CPRIT Scholars — Recruitment of Rising Stars
Funds Texas universities attracting mid-career cancer talent and strengthening high-quality oncology groups.
Eligibility · United States · US-TX
⚠ This may reflect a past cycle — verify the current call on the funder's site.
The CPRIT Scholars Recruitment of Rising Stars (RRS) mechanism is administered by the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas to help Texas universities and cancer research institutes recruit mid-career cancer researchers who have demonstrated strong potential but have not yet reached the senior faculty level targeted by the Established Investigators mechanism. Since the CPRIT Scholars program was established, 33 Rising Stars have been recruited to Texas institutions through this mechanism. The host institution applies on behalf of the researcher being recruited, and the recruited investigator must commit to relocating to and remaining at a Texas institution for the award period.
RRS awards provide up to $3 million over a five-year performance period, supporting salary, laboratory setup, and direct research costs for the recruited investigator. The mechanism operates under RFA R-261-RRS on a rolling submission basis within the fiscal year application window, with awards notified continuously as reviews are completed. All reviewers are external to Texas to prevent conflicts of interest, consistent with CPRIT's broader peer review policy across all academic research mechanisms.
To compete for RRS awards, institutions should identify mid-career investigators with a demonstrable research trajectory in cancer biology, oncology, or a related field, and should articulate both the scientific merit of the recruit's program and the strategic value of the hire to Texas's cancer research infrastructure. The RRS mechanism sits between the First-Time, Tenure-Track Faculty (RFT) mechanism and the Established Investigators (REI) mechanism in terms of career stage; institutions should confirm the appropriate mechanism for their target recruit before applying. Current portal status and application materials are available at cprit.texas.gov.
Recruitment of mid-career cancer researchers (Rising Stars) to Texas universities through institutional grants up to $3 million over five years.
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