Postdoctoral fellowships

Guide to applicants 

We're an independent, volunteer-based charity established in 1936. Our mission is to lead the fight against cancer. Our core business is cancer control. We conduct and support research as well as delivering statewide support and prevention programs and advocating regulation and other interventions to reduce the physical and emotional burden of cancer.

Purpose of the fellowship

Postdoctoral fellowships are offered to provide Victorian scientists, who have recently completed a PhD, with support for an extra year of research based on their thesis work. The application must establish that the research will be greatly enhanced by having the candidate spend a further year with the same research group (where the recipient was a PhD candidate).

Eligibility

• The research must relate to cancer aetiology, prevention, diagnosis or treatment.
• Applicants must have submitted their PhD thesis between 1 October 2011 and 31 March 2012.

Funding and duration

The fellowship funding will be paid to the host institute at the NHMRC Personnel Support Package (PSP) Level 3 rate of $68,725 pa. The PSP amount covers all salary and salary on-costs (such as payroll tax, workers' compensation, leave loading, compulsory and contributory superannuation) as well as some minor operational support.

Fellowships will be awarded for a period of one year.

Funds will be paid quarterly in advance to the host institute, which will make payments to the recipient according to its internal arrangements.

Selection process

Selection will involve an assessment of applications against the following criteria:

• the quality of the applicants' academic record,
• the significance of the research proposal and the case made for continuation,
• comments from their PhD supervisors.

Conditions of postdoctoral research fellowships

Reporting

At the conclusion of the Fellowship, holders must submit a report on their research. Cancer Council Victoria may specify reporting requirements or formats.

Recognition of Cancer Council Victoria

The fellow must acknowledge the support of Cancer Council Victoria and (if applicable) any nominated fund, donation or bequest, in all publications and any media announcements pertaining to the research for which the fellowship has been awarded. Cancer Council Victoria may specify from time to time a form of words to be used to acknowledge its support and any nominated fund, donation or bequest.

Limitation of other paid activity

The fellowship is provided for full-time research. The fellowship holder must not engage in other paid activity that materially diminishes his or her capacity to conduct the research full-time.

Other funding sources

The fellowship holder can receive funding from other sources subject to the following provisos:

• the other funding must not be contingent on any naming rights pertaining to the candidate or the research,
• funding will not be granted to any researcher who is receiving or who is an applicant for funding from the Tobacco industry or any of its agencies or subsidiaries,
• funding will be withdrawn without notice from any research for which an application is made to, or funding received from, the Tobacco industry or any of its agencies or subsidiaries, during the currency of the grant.

Compliance with the conditions of the fellowship is mandatory. Depending on its nature and severity, non-compliance may result in withdrawal of the fellowship.

Approvals required

If offered a fellowship, your Research Administration Officer will need to certify that you have the relevant committee approvals e.g. Human Research Ethics Committee, Animal Experimentation Ethics Committee, Biosafety Committee. The fellowship funding will not begin until all approvals have been provided.

Application procedure

Applications must be made on the official application form.

Applications close at 4.30 pm on Wednesday, 4 April 2012.

Any queries can be directed to Philippa Thomson, Research Management Unit by phone on (03) 9635 5100, or by email at Woody.Macpherson@cancervic.org.au

Please send the original plus 22 copies of your application to:

Ms Woody Macpherson
Research Management Unit
Cancer Council Victoria
1 Rathdowne St, Carlton, VIC 3053

The next round of postdoctoral fellowships will be for PhDs submitted between 1 April and 30 September 2012.  Applications will close on 12 October 2012..

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