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ABTA Basic Research Fellowships

American Brain Tumor Association

The American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA) is the nation’s oldest non-profit organization dedicated to brain tumor education, support, and research. For more than 50 years, the ABTA has supported early-career investigators, contributing to the brain tumor field and the scientific community, to advance the scientific understanding and medical treatment of brain tumors. Today, ABTA research alumni are leading some of the nation's most prestigious brain tumor centers and mentoring a new generation of scientists and clinicians.

An independent, multi-level, external review process ensures that ABTA grants are awarded for the most meritorious brain tumor research projects. Our prestigious Scientific Advisory Council and grant reviewers are leaders in the brain tumor community. Through the funding of brain tumor research, the ABTA supports projects that will change our understanding of the causes, effects, diagnosis, and treatment of brain tumors. We fund innovative discovery science that is developing new drugs, new imaging techniques, and advanced methods of diagnosis as well as research that will improve the quality of life of brain tumor patients and their caregivers.

Funding Opportunity Description

The American Brain Tumor Association seeks applications from postdoctoral fellows embarking on careers dedicated to brain tumor research.

• ABTA Basic Research Fellowships provide up to $100,000 in support over a two-year period (see Section III for more information on the grant award and term).

• Grants support basic and translational research projects that have significant potential to advance our understanding of the causes, effects, diagnosis, and treatment of brain tumors.

• Grants are appropriate for both basic and clinical fellows conducting laboratory, computational, or field-based research projects.

• Applicants should be on-track to pursue a career in brain tumor research with a mentor who has a demonstrated history of brain tumor research and mentorship in the field.

• The goal of the program is to encourage talented, early-career scientists to enter, or remain in, the field of brain tumor research. The ABTA aims to ensure a continuum of dedicated, well-trained brain tumor researchers that will emerge as the next generation of leaders in the field.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Alignment with Brain Tumor Research Focus

Projects must directly target brain tumors (primary or metastatic) — including biology, genetics/epigenetics, novel therapeutics, imaging/diagnostics, biomarkers of risk or treatment response. American Brain Tumor Association+3UNC Lineberger+3American Brain Tumor Association+3

If a project does not clearly address brain tumors, it risks administrative withdrawal. UNC Lineberger+1

Both adult and pediatric brain tumors are eligible, so long as the relevance is clear. American Brain Tumor Association

2. Appropriate Grant Mechanism & Career Stage

ABTA offers different grants for various career levels:

Discovery Grants (~US $50,000 for 1 year) for bold, early‐stage ideas. American Brain Tumor Association+1

Basic Research Fellowships (~US $100,000 over two years) for postdoctoral fellows under mentorship. UNC Lineberger+1

Research Collaboration Grants (~US $200,000 over two years) for multi‐investigator, multi‐institutional projects. American Brain Tumor Association

Medical Student Summer Fellowships (~US $3,000) to engage students in brain‐tumor research. American Brain Tumor Association+1

Matching your stage and experience to the correct award type is critical.

3. Innovation + High Potential Impact

Discovery Grants are explicitly for “high‐risk, high‐impact” work that could transform current diagnostic or treatment models. American Brain Tumor Association+1

Projects that pause conventional thinking or propose novel therapeutic strategies, new imaging/diagnostic tools, or biomarker discovery tend to be more competitive.

4. Feasibility & Clear Execution Plan

Even for seed/early‐stage awards, applications must show a reasonable plan, with realistic aims and timelines.

For fellowship-level awards: mentorship, institutional backing, and a credible environment matter. For example, the fellowship requires the applicant to work under a lead mentor who has substantial brain‐tumor research credentials. UNC Lineberger+1

5. Strong Mentorship & Institutional Support

For the Basic Research Fellowship: the postdoctoral candidate must commit at least 75% effort to the project; institutional and mentor support must be evident. Funds for NGOs+1

For multi‐institutional grants: having co‐PIs across institutions and multidisciplinary collaboration increases strength. American Brain Tumor Association

6. Early‐Career Pipeline/Commitment to Brain Tumor Field

The ABTA emphasizes cultivating new brain‐tumor researchers (“the next generation of leaders”). A demonstrated commitment to a career in brain‐tumor research helps. UNC Lineberger+1

For student fellowships, the goal is to stimulate interest in neuro‐oncology research careers. American Brain Tumor Association

7. Correct Use of Data, Repositories, and Community Resources

ABTA funds seed and translational research; proposals that leverage or propose to integrate resources such as the brain‐tumor registry, collaborative networks, or patient biospecimens may be seen as more strategic (though this is less explicit in the public criteria).

The ABTA’s research program page notes support of the Research Registry of primary brain tumors. American Brain Tumor Association

8. Clear & Focused Writing, Strong Rationale

Proposals with a clear hypothesis, a concise “Specific Aims” style layout, and a strong rationale gain reviewer confidence.

Projects should answer the question: What gap in brain tumor research will this fill, and how will the outcomes advance the field?

9. Budget & Duration Fit to the Grant Scope

For example, Discovery Grants are 1 year and ~$50k; Basic Fellowships are 2 years and ~$100k. Aligning your budget and timeline to match the grant’s expectations is essential. American Brain Tumor Association+1

Avoid over‐ambitious scopes given the budget/time.

10. Deadline Compliance & LOI Process

Many ABTA grant programs use a Letter of Intent (LOI) stage followed by full application invitation. For example, the Discovery Grant process is LOI → full application. Funds for NGOs

Being ready early, submitting by deadlines, and following guidelines increases competitiveness.

📋 Summary Table

Success Predictor	Why It Matters for ABTA Grants
Brain‐tumor–specific focus	Aligns directly with ABTA mission
Matching grant type to applicant stage	Ensures reviewer expectations align
Innovation + high‐impact potential	Drives transformation in field
Feasibility + clear plan	Shows you can deliver within budget/time
Strong mentorship & environment	Supports applicant readiness and project execution
Commitment to brain tumor research	Demonstrates long-term value to ABTA
Leveraging brain-tumor resources	Adds strategic value and network effect
Clear, persuasive writing	Increases reviewer engagement and clarity
Appropriate budget & timeline	Fits grant scope and avoids mismatch
LOI adherence & deadline compliance	Facilitates entry into competitive pool

Specialties

Cancer

Neurosurgery

Neurosciences

Oncology

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants/Principal Investigators (PIs), Mentors, and Institutions must conform to the eligibility criteria below to apply for an ABTA Basic Research Fellowship. Grants will be awarded to a postdoctoral fellow (designated as the Principal Investigator or PI on the application) and a single Lead Mentor. Applicants may choose to have a single Co-Mentor (optional). Co-Principal Investigators (Co-PIs) are not allowed for this mechanism.

Applicant/ Principal Investigator (PI) Requirements:

• Must have a doctoral degree, including MD, PhD, DrPH, DO or equivalent, at the time of Letter of Intent (LOI) submission.

• At the time of Full Application submission, PhDs must be no more than five years post-completion of his/her doctoral degree as determined by date of degree confirmation (i.e. cannot have completed their doctoral degree prior to March 31, 2021). This must be verified in the Lead Mentor’s Letter of Support. A documented leave of absence may be excluded from the five-year window of eligibility, such as for parental leave or other well justified leave from research, of generally less than 12 months duration.

o Applicants whose experience exceeds the maximum of five years but who believe they are eligible must email ABTA at grants@abta.org with their biosketch and a description of how the leave of absence will be documented within the application before submitting their application to verify their eligibility.

Note: If the candidate has multiple doctoral degrees, the last conferred doctoral degree will be used to determine eligibility.

• MDs must be no more than five years post-residency training at the time of full application submission. The same exceptions noted above apply to MDs.

Note: Time spent in medical specialty or subspecialty training is not considered part of medical residency and will be counted against the five-year window.

• Must not hold a faculty appointment.

• Must be working at the Lead Mentor’s institution at the time of LOI submission.

• Must conduct the proposed research and training at the Lead Mentor’s institution, which may be located anywhere in the world.

• Must not currently be or have previously been a fellow on an ABTA Basic Research Fellowship.

• Is not required to be a U.S. citizen or resident.

• May only submit ONE Basic Research Fellowship Letter of Intent per funding cycle.

• Must commit at least 75% effort to the research project, which must be verified in the Lead Mentor’s Letter of Support.

Lead Mentor Requirements:

A Lead Mentor is required for all applicants.

• Must hold a full-time faculty appointment at the Lead Institution. o Mentor faculty must confirm that their institution considers their position equivalent to a faculty position if they do not follow traditional academic rank titles (e.g., Professor, Associate Professor).

• Must be at the same institution as the Applicant/PI at the time of LOI submission.

• Must currently conduct brain tumor research.

• Can be a Lead Mentor on only ONE 2026 Basic Research Fellowship application.

• Is not required to be a U.S. citizen or resident.

Co-Mentor Requirements:

A Co-Mentor is optional for all applicants, limit of one.

• Must hold a full-time faculty appointment with an accredited institution but is not required to be at the same institution as the Applicant/PI. o Mentor faculty must confirm that their institution considers their position equivalent to a faculty position if they do not follow traditional academic rank titles (e.g., Professor, Associate Professor).

• Is not required to conduct brain tumor research but should add complimentary expertise to support the proposed project.

• Is not required to be a U.S. citizen or resident.

• Can be a co-mentor on multiple 2026 Basic Research Fellowship applications.

Lead Institution Requirements:

• Must be a non-profit institution or organization anywhere in the world.

• Must not be a governmental institution (i.e. NIH, NINDS, etc.).

• Must serve as the administrator of the grant funds and will hold responsibility for the management of the budget and submission of all required documents and reports.

• Must agree to adhere to the ABTA's Policies and Procedures for Research Grants and Fellowships, located at the top of the For Researchers web page.

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: American Brain Tumor Association

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 8550 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. Ste 550 Chicago, IL 60631

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