Guest Blog–Applications Open: 2025 HBF Inspiration Award for Early Career Investigators in Pediatric Brain Cancer

 

 

Overview: Now in its 6th year, the Hopper-Belmont Foundation (“HBF”) Inspiration Award aims to motivate young investigators to make a difference early in their careers by providing a personal award recognizing concepts and/or projects in one of the following areas:

  • Innovation: Recognition of an innovative idea in need of proof of concept/data prior to applying for larger grants from NIH or other funding resources
  • Aspiration: Providing resources to begin or to further research in a designated HBF focus area

This is a $5,000 award that can be used at the discretion of the winner, e.g. personal or research.

Application Deadline: Monday, June 23, 2025

Focus: Innovative approaches addressing Early Detection, Early Intervention or Novel Therapies

Who Qualifies: Post-doctoral (PhD, MD/PhD), Physicians-in-training (MD, MD/PhD), or junior faculty members who are in the first two years of a faculty appointment at the time of application submission. Individual and team submissions are allowed.

Guidelines: Submit a concept summary (3 pages maximum) using the following format:

  • Situation/Background Inspiration Idea
  • Proof of concept approach (if applicable)
  • Overall benefits to the patient community
  • Other potential concept applications (e.g impact on other cancers)
  • Career aspirations the award may support
  • Concept Timeline (if applicable)
  • Closing remarks

Appendix to include:

  • NIH-style bio sketch
  • Recommendations. Minimum one letter of support from current advisors, department heads, or other relevant individuals Note: Please put copy in layman’s terms as reviewers will include patients and caregivers as well as HCP’s.

Award Winner Requirements:

Award recipients are expected to: share their award status with their institution via website posts, social media, etc.; share with HBF ongoing updates of future awards, promotions, publications, etc.; acknowledge HBF in any publications for winning project; provide HBF with a short written bio for the HBF website as well as a short video summary of their award-winning project.

Apply by emailing: