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Find a Training Program
The National Cancer Institute is the federal government's principal agency for cancer research and training. With Maryland campuses in Bethesda, Shady Grove, and Frederick, prospective trainees will have the opportunity to conduct basic, clinical, or genomic and population-based research.
Follow the steps below to browse training programs by career stage and training opportunity.
Step 1 of 3:
Choose a Career Stage selecting a career stage will add more information below.
Step 2 of 3:
Choose one or more Training Opportunities
A postbaccalaureate fellowship is an opportunity to spend up to two years conducting full-time research at the NCI. This fellowship is an excellent choice for a recent undergraduate looking to conduct research during a gap year.
Predoctoral fellowships are for graduate students pursuing a PhD, MD, DDS, DVM, or equivalent who are interested in completing a part or the entirety of their dissertation work with an investigator at the NCI.
A postdoctoral fellowship is for recent doctoral recipients to spend up to five years designing and executing research projects with access to state-of-the-art technologies, data sources, and research cores.
Summer internships provide a minimum 8-week full-time research opportunity at the NCI through the NIH Summer Internship Program. There are opportunities for students enrolled in high school through graduate school.
Academic internships allow high school, college, and university students an opportunity to train in NIH laboratories during the academic year. Students will conduct biomedical research at the NCI, while continuing their academic studies in their home institutions.
Step 3 of 3:
Choose a Program to Apply to
Cancer Research Interns Summer Program
Initial training opportunity with the goal to enhance diversity within the NCI trainee population. A minimum 8-week paid internship to conduct basic, epidemiologic, genomic, behavioral, clinical, translational, or other research at the NCI.
Cancer Research Postbac Program
Cohort program providing training for up to 2 years, a travel award, and additional career and professional development opportunities. Individuals from groups underrepresented in biomedical science are encouraged to apply.
Postdoc Recruitment Event
Introduces doctoral candidates to the NCI and provides an opportunity to network and explore postdoctoral opportunities within its intramural research programs. Individuals from underrepresented groups in biomedical research are encouraged to submit applications.
Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program
Supports fellows spanning STEM and other fields for cutting-edge research at the NCI and FDA for up to four years.
Interagency Oncology Task Force Fellowship
Trains scientists in research and research-related regulatory review, policies, and regulations to develop a skill set that bridges the two disparate processes.
Werner H. Kirsten Program
One-year internship opportunity designed to expose high school seniors to research and administrative management in a health care environment.
iCURE: Intramural Continuing Umbrella of Research Experiences
Supports mentored research experiences for qualified students and scientists from diverse backgrounds in the multidisciplinary research environment of the NCI campuses.
NIH Summer Internship Programs
Students interested in exploring careers in all areas of cancer research join the NCI for at least eight weeks and work under the supervision of an NCI researcher.
NIH Graduate Partnerships Program
Dissertation research with an emphasis on communication, collaboration, integration of information, and interdisciplinary investigation in the NIH Intramural Research Program.
NCI Communications Fellowship
NCF fellows are offered one-year fellowships in various communications and science-focused offices at NCI.
NCI Technology Transfer Fellowship
Apply a science, legal or business background to a career in technology transfer, and/or create a new competency.
Other pathways
Don't forget you can use any of the available pathways to obtain a fellowship at the NCI.
Contact investigator directly
This is the most common way, but the success rate is variable.
Submit your CV/resume to NIH database or NCI database
Your information becomes available to investigators seeking to fill positions. However, the system is currently unable to match you to an investigator or available position. To increase your chances of success, you should also identify specific investigators that match your research interests and inquire about position availability.