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Application Open
Friday, June 12, 2026

Application Deadline
Monday, October 5, 2026, 11:59 p.m. Central Time

Application Review Period
Tuesday, October 6 ¨C Tuesday, October 20, 2026

Fellow Selection Notification
Wednesday, October 21, 2026

Research & Career Proposals Due
Wednesday, November 18, 2026

Earliest Fellowship Start Date
Monday, February 1, 2027

Eligible postdoctoral applicants must meet the following requirements:

• This fellowship is available without regard to the applicant¡¯s U.S. citizenship status (i.e., Visa holders, Permanent Residents, and U.S. citizens are welcome to apply).
• Must reside in Texas, USA, at the start of the fellowship.
• Must have a Ph.D. or other equivalent doctoral degree by the start of the fellowship. 
• Graduating doctoral students must provide a letter stating the date of conferral and upload a copy of the letter with the application. The conferral date must be before the start of the postdoctoral fellowship. 
• Must have a doctoral degree in public and population sciences, including health promotion/health education, behavioral or social science, epidemiology, biostatistics, economics, health services research/health policy, communication, or other related areas of study.  
• Must express a commitment to a career as a cancer and obesity researcher in their personal statement and throughout the application.

Stipend Compensation 

• Stipend (Fiscal Year 2026): 
  • Starting at $64,000 per year
  • Based on previous years of experience
  • Per MD Anderson and  guidelines and ranges (adjusted annually)
  • Salary may be subject to a one-time raise with funding availability, program and mentor approval 
• Taxes: Subject to U.S. federal taxes
• Schedule: Full-time, 40 hours per week, and paid monthly 

Benefits and Support

• Stipend includes health insurance, paid holidays, and sick leave
• Stipend includes additional funding support for:
  • Conference travel
  • Research supplies
  • Books and software
  • Professional development
• This fellowship does not provide funding support for:
  
  • Relocation 
  • Housing
  • MD Anderson campus parking reimbursement 

Fellowship Appointment Terms

• Appointment home must be at MD Anderson Cancer Center
• Up to three (3) years, renewed annually based on successful research and training goal progress
• Location: On-campus/hybrid. The percentage of remote work is determined by the primary mentor

Onboarding and Exit Requirements

• Report to MD Anderson campus on their first day
• Pick up an MD Anderson ID badge
• Pick up MD Anderson-issued leased, encrypted laptop (requires offsite agreement signature)
• Bring unexpired social security card, state-issued ID
• Complete final evaluation of program and mentor
• Return all purchased equipment, office keys, and MD Anderson laptop computer at the conclusion of the fellowship

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

1. Use the link in the box located at the top of this web page to start an application in the Slate system. The application process consists of four parts: 1) Student Inquiry Form, 2) Slate account creation, 3) Slate application., and 4) Unofficial transcript emailed to the review committee.

2. Application Disclosures. After launching the application, read the following three (3) sections before completing the Applicant Inquiry Form: 1) Please Read Before You Apply, 2) Additional Documents Required If Selected As A Final Candidate, and 3) Onboarding Contingencies That Require Early Action. 

NOTE: The Additional Documents Required If Selected... section includes a statement regarding 'Immigration Documents' as this NCI U54 Acres Homes Postdoctoral Fellowship in Cancer Prevention is open to U.S. Citizens, Permanent Residents, and Visa holders. 

3. Complete the Inquiry Form and upload the required documents:

3.1 Personal Information (e.g., name, demographics, personal email). 

3.2 List the names and emails addresses of two individuals who will provide you with professional recommendations (i.e., letters of recommendation). Please inform the referees in advance that they will be invited to upload their letters directly into the application portal in step 5 below.   

3.3 Upload Resume/CV.

3.4 Provide your ORCID ID and eRA Commons ID. .

3.5 Provide a Statement of Research Experience and Interest (i.e., personal statement). It is recommended that you draft this statement in Word or another word processing software, using the Word count feature to ensure that you do not exceed the 700-word limit. You can then copy and paste the text into the form field.  Please address the following three (3) areas within your statement of interest:

1) Your research interests, experience, and future goals in cancer and obesity research.

2) Your reasons for seeking research training from this program. Please include any life experiences or motivating factors related to your career interest.

3) How the fellowship will contribute to your future career plans in cancer and obesity research.

3.6 Upload a copy of the Diploma of the doctoral degree (certified translation if not in English).

3.7 (For graduating doctoral students) Provide proof of enrollment in a doctoral degree program AND a letter of recommendation from the doctoral committee chairperson/advisor stating the anticipated date of degree completion and confirming that the student is currently in good standing in the doctoral program and at the university. Proof of enrollment and committee chairperson letters are ONLY REQUIRED for applications from individuals who have not yet completed their doctoral degrees at the time of application submission.

3.8 Please provide at least one and up to five of the most relevant and impactful manuscripts that have already been published. For each publication, you will be required to enter: 1) authorship position, 2) publication type, 3) journal name, 4) publication title, 5) publication date, and 6) upload a pdf version of the publication. At least one publication is required to apply for a postdoctoral fellowship position.

3.9 Double-check all aforementioned items before clicking the SUBMIT button. The Slate system will not accept revised documents. 

4. Create your Slate Account. After clicking the SUBMIT button, you will receive an email from MD Anderson Education & Training (trainee@mdanderson.org), subject line: "Complete your Trainee Position Inquiry Request". Follow the instructions and click the hyperlink in the email to create a Slate account and request your letters of recommendation.

5. Complete the Application:

5.1 Read the Application Instructions in the Slate system. 

5.2 Two (2) Letters of Recommendation:  In the Recommendations screen, enter the contact information for both individuals who will write your letters of recommendation. Ideally, recommenders should be professors or faculty mentors who know you well. Candidates are encouraged to work with references to ensure that letters are: 1) on organization's letterhead, 2) signed, and 3) recently dated. After the applicant enters the recommender's information in the Slate system, the recommender will receive an email notification from trainee@mdanderson.org, subject line "Recommendation Request from YOUR NAME for MD Anderson Cancer Center" and a link to upload the letter of recommendation to your account. You will receive an email when the letter has been successfully uploaded. 

5.3 Complete any additional forms (e.g., Additional Demographics and Future Plans, Academic Awards and Honors).

6. Email your last unofficial transcript of the qualifying degree to the NCI U54 Acres Homes Review Committee at Apply@CancerPreventionTraining.org. This step is in addition to the upload of the proof of the qualifying degree in step 3.6 (above). Please include your full name in the subject line.

Note: There is no submit button in the "Complete the Application" stage. To check the status of your application, log on to your Slate account and select 'Status' from the menu. Your application is complete when all sections are complete and both letters of recommendation have been uploaded to your account. 

Candidates who move on to the second stage of the review process will be contacted and asked to:

• Provide brief written responses to a set of questions
• Submit a list of preferred mentors, chosen from Acres Homes faculty across multiple universities participating in the Acres Homes Cancer Prevention Collaboration