Long-term International Fellowship (LIFe)

Long-term International Fellowship

Funds oncologists from lower-income settings through long-term international fellowships to strengthen real-world implementation.

Eligibility · Global — open worldwide

The Long-term International Fellowship (LIFe) is a mentored training award from Conquer Cancer — The ASCO Foundation that supports early-career oncologists from low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) by providing structured advanced training at institutions in the United States, Canada, or Europe. Each fellowship provides $60,000 USD, paid to the fellow's home institution in two equal installments, and covers a blended format: up to six months of in-person training at a host institution followed by 6–12 months of virtual mentorship. Fellows choose either a 12-month or 18-month program duration. The 2026 cycle offered two fellowship slots, with additional slots contingent on funding availability.

To be eligible, applicants must be physicians (MD, DO, or equivalent) with completed subspecialty training, citizens of a World Bank Low, Lower-Middle, or Upper-Middle Income country, and affiliated with a not-for-profit home institution in their LMIC country. Applicants must have fewer than 10 years of oncology experience, no more than one year of prior training in the US, Canada, or Europe, and a pre-existing relationship with an ASCO-member mentor at the prospective host institution. A commitment to return home after in-person training is mandatory. Costs exceeding $60,000 (housing, travel, etc.) are the home institution's responsibility.

LIFe is structured as a career-acceleration mechanism for oncologists who will return to under-resourced settings to improve local cancer care. The hybrid format balances direct clinical exposure in high-resource environments with ongoing virtual mentorship that supports application of skills after return. Prospective applicants should identify and formalize the mentor relationship at the host institution before the cycle opens, as this is a hard application requirement. The 2026 cycle was closed at cataloging; applications are submitted via the ASCO SmApply portal.