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Medical Student Research Grants

Melanoma Research Foundation

The Melanoma Research Foundation (MRF) has been awarding Medical Student Research Grants since 2011. Since that time, 152 grants have been awarded to students at over 60 institutions.

Purpose: To provide research funding to medical students early in their careers by supporting clinical or laboratory-based research projects focused on better understanding melanoma prevention and early detection, behaviors that impact melanoma risk, biology, and treatment of melanoma (including cutaneous, ocular, mucosal, pediatric, and acral).

Grant Amount: Grant funding is $3,000 per award for a one-year project.

Application Deadline: Applications will be accepted until November 13, 2026, at 11:59 PM ET.

Award decisions: Applicants will be notified of funding decisions by January 8, 2027.

Funding Disbursements: Approved applicants and their institutional contact will be sent an award agreement for signature, which must be submitted along with other required paperwork to the MRF by January 29, 2027. Funds will be disbursed on or before February 28, 2027.

Grant Period: February 28, 2027 – February 27, 2028

AI Based Application Success Predictor

These predictors are inferred from MRF's published grant-review guidance, program eligibility and funded research portfolio. They are not an official numerical scoring rubric.

Melanoma Research Foundation

1

★★★★★

Direct relevance to melanoma — Critical

Address melanoma prevention, risk, biology, early detection, diagnosis, treatment or survivorship. Research may focus on cutaneous, uveal, mucosal, acral or pediatric melanoma, depending on the award.

2

★★★★★

Scientific merit and clinical significance — Critical

Define an important unanswered question and explain how resolving it could improve melanoma prevention, diagnosis, treatment or patient outcomes.

3

★★★★★

Innovation and potential for high impact — Critical

Present a distinctive hypothesis or approach. Relevant examples include overcoming immunotherapy resistance, identifying new therapeutic vulnerabilities, improving early detection or addressing an unmet need in a rare melanoma subtype.

4

★★★★★

Methodological rigor and feasibility — Critical

Provide a clear hypothesis, suitable experimental or clinical design, appropriate endpoints, defensible analysis and realistic milestones. Include preliminary evidence where relevant and address potential limitations.

5

★★★★☆

Fit with the specific award and special topic — Very high

Match the project to the intended mechanism: a pilot award should establish preliminary evidence; a career development award should advance an early-career investigator; and a team award should demonstrate meaningful multidisciplinary collaboration. MRF-identified special topics may receive additional consideration, but scientific merit remains central.

melanoma.org

6

★★★★☆

Applicant track record and career-stage potential — Very high

Demonstrate research productivity, relevant skills and ownership appropriate to the applicant's career stage. Early-career applicants should explain how the award will establish a foundation for future independent research and larger grants.

7

★★★★☆

Strong mentorship and institutional support — Very high

For student, resident/fellow and career development awards, demonstrate access to an appropriate melanoma research mentor, facilities, patient populations or laboratory resources. Explain the mentor's role without making the project solely an extension of the mentor's work.

8

★★★★☆

Translational potential and patient benefit — High

Explain how findings could lead to improved therapies, diagnostic tools, prevention strategies, clinical trials or survivorship care. Basic research should still articulate the significance of the expected mechanistic advance.

9

★★★☆☆

Multidisciplinary collaboration and future funding — High

Where relevant, combine complementary expertise across oncology, dermatology, pathology, immunology, genetics, ophthalmology, computational biology or clinical research. Describe the next study or funding opportunity enabled by the results.

10

★★★★☆

Eligibility, budget and compliance — Essential gate

Meet the degree, career-stage, institutional and mentor requirements for the selected mechanism. For the standard Career Development and Established Investigator programs, the published requirements specify research at a nonprofit research, medical or educational institution in the United States. Indirect costs are not allowed for those awards.

Specialties

Cancer

Oncology

Dermatology

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants are required to have at least one research mentor. The research mentor should be an MD and/or PhD engaged in melanoma research. Co-mentors are allowed.

• The research project may be with a mentor at an institution other than the one where the applicant is enrolled.

• The applicant's proposed research project is expected to be applicant-led and not merely an extension of the ongoing research of their mentor.

• The applicant does not need to be a U.S. citizen.

• Applicants must be a medical student in good academic standing at a Liaison Committee on Medical Education (LCME)-accredited or American Osteopathic Association Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation (COCA) medical school or institution in the United States.

• MD and/or MD/PhD students are eligible to apply.

• Applications will not be accepted from previous recipients of MRF Medical Student Research Grant Awards.

Eligible Countries:

United States

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Melanoma Research Foundation

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 1420 K Street NW, 7th Floor, Washington, DC 20005

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