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CRI Lloyd J. Old STAR Program

Cancer Research Institute

The CRI Lloyd J. Old STAR Program — Scientists TAking Risks — provides long-term, flexible funding to mid-career scientists, giving them the freedom to pursue high-risk, high-reward research at the leading edge of cancer immunotherapy.

Focus and Scope

Rooted in CRI’s unparalleled track record of identifying and supporting individuals who have reshaped the field, these awards are not tied to a single research project. Instead, they are designed to support outstanding investigators whose body of work demonstrates exceptional promise and the potential for transformative impact.

Named in honor of CRI’s founding scientific and medical director — widely recognized as the “Father of Modern Tumor Immunology” — the STAR Program carries forward Lloyd J. Old’s vision of empowering scientific pioneers.

STAR recipients are expected to become tomorrow’s leaders in cancer immunotherapy. By providing sustained, unrestricted support, the program enables investigators to follow new and unexpected paths, often leading to paradigm-shifting discoveries.

The CRI STAR

The ideal candidate is a bold, creative scientist who embraces risk in pursuit of breakthrough insights. They are distinguished by their ability to:

Leverage deep expertise and visionary curiosity to frame significant, non-obvious questions
Draw connections across disciplines to generate and test novel hypotheses
Pursue unconventional lines of inquiry, even at the risk of failure, with the potential for transformative success

Ultimately, CRI STARs will advance fundamental or translational discoveries that shape the development of immune-based therapies, broadening their impact for patients worldwide. CRI STARs not only drive innovation, they are defining the future of cancer immunology.

Financial Support

The Lloyd J. Old STAR Program provides $1.25M over a 5 year period. Institutions will be provided indirect costs of up to 10% of the total amount awarded. Indirects are provided in addition to awarded funds.

Deadlines

The deadline for the receipt of applications is January 15. Candidates will be notified in early March whether they have been invited for an interview. Interviews will be conducted virtually with members of CRI’s Scientific Advisory Council leadership. It is the policy of CRI that all reviewers are required to adhere to ethical guidelines that mandate strict confidentiality concerning all aspects of any letters of intent (“LOIs”), grant applications, and research proposals submitted to CRI for funding consideration. Confidentiality agreements with all reviewers are kept on file at CRI. The earliest an award can activate is July 1. Awards must activate on the first of the month.

Instructions for Applying

Applications must be submitted electronically. Once you access the application, you will be asked to create a user account unique to you, which will catalogue all applications you submit to CRI. If you have submitted a grant application to CRI in the past, please login with your existing user account.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Direct relevance to cancer immunology and immunotherapy (highest predictor)

This is the most important predictor.

CRI is not a general cancer-research funder. Competitive projects should directly advance understanding or application of:

Tumor immunology
Fundamental immunology relevant to cancer
Immune-cell function in tumors
Cancer immunotherapy
Immune resistance and response
Tumor microenvironment
Immunological biomarkers
Immune-based therapeutic strategies

For the Irvington Postdoctoral Fellowship, CRI specifically emphasizes hypothesis-driven, mechanistic research in fundamental immunology and tumor immunology, including how the work will advance understanding of the immune system's role in cancer.

2. Scientific significance, innovation, and feasibility (very high predictor)

CRI explicitly identifies three core proposal-review dimensions:

Significance
Innovation
Feasibility

The strongest applications address an important immunological problem, introduce a genuinely new concept or approach, and remain technically achievable. Ambitious science is attractive, but the experimental strategy must still be convincing.

3. Strong candidate qualifications and demonstrated track record (very high predictor)

CRI formally considers:

Candidate qualifications
Demonstrated research track record
Evidence of scientific productivity
Technical expertise
Potential for future impact

For trainee and career-development programs, reviewers assess accomplishments relative to career stage rather than simply rewarding the longest publication list.

4. Potential to become a future leader in cancer immunology

Investigator development is central to CRI's funding model. Its programs span early-career researchers through established investigators and are designed to cultivate scientific leaders who can advance cancer immunotherapy.

Strong indicators include:

Clear long-term research vision
Commitment to immunology or tumor immunology
Emerging scientific independence
Leadership potential
Ability to establish a distinctive research direction

5. Outstanding sponsor, mentorship, and training environment (especially important for fellowships)

For postdoctoral funding, CRI explicitly reviews both:

The strength of the sponsor
The quality of the training environment

Competitive applications typically demonstrate access to expert mentorship, strong immunology infrastructure, appropriate technologies, and an environment capable of advancing the fellow toward independence.

6. Acquisition of genuinely new skills and expertise

A strong fellowship application explains how the proposed work will expand the applicant's capabilities through:

New experimental techniques
New conceptual expertise
Computational or data-science training
Advanced immunological methods
Cross-disciplinary mentorship

CRI expects the training experience to prepare the applicant for future scientific leadership and independence.

7. Bold, high-risk/high-reward potential (program-specific but very important)

Several CRI programs explicitly support bold ideas. The Lloyd J. Old STAR Program, for example, supports mid-career scientists pursuing high-risk, high-reward research at the leading edge of cancer immunotherapy, while the Technology Impact Award targets early-stage concepts with transformative potential.

The strongest proposals may challenge existing assumptions, open a new research direction, or create a technology that changes what is scientifically possible.

8. Strong translational pathway and clinical impact (for translational and clinical awards)

For programs such as the Clinic and Laboratory Integration Program and Clinical Innovator awards, success depends heavily on a credible bridge between immunological discovery and patient care. CRI's current portfolio explicitly supports research at the intersection of laboratory discovery and clinical application, as well as pioneering academic immunotherapy trials.

Competitive projects often demonstrate:

Strong biological rationale
Relevant biomarkers
Patient-selection strategy
Translational endpoints
Clinical-development potential
A realistic pathway toward testing or implementation

9. Interdisciplinary expertise and collaboration

Modern immunotherapy research often requires integration of:

Immunology
Oncology
Computational biology
Data science
Genomics
Bioengineering
Clinical research

CRI's current programs explicitly include opportunities at the intersection of immunology and data science, reinforcing the value of complementary expertise when it is essential to the scientific question.

Specialties

Cancer

Oncology

Eligibility Requirements

The applicant must have an M.D., Ph.D., or M.D./Ph.D. (or equivalent)
Candidates must hold a tenure-track position. Assistant professors with a minimum of 3 years in that role and associate professors with a maximum 3 years may apply

The following is a guide to determine eligibility:

Tenure-track assistant professor with a minimum of 3 years in this position (for Jan. 2027 deadline, candidate must be appointed on or before July 1, 2024)
Tenure-track associate professor with a maximum of 3 years in this position (for Jan. 2027 deadline, candidate must be appointed on or after July 1, 2024)

Adjunct or acting positions are not eligible.

Applicants are expected to commit a minimum of 80% of their time to conducting research.

CRI has no citizenship restrictions, and research supported by the award may be conducted at medical schools and research centers in the United States or abroad. Please note that the Cancer Research Institute does not support research at for-profit institutions.

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Cancer Research Institute

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 29 Broadway, Floor 4  New York, NY 10006-3111

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