Futures Cancer Research Fellowship Programme
(2 Fellowships Calls Now Open)
Cancer Research @UCC, in partnership with the HRB‑supported UCC Cancer Trials Group, is pleased to announce two prestigious fellowship opportunities within the newly established Cancer Research @UCC Fellowship Programme. This programme aims to develop the next generation of clinical academic leaders in oncology through structured, high‑quality, interdisciplinary research training.
We are now accepting applications for:
- 1 × Breakthrough Clinical Cancer Research Fellowship (Partially supported by Breakthrough Cancer Research)
- 1 × Futures Cancer Research Fellowship (This fellowship will focus on the optimisation and tolerability of immunotherapy treatments used in the treatment of cancer.)
Both fellowships form part of a unified, excellence driven Cancer Research @UCC Fellowship Programme that offers fellows an immersive clinical and translational research experience across University College Cork and its affiliated teaching hospitals.
Host Institutions: University College Cork and affiliated Teaching Hospitals
Duration: 12-24 months
Commencing: July 2027
Fellowship Type: Clinical and transitional cancer research fellowships.
Eligibility: Open to doctors training in any cancer-related discipline, at Registrar or Specialist Registrar level.
Cancer Research Fellowship Programme Overview
These fully funded, highly competitive fellowships offer an exceptional training pathway designed to develop future clinical academic leaders in oncology. Fellows will join the UCC Cancer Trials Group, benefiting from structured, certifiable training and close supervision from leading clinical and translational researchers across UCC and affiliated hospitals.
Aligned with the values of national programmes such as ICAT, the fellowship provides a supportive, interdisciplinary research environment, prioritising excellence, mentorship, protected research time, and exposure to world‑class clinical research infrastructure.
A minimum of one year of academic credit may be available from relevant Higher Specialist Training schemes (to be discussed individually with short-listed candidates).
Fellowship Goals
Both fellowships aim to immerse the successful candidates in the full continuum of clinical/translational cancer research:
- Concept development
- Protocol and trial design
- Patient-facing clinical research
- Data acquisition & analysis
- Dissemination (presentation, publication)
- Academic qualification (e.g. MD in Clinical Medicine)
This structure ensures the fellow can bring a research concept from inception through to completion, gaining comprehensive experience and tangible outputs.
All training is supervised by senior clinician–scientists within UCC and affiliated hospitals.
Educational Opportunities
Fellows will be supported to apply for and attend a broad range of competitive national and international training and educational opportunities, which for previous fellows have included:
- EORTC/ESMO/AACR Methods in Clinical Cancer Research (MCCR) Workshop-An annual, week-long intensive course for early-career investigators to learn clinical trial design, offering mentorship and networking for designing, implementing, and publishing high-quality oncology trials.
- OECI Academy- A structured training programme to support early career oncologists and researchers, including a permanent track on grant writing, annual residential courses on key research skills, and a series of webinars developed in collaboration with OECI Working Groups.
- ESMO/ICF Clinical Unit Visits – Eight-week ESMO supported visiting fellowship to a European Oncology Centre of Excellence to gain international experience in clinical and research practices, build professional networks and benefit from expert international mentorship.
- ENDEAVOUR Breast Cancer Program is a three-year intensive educational and research initiative designed by Daiichi Sankyo Europe to support early-career oncologists in advancing breast cancercare.
- National and International Conference attendance with abstract submission and presentation, including at San Antonio Breast Cancer Conference, ASCO Annual Meeting and ESMO Congress.
Applications Timeframe
Application close at 5 pm on ???, 2026 and interviews will be held in Quarter 4 2026
To apply interested candidates must submit the following to the Talent & Development Officer, Ms. Claire Forde, CRUCC.TalentDevelopment@ucc.ie
- An up-to-date Curriculum Vitae
- Statement of interest (1 page)
For further details please contact
Ms. Claire Forde CRUCC.TalentDevelopment@ucc.ie