Written and maintained by CASRAI Editorial Board
Last updated
The Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund for Medical Research offers a three-year postdoctoral fellowship for full-time training. The eligibility test that trips most applicants is a clock, not a field of study: no more than 12 months of postdoctoral research experience at the application deadline, with a Ph.D. date limit alongside it. This guide puts those rules, the funding terms and the application mechanics in one place, as described on the official page on 2026-10-29.
What it is and who runs it
The Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund for Medical Research (the JCC Fund) is a non-profit organization that currently awards fellowships for full-time training of postdoctoral fellows. Its website describes the Fund as supporting fundamental scientific research. Applications go through an online portal linked from the Fund’s site, and the Fund publishes eligibility rules, key dates, award terms and a FAQ on separate pages (listed under Sources).
For the broader category this award belongs to, see the CASRAI entry on postdoctoral fellowships.
Eligibility
The rules below are for the 2027 application cycle (deadline February 1, 2027), as described on the official page on 2026-10-29. Check the current eligibility page before relying on them for a later cycle.
The experience and degree clock
- Applicants may have no more than 12 months of postdoctoral research experience at the time of the application deadline.
- The applicant must not have received the Ph.D. before February 1, 2025.
- An M.D. must not have been conferred more than three years before the application deadline.
- Ph.D. candidates may apply if the degree is conferred before the fellowship starts and they begin in the lab before July 1, 2027.
Exclusions and overlaps
- Applicants who have accepted a postdoctoral research fellowship award are not eligible.
- A candidate may hold a T32 training-grant appointment at the time of application, but not concurrently with the Jane Coffin Childs award (see T32 training grant).
- Proposals in the same laboratory where the fellow received the Ph.D. will not be funded.
- Other awards may be held for research expenses only, not stipends, unless the Fund grants permission.
- No more than one fellow per sponsor’s laboratory is funded per award year, and no more than two concurrently across multiple years.
Citizenship and location
Any citizenship is accepted, but awards for non-U.S. citizens can only be made to sponsoring institutions in the United States. U.S. citizens may work in laboratories abroad, according to the Fund’s FAQ. Applicants also need a commitment from the sponsoring laboratory and institution before applying.
What it funds or requires
The appointment is for three years, with the following terms on the Fund’s Terms of the Award page (as described on the official page on 2026-10-29):
- Stipend: $72,000 in the first year, $74,000 in the second and $76,000 in the third, plus $1,000 per year for each dependent child under 18.
- Research allowance: $2,000 each year ($6,000 total), not to be used for travel; use is left to the fellow and the proposed postdoctoral advisor. The FAQ adds that it may cover health insurance if sponsor and fellow agree.
- Travel: $1,800 each year ($5,400 total) for scientific meetings, managed by the fellow’s institution.
- Annual symposium: attendance is required each year of the fellowship, and the Fund pays the meeting expenses; they do not come out of the fellow’s travel funds.
- Indirect costs: none are provided to the sponsoring institution (compare indirect cost recovery on federal awards).
- Benefits and status: the award does not create an employer-employee relationship with the Fund, and postdoctoral advisors are required to provide medical benefits to the fellow.
- Reporting: second and third year funding depends on an annual fiscal and narrative report.
- Acknowledgement: fellows are asked to acknowledge the Fund in publications and when presenting, and to report new publications and any patent application to the Fund office. The Fund asks awardees to follow the patent policy of the institution of the primary postdoctoral advisor.
Changing laboratory or advisor during the fellowship requires the permission of the Director, with the advice of the Board of Scientific Advisors.
Application and compliance steps
- Secure the sponsor. Obtain the commitment of the sponsoring laboratory and institution. The FAQ describes one primary advisor and one co-advisor.
- Register in the portal. The application runs through the Temelio portal; applicants register as an individual. The Fund tells applicants to use the current guidelines only.
- Advisor form. The proposed postdoctoral advisor completes a Proposed Postdoctoral Advisor Form after registering in the same portal.
- Fiscal officer form. A fiscal officer signatory form is required, with one signature.
- Three referee letters. Referees must be people other than the advisor or co-advisor; the first is preferably the thesis advisor. Referees register in the portal themselves.
- Submit by the deadline. For the 2027 cycle the deadline is February 1, 2027 at 3 pm ET, and the dates page says there are no exceptions.
Typical timeline phases
Phases follow the structure on the Fund’s dates page for the 2027 cycle (as described on the official page on 2026-10-29); cycle dates change, so confirm the current ones there.
| Phase | What happens |
|---|---|
| Application opens | The online application opens in autumn (October 1, 2026 for the 2027 cycle). |
| Preparation | Advisor form, fiscal officer form and referee registrations are collected in the portal. |
| Deadline | Single annual deadline in early February (February 1, 2027, 3 pm ET), no exceptions. |
| Decisions | Emailed in mid-May (mid-May 2027). |
| Fellowship start | July 1 (July 1, 2027). |
Common mistakes
- Miscounting the experience clock. The 12-month limit is measured at the deadline, not at the start date. Count to the deadline.
- Proposing the Ph.D. laboratory. Same-laboratory proposals will not be funded.
- Naming a non-U.S. host as a non-U.S. citizen. Awards for non-U.S. citizens can only go to U.S. sponsoring institutions.
- Using the advisor as a referee. Letters must come from people other than the advisor or co-advisor.
- Leaving referee or advisor registration to the last day. Both register in the portal themselves, and there are no deadline exceptions.
- Expecting feedback. The Fund states it does not provide feedback on applications, so plan resubmission eligibility around the experience clock.
- Assuming indirect costs. None are paid; tell the sponsoring institution’s grants office early.
Related programs
CASRAI covers other postdoctoral awards; this table points to them without restating their rules. Always read each funder’s own page for current terms.
| Program | Where to read more |
|---|---|
| Helen Hay Whitney Foundation postdoctoral fellowship | Helen Hay Whitney Foundation fellowship guide |
| Damon Runyon fellowship and career awards | Damon Runyon fellowship guide |
| NIH individual fellowships (F30, F31, F32, F33) | NIH fellowships guide |
| Foundation-funded early-career fellowships | Early-career foundation fellowships compared |
| T32 training grant versus F32 | T32 vs F32 |
FAQ
Can I apply if I have already started a postdoc?
Possibly. The limit is no more than 12 months of postdoctoral research experience at the application deadline, as described on the official page on 2026-10-29. Applicants who have accepted another postdoctoral fellowship award are not eligible.
Can I hold a T32 and a Jane Coffin Childs award together?
Not concurrently. A candidate may hold a T32 at the time of application, but not at the same time as the Jane Coffin Childs award.
Do non-U.S. citizens qualify?
Yes, any citizenship is accepted, but awards for non-U.S. citizens can only be made to sponsoring institutions in the United States.
How long does the fellowship last and what does it pay?
Three years, with a basic stipend of $72,000, $74,000 and $76,000 across the three years, a $2,000 annual research allowance and $1,800 annual travel funds.
Will the Fund give feedback if I am not selected?
The FAQ states that the Fund will not provide feedback on applications.
Sources
- Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund for Medical Research, home page: jccfund.org, read 2026-10-29.
- Eligibility criteria: jccfund.org/eligibilty-criteria (the Fund’s URL spelling), read 2026-10-29.
- Application and fellowship dates and documents: jccfund.org dates page, read 2026-10-29.
- Frequently asked questions: jccfund.org FAQ, read 2026-10-29.
- Terms of the Award: jccfund.org terms of the award, read 2026-10-29.
