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Awards

ASH Research Training Award for Fellows

The ASH Research Training Award for Fellows (RTAF) is designed to encourage junior researchers in hematology, hematology/oncology, and other hematology-related training programs to pursue careers in academic hematology. The RTAF is open to both MD and MD-PhD researchers between zero and four years from completing residency as of the application deadline.

  • During this transition year of eligibility changes, if you are ineligible for the Scholar Award closing on May 1, 2026, because you have four or fewer years since residency, please consider applying to the RTAF instead. While the standard eligibility for RTAF is four or fewer years since residency, we will consider exceptions for applicants who are slightly over the four-year mark for this one cycle. The RTAF application will close in January 2027 with a start date of July 2027, the same start date as the Scholar Award. All other RTAF eligibility criteria must still be met.

Program Benefits

The award provides each recipient with $70,000 for a one-year period to guarantee protected time for clinical, basic, or translational research. Additionally, funding is available each year for up to four RTAF recipients to apply for a second year of support.

The funds give fellows in training more time to generate sufficient expertise to be competitive when applying for other awards, such as the ASH Scholar Award, which targets applicants with more extensive research experience and a record of past research success (e.g., publications). Awardees also receive $1,000 the year after their award to support attendance at the ASH annual meeting.

Click to play RTAF Video.

Early Careers Pathway Banner


Which Early Career Award is Right for You?

Every one of ASH's award programs for early-career hematologists offers valuable opportunities to grow in your field. But it can be hard to know which is the right fit for your goals. Use this Early Career Awards Pathway to narrow down your options.

Download the PDF

Supported Research

Applicants must submit proposals to conduct research in hematology. Proposals that fall within any of the categories discussed below are encouraged:

  • Basic Research
  • Translational Research
  • Patient-Oriented Clinical Research
  • Outcomes-Based Research

For additional details on eligible research categories, please consult the Research Definitions page.

Application Information and Additional Resources

For more information on the eligibility requirements and the application process, please consult the links below:

Key Dates

Application Available September 1, 2025
Application Deadline January 15, 2026
Finalists Interviewed March 30-31, 2026
Award Notification May 2026

Questions?

For questions about the ASH Research Training Award for Fellows, please contact [email protected].

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ASH's commitment to research funding increased from $11M last year to over $20M in 2025-26. ASH needs your support to keep momentum going


Join ASH to Help Bridge Funding Gaps

ASH increased its commitment to funding critical hematology research this year by $9 million to establish new awards and fund an additional 600+ awards to make up for the gaps in opportunity resulting from federal funding cuts – bringing ASH’s total investment to more than $20 million in 2025-2026. It’s going to take your help to sustain that momentum beyond this first year. Donate to the ASH Foundation to help protect the future of hematology research when it’s needed most.

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