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Jack and Fay Netchin Medical Student Summer 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 scientific community, to advance the scientific understanding and medical treatment of brain tumors. Today, the ABTA's research alumni are leading some of the nation's most prestigious brain tumor centers and are 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 medical students who intend to spend a summer conducting brain tumor research.

• ABTA Jack & Fay Netchin Medical Student Summer Fellowships provide $3,000 in support for a three-month summer term (see Section III for more information on the grant award and term).

• Fellowships are conducted in a laboratory within a mentorship setting.

• The goal of the program is to provide an introductory learning experience that will motivate and empower talented medical students by providing them with the skills and knowledge necessary to pursue a career in neuro-oncology research.

We seek research projects focused on all brain tumor types, benign or malignant, primary or secondary (metastatic), and that will have an impact on pediatric, adult, or both patient populations. Appropriate research projects include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

• Biomarkers of Risk, Disease Burden, and/or Treatment Response • Brain Tumor Biology • Clinical Research • Diagnosis • Drug Delivery • Etiology • Genetics • Imaging • Molecular/Genetic Epidemiology • Novel Therapeutics • Risk Assessment

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 Jack & Fay Netchin Medical Student Summer Fellowship. Eligibility requirements must be met at the time of application submission.

Grants will be awarded to a 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 be currently enrolled and in good standing at a medical school.

• Must conduct the proposed research and training at the Lead Mentor’s institution.

• Must not have been a previous Fellow on an ABTA Medical Student Summer Fellowship.

• Is not required to be enrolled as a student at the Mentor’s institution.

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

• May submit ONE Medical Student Summer Fellowship application per funding cycle.

• Can be enrolled in a MD/PhD program

Lead Mentor Requirements:

Note: A Lead Mentor is required for all applicants.

• Must have a doctoral degree, including MD, PhD, DrPH, DO, or equivalent.

• Must hold a full-time faculty appointment at the institution where the applicant proposes to conduct the research project. o If the mentor faculty position(s) does/do not follow traditional academic rank titles (e.g., Professor, Associate Professor), they must confirm that their position is considered a faculty position or equivalent by the institution.

• Must currently conduct brain tumor research.

• Must make a specific time commitment (the level of effort cannot be zero-0%) to supervise the training and advancement of the Applicant/PI (Medical Student).

• Can be a Lead Mentor on only ONE Medical Student Summer Fellowship application submitted in the 2026 grant cycle.

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

Co-Mentor Requirements (optional):

Note: A single Co-Mentor is optional for all applicants.

• 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 If the faculty position does not follow traditional academic rank titles (e.g., Professor, Associate Professor), provide a brief explanation in the Personal Statement Section of the biosketch.

• Is not required to currently 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 Medical Student Summer Fellowship applications.

Lead Institution Requirements:

• Must be a non-profit institution or organization in the United States or Canada.

• Must not be a governmental institution (i.e. NIH, NCI, 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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