advances understanding of the causes, treatments, and cures of human disease, with a continued emphasis on basic biomedical and cancer biology. For researchers who are just finishing their doctoral training and moving into an independent postdoctoral project, the fellowship provides three years of stable, portable salary support along with additional research and family-related funding.

This page summarizes what the fellowship offers, who fits its eligibility rules, how the application works, and how to prepare a competitive submission for the current cycle. The Fund publishes its own dates and terms, so the figures below are drawn from official Jane Coffin Childs sources. Where a detail can shift from year to year (such as the exact stipend levels), that is flagged plainly so you can confirm the number against the Fund before you rely on it.

Key Details Table

What the Fellowship Offers

The core benefit is three years of salary support for a full-time postdoctoral research project. For the 2026 award cycle, the published stipend levels were $72,000 in the first year, $74,000 in the second year, and $76,000 in the third year. These amounts have risen substantially in recent years and have historically increased from one year to the next within a fellowship, as well as from cycle to cycle. Because the Fund revises these figures periodically, treat the numbers above as the most recently published levels rather than a permanent guarantee, and confirm the current-year stipend on the official site before you build a personal budget around it.

Beyond salary, the award includes practical support for doing the science and for the life circumstances of the fellow. The Fund provides an annual research allowance of $2,000 to the laboratory sponsoring the fellow, intended to offset research costs. It also provides additional funding tied to relocation and travel, and it supplements the stipend for fellows who have dependents. Specifically, an additional $1,000 of stipend support is provided each year for each dependent child under the age of 18. Child care assistance is available separately through the Joan A. Steitz Fund, an endowed designated fund established in 2008 for the benefit of Jane Coffin Childs fellows with dependents.

A defining feature of the award is its portability and independence. The fellowship follows the researcher to the sponsoring laboratory they choose, which gives early-career scientists the freedom to pursue a project and mentor that best fits their goals rather than being tied to a single institution’s internal funding. That independence is part of why the fellowship carries weight on a CV: it signals that a national selection committee judged both the researcher and the proposed project to be strong.

Who the Fellowship Fits

This fellowship is designed for researchers at a specific and fairly narrow career stage: the transition from doctoral student to postdoctoral scientist. It fits best if you have very recently completed, or are about to complete, a PhD or MD (or an MD/PhD) and you are moving into a postdoctoral position in the biomedical sciences. The Fund’s interest is broad within basic biomedical and cancer research, so projects spanning molecular biology, cell biology, genetics, immunology, biochemistry, structural biology, developmental biology, microbiology, and related fields are all within scope, provided the work advances fundamental understanding relevant to human disease.

The fellowship is a poor fit for researchers who are already well into a postdoctoral position, because the eligibility rules cap prior postdoctoral experience tightly (see below). It is also not intended for applicants who have already accepted another named postdoctoral fellowship award, who are considered ineligible. If your work is primarily clinical, translational-only, or outside the biomedical basic-science emphasis, review the Fund’s mission language carefully before investing time in an application, since the review committee prioritizes fundamental research relevance.

Some fellows have been recognized as Simons Fellows of the Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund, reflecting a partnership with the Simons Foundation that has supported selected fellows working in areas aligned with the Simons Foundation’s life-sciences interests. If your research sits at the intersection of the Fund’s biomedical focus and that partnership’s areas, it is worth noting, though the standard application path is the same for all applicants.

Eligibility Requirements

The eligibility rules are precise and time-sensitive, and they are the most common reason strong scientists are screened out before review. The windows below are stated relative to the February 1, 2027 deadline; confirm the exact dates for whichever cycle you are applying to.

• PhD applicants: Your PhD must be conferred no more than 24 months before the deadline. For the February 1, 2027 deadline, that means the degree was received after February 1, 2025. Candidates who do not yet hold the degree at the time of application may still apply if they will complete it before the fellowship start date.
• MD applicants: Your MD must be conferred no more than three years before the deadline. For the 2027 cycle, that means after February 1, 2024.
• MD/PhD dual-degree applicants: The Fund advises contacting the program office directly about extended timeline criteria, since the standard windows may be adjusted.
• Prior postdoctoral experience: You may have no more than 12 months of postdoctoral research experience at the application deadline. In practical terms for the 2027 cycle, your first postdoctoral position must not have started before February 1, 2026.
• Citizenship and location: Applicants may be citizens of any country. However, awards to non-U.S. citizens can only be made to sponsoring institutions located in the United States. U.S. citizens have historically had more flexibility in where they can hold the award.
• Sponsoring laboratory: You must have a firm commitment from a sponsoring laboratory and institution before you apply. No more than one fellow per sponsor’s laboratory will be funded per award year.
• Institution and lab of training: Postdoctoral training in the same laboratory where you did your PhD work will not be funded. Training at the same institution or department where you received your PhD is also not preferred, so plan to move to a new research environment.

Because these criteria are rigid and dated, the single most valuable early step is to check every date against your own degree conferral date and postdoctoral start date. If you are close to a boundary, contact the program office rather than guessing.

Application Process and Required Materials

The application is submitted through the Fund’s online portal and centers on a research proposal supported by your sponsor and referees. Based on the Fund’s published requirements, expect to assemble the following materials.

• A research proposal. This is the intellectual core of the application. It should describe the scientific question, its significance to fundamental biomedical or cancer research, your proposed approach, and why the sponsoring laboratory is the right place to carry it out.
• A committed sponsor. Your proposed postdoctoral advisor must complete a Proposed Postdoctoral Advisor Form. If you will be co-advised, a co-advisor form is also required.
• Three referee letters. These should come from qualified individuals other than your postdoctoral advisor. For applicants with a PhD, the first referee letter should preferably come from your thesis advisor.
• Institutional signature. One signature is required from the grant or contract officer at the applicant’s institution, verifying that the institution is aware of the submission.

All application components and supporting materials must be received in the application portal by the deadline. The Fund states this firmly: materials must arrive no later than 3:00 p.m. EST on February 1, 2027, with no exceptions. Late referee letters are a frequent failure point, so treat the deadline as applying to your recommenders as much as to you.

Timeline and Deadline

The Fund runs a single annual cycle, and the schedule for the current cycle is published on its official dates page.

• October 1, 2026: The online application opens.
• February 1, 2027, 3:00 p.m. EST: The deadline. Applications and all supporting materials must be received in the portal by this time, with no exceptions.
• Mid-May 2027: Award decisions are made and applicants are notified by email.
• July 1, 2027: The fellowship begins.

Note that the prior (2026) cycle closed on February 2, 2026, which illustrates that the deadline sits in the winter each year, typically around late January or early February. Working backward from the February deadline, aim to have your sponsor confirmed and your proposal outline drafted by the time the portal opens in October, so the final months are spent refining rather than starting from scratch.

Preparation Strategy

Because this fellowship is judged on both the person and the project, a strong application needs early groundwork and a clear scientific narrative.

Secure your sponsor first. Nothing else matters until you have a committed sponsoring laboratory. Identify labs whose work genuinely complements your training, reach out early, and reach a clear understanding about the project before you write. The sponsor’s forms and support are integral to the application, and a mismatched or lukewarm sponsor weakens the whole package.

Write for a broad scientific committee. Reviewers span many areas of biomedical science, so your proposal should be rigorous but readable to a non-specialist expert. State the fundamental question and its significance early. Make the hypothesis and approach concrete, and explain what a successful outcome would teach the field about the biology of disease.

Show that the move strengthens the science. Since the Fund will not fund training in your PhD lab and does not prefer training at your PhD institution, frame your choice of sponsor and environment as a deliberate step into new techniques, questions, or systems. Make the case that the new setting is what makes the proposed work possible.

Line up referees early and brief them well. Give your three referees ample lead time, remind them of the strict deadline, and share your proposal and a short summary of your goals so their letters speak specifically to your readiness and the project’s importance. For PhD applicants, coordinate with your thesis advisor as the preferred first referee.

Confirm the money and the dates. Verify the current stipend levels, allowances, and exact cycle dates on the official site before you rely on them, because these figures are updated periodically.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Missing an eligibility window by a matter of weeks. The degree-conferral and postdoctoral-experience limits are dated and unforgiving. Check your specific dates against the current cycle’s boundaries, and contact the program office if you are close.
• Applying to stay in your PhD lab or department. Proposals to continue in the same laboratory as your PhD work will not be funded, and staying at the same institution is disfavored. Plan a genuine move.
• Treating the deadline as flexible. The 3:00 p.m. EST cutoff is enforced with no exceptions, and it applies to referee letters and institutional signatures as well as your own materials.
• Assuming a stipend figure without checking. The amounts rise over time. Quoting an outdated number in your own planning can create budget surprises.
• Underinvesting in the sponsor relationship. A weak or unconfirmed sponsor commitment undermines the application. Secure and cultivate this relationship first.
• Having already accepted another named fellowship. Applicants who have accepted another postdoctoral fellowship award are considered ineligible, so coordinate your applications accordingly.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is the fellowship? Three years of salary support.

What does it pay? For the 2026 cycle, the published stipend levels were $72,000, $74,000, and $76,000 across the three years, with a $2,000 annual research allowance to the sponsoring lab and $1,000 per year for each dependent child under 18, plus child care assistance through the Joan A. Steitz Fund. Confirm current figures on the official site, since they change.

Can non-U.S. citizens apply? Yes. Applicants may be citizens of any country, but awards to non-U.S. citizens can only be made to sponsoring institutions in the United States.

How much prior postdoctoral experience is allowed? No more than 12 months at the application deadline. For the 2027 cycle, the first postdoctoral position must not have started before February 1, 2026.

Can I apply before I have my PhD? Yes, if you will complete the degree before the fellowship start date and you otherwise meet the timing rules.

Can I do my fellowship in the lab where I did my PhD? No. Proposals in the same laboratory as your PhD work will not be funded, and the same institution or department is not preferred.

What is the Simons Fellows connection? Some Jane Coffin Childs fellows have been designated Simons Fellows through a partnership with the Simons Foundation supporting selected fellows in aligned life-sciences areas. The standard application process is the same for all applicants.

When are decisions announced? Award decisions for the 2027 cycle are expected in mid-May 2027, delivered by email, with fellowships beginning July 1, 2027.

Official Links and Next Steps

• Eligibility and how to apply: https://www.jccfund.org/eligibilty-criteria/
• Application dates and required documents: https://www.jccfund.org/eligibilty-criteria/important-dates-and-documents/
• About the Fund and its mission: https://www.jccfund.org/about-fund/
• Frequently asked questions: https://www.jccfund.org/eligibilty-criteria/faq/
• Fund home page: https://www.jccfund.org/

Before you submit, reopen the official eligibility and dates pages to confirm the current stipend levels, the exact deadline, and any updates to the rules, since the Fund revises these details between cycles. If any part of your eligibility is borderline, especially degree timing, postdoctoral experience, or the MD/PhD dual-degree pathway, contact the program office directly rather than relying on interpretation. Start by confirming your sponsoring laboratory, then build the research proposal and brief your referees well ahead of the February deadline.