THE APPLICATION PORTAL IS NOW CLOSED
Eligibility Criteria to Apply in 2026
The applicant must meet all eligibility requirements as outlined here to apply:
- Postdoctoral applicants should have no more than 12 months of postdoctoral research experience at the time of the application deadline of February 2, 2026 (i.e. applicant’s first postdoctoral position must not have commenced prior to February 2, 2025). Dual-degree M.D./Ph.D. applicants should contact the program office regarding extended timeline criteria.
- Ph.D. degree must not have been conferred more than 24 months prior to the application deadline of February 2, 2026 (i.e. applicant must not have received Ph.D. before February 2, 2024). Please note that dual degree M.D.,Ph.D. applicants should contact the program office (jccfund@yale.edu) regarding extended timeline criteria.
- M.D. degree must not have been conferred more than three years prior to the application deadline of February 2, 2026 (i.e. applicant must not have received M.D. before February 2, 2023).
- Ph.D. candidates that do not have their degree at time of the application deadline (February 2, 2026) are eligible to apply. If awarded, the applicant’s Ph.D. degree must be conferred prior to the start of the Fellowship.
- Postdoctoral training in the same institution in which the applicant received their Ph.D. is not preferred, particularly if it is in the same department. In the appropriate section of the application, please address this situation if you are proposing training either in the same institution or with the same department as your graduate work. Proposals that are in the same laboratory where the fellow received their Ph.D. will not be funded.
- Applicants who have accepted a postdoctoral research fellowship award are not eligible. (Candidates may hold a T32 at the time of application, but not concurrently with the Jane Coffin Childs Award.) Fellows may obtain additional awards or grants to cover research expenses only, but not stipends unless granted permission by JCC.
- Applicants must have identified and have a commitment from a sponsoring laboratory and sponsoring institution prior to applying. Applicants whose position is dependent on their being awarded a fellowship are discouraged from applying
- Applicants may be citizens of any country, but awards for non-U.S. citizens can only be made to sponsoring institutions in the United States.
- No more than one Fellow per sponsor’s laboratory will be funded per award year. No more than two fellows may be concurrently funded in the same sponsor’s laboratory over multiple award years.