The Robert A. Winn Career Development Award (Winn CDA) is a two-year program that equips early-career physician-researchers with the knowledge, resources, and mentorship needed to design and conduct community-oriented clinical trials. As the only program of its kind, the Winn CDA provides rigorous training in both clinical trial design and implementation as well as the science of community engagement.
The Robert A. Winn Excellence in Clinical Trials: Career Development Award (Winn CDA) is part of a broader initiative, the Robert A. Winn Excellence in Clinical Trials Award Program (Winn Awards), which seeks to improve patient participation in clinical studies so that treatments developed are tested, safe, and effective for all who will use them, and that people in hard-to-reach communities have better access to the latest advances in medicine.
Please visit our website for more: https://winnawards.org/
Award
$240k over 2 years ($120K/year for 2 years) to help support at least 40% of the scholar’s time (Note: Awards will be given to organizations, not to individuals). The award is to support the career development of the scholar; it does NOT fund the project in the application.
Project
Applicants must apply with a clinical trial as defined by the NIH. The purpose of the project for this application submission is to provide the applicant with a real-world opportunity to apply the skills that they learn throughout this program. This project can be the applicant's own clinical trial OR their mentor's clinical trial (it is not expected that you have your own trial). The trial should be approved and open for enrollment by the time the program starts. Preference will be given to applicants applying with a clinical intervention for a therapeutic or drug treatment. Winn CDA does not fund the project.
PLEASE NOTE: During the program, scholars will work on an independent Capstone Project, which is separate from the project in this application, but it can be related. More guidance will be provided upon acceptance into the program.
Clinical Research Focus Areas
The applicant’s research and project focus area must be on one of the following therapeutic areas: Cancer, Cardiovascular Diseases or Cardiometabolic Disorders, and Neuropsychiatric Disorders as defined by the American Neuropsychiatric Association.
Mentoring
Each scholar must be mentored by an experienced clinical investigator. They may also be participating in their mentor’s active trial. Mentors are expected to meet with the scholar at least 2x a month regarding the conduct of clinical trials and their career development. Scholars can have multiple mentors, but only one can be designated as the primary institutional mentor.
Training
The goal of the Winn CDA is to develop a new generation of clinical trialists. The Community-Oriented Clinical Trialist (COCT) curriculum is designed to develop and train a new generation of first-rate clinical trialists with the additional knowledge, skills, and competencies to effectively engage with communities to foster active community participation in clinical research.
The COCT training will launch with a 4 ½-day intensive educational workshop on clinical trial research methods. Winn CDA has partnered with the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) to develop and deliver the Winn-AACR Design and Implementation of Clinical Trials (DICT) Workshop. This is a 4 ½-day training, which will introduce Scholars to foundational knowledge in state-of-the-art clinical trial design, development, implementation, and community engagement. Over the course of the 2-yr program, Scholars will participate in a fully elaborated COCT curriculum, featuring weekly or biweekly lectures by distinguished faculty, which will build and expand upon concepts presented during the Winn-AACR DICT Workshop, providing a comprehensive approach to presenting community outreach and engagement methods, skills, and strategies.
Please note:
This Workshop is a required element of the Winn CDA Program. 2026 Winn-AACR DICT Workshop (November 16-20, 2026)
Please click here for more information about the 2025 Winn-AACR Design and Implementation of Clinical Trials Workshop, an essential program element to the Winn CDA.
Robert A. Winn Clinical Investigator Pathway Program (Winn CIPP) Mentoring
Each scholar will serve as a mentor to a Winn CIPP medical student during the first summer of their program. As part of the Winn CIPP, medical students participate in a 6-week summer immersion program working in community-based clinical research organizations to learn the basics of clinical trials and community outreach, education, and engagement efforts.
Annual Convening
An annual in-person event in the Fall 2027 and 2028 will bring key stakeholder groups together to inspire, educate, amplify and celebrate. Scholars will present their investigator-initiated clinical trial protocols (capstone project) at the annual convening in their second program year.
Helpful Documents
Other Information to Note
Applicants are encouraged to start the application process as early as possible, and are expected to notify their grants team or office of sponsored research of their application to Winn CDA within an appropriate time frame (often grants teams/offices of sponsored research need to be notified of your intention to apply at least 6 weeks before the application deadline). Please refer to your institution's requirements and SOPs for submitting funding opportunity applications. All applicants will be expected to receive approval to apply from their grants team.
Information to Share with the Applicant's Grants Team or Office of Sponsored Research
Winn CDA is funded by the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation (BMSF), Gilead Sciences, Amgen, and Genentech. VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center is the lead implementation partner - via the Medical College of Virginia Foundation (MCVF).
The Winn CDA funds for scholars are disbursed by MCVF to the scholar’s institution. The scholar’s award will be sponsored by one of the funding partners - sponsor designation will be assigned at the time of awarding. Sponsors are not involved in any of the application review or selection process. The award is meant to support the scholar's career development and protected time to participate in the Winn CDA program and curriculum. The award does not fund the research project included in the application.
Below is MCVF's information if needed by your grants team/office of sponsored research:
Medical College of Virginia Foundation
1021 E. Cary St. Suite 1100
Richmond , VA 23219
EIN: 54-6053660
Click here for more information from MCVF to share with the applicant's grants team/office of sponsored research if needed.
Robert A. Winn Career Development Award (Winn CDA)
The Robert A. Winn Career Development Award (Winn CDA) is a two-year program that equips early-career physician-researchers with the knowledge, resources, and mentorship needed to design and conduct community-oriented clinical trials. As the only program of its kind, the Winn CDA provides rigorous training in both clinical trial design and implementation as well as the science of community engagement.
The Robert A. Winn Excellence in Clinical Trials: Career Development Award (Winn CDA) is part of a broader initiative, the Robert A. Winn Excellence in Clinical Trials Award Program (Winn Awards), which seeks to improve patient participation in clinical studies so that treatments developed are tested, safe, and effective for all who will use them, and that people in hard-to-reach communities have better access to the latest advances in medicine.
Please visit our website for more: https://winnawards.org/
Award
$240k over 2 years ($120K/year for 2 years) to help support at least 40% of the scholar’s time (Note: Awards will be given to organizations, not to individuals). The award is to support the career development of the scholar; it does NOT fund the project in the application.
Project
Applicants must apply with a clinical trial as defined by the NIH. The purpose of the project for this application submission is to provide the applicant with a real-world opportunity to apply the skills that they learn throughout this program. This project can be the applicant's own clinical trial OR their mentor's clinical trial (it is not expected that you have your own trial). The trial should be approved and open for enrollment by the time the program starts. Preference will be given to applicants applying with a clinical intervention for a therapeutic or drug treatment. Winn CDA does not fund the project.
PLEASE NOTE: During the program, scholars will work on an independent Capstone Project, which is separate from the project in this application, but it can be related. More guidance will be provided upon acceptance into the program.
Clinical Research Focus Areas
The applicant’s research and project focus area must be on one of the following therapeutic areas: Cancer, Cardiovascular Diseases or Cardiometabolic Disorders, and Neuropsychiatric Disorders as defined by the American Neuropsychiatric Association.
Mentoring
Each scholar must be mentored by an experienced clinical investigator. They may also be participating in their mentor’s active trial. Mentors are expected to meet with the scholar at least 2x a month regarding the conduct of clinical trials and their career development. Scholars can have multiple mentors, but only one can be designated as the primary institutional mentor.
Training
The goal of the Winn CDA is to develop a new generation of clinical trialists. The Community-Oriented Clinical Trialist (COCT) curriculum is designed to develop and train a new generation of first-rate clinical trialists with the additional knowledge, skills, and competencies to effectively engage with communities to foster active community participation in clinical research.
The COCT training will launch with a 4 ½-day intensive educational workshop on clinical trial research methods. Winn CDA has partnered with the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR) to develop and deliver the Winn-AACR Design and Implementation of Clinical Trials (DICT) Workshop. This is a 4 ½-day training, which will introduce Scholars to foundational knowledge in state-of-the-art clinical trial design, development, implementation, and community engagement. Over the course of the 2-yr program, Scholars will participate in a fully elaborated COCT curriculum, featuring weekly or biweekly lectures by distinguished faculty, which will build and expand upon concepts presented during the Winn-AACR DICT Workshop, providing a comprehensive approach to presenting community outreach and engagement methods, skills, and strategies.
Please note:
This Workshop is a required element of the Winn CDA Program. 2026 Winn-AACR DICT Workshop (November 16-20, 2026)
Please click here for more information about the 2025 Winn-AACR Design and Implementation of Clinical Trials Workshop, an essential program element to the Winn CDA.
Robert A. Winn Clinical Investigator Pathway Program (Winn CIPP) Mentoring
Each scholar will serve as a mentor to a Winn CIPP medical student during the first summer of their program. As part of the Winn CIPP, medical students participate in a 6-week summer immersion program working in community-based clinical research organizations to learn the basics of clinical trials and community outreach, education, and engagement efforts.
Annual Convening
An annual in-person event in the Fall 2027 and 2028 will bring key stakeholder groups together to inspire, educate, amplify and celebrate. Scholars will present their investigator-initiated clinical trial protocols (capstone project) at the annual convening in their second program year.
Helpful Documents
Other Information to Note
Applicants are encouraged to start the application process as early as possible, and are expected to notify their grants team or office of sponsored research of their application to Winn CDA within an appropriate time frame (often grants teams/offices of sponsored research need to be notified of your intention to apply at least 6 weeks before the application deadline). Please refer to your institution's requirements and SOPs for submitting funding opportunity applications. All applicants will be expected to receive approval to apply from their grants team.
Information to Share with the Applicant's Grants Team or Office of Sponsored Research
Winn CDA is funded by the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation (BMSF), Gilead Sciences, Amgen, and Genentech. VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center is the lead implementation partner - via the Medical College of Virginia Foundation (MCVF).
The Winn CDA funds for scholars are disbursed by MCVF to the scholar’s institution. The scholar’s award will be sponsored by one of the funding partners - sponsor designation will be assigned at the time of awarding. Sponsors are not involved in any of the application review or selection process. The award is meant to support the scholar's career development and protected time to participate in the Winn CDA program and curriculum. The award does not fund the research project included in the application.
Below is MCVF's information if needed by your grants team/office of sponsored research:
Medical College of Virginia Foundation
1021 E. Cary St. Suite 1100
Richmond , VA 23219
EIN: 54-6053660
Click here for more information from MCVF to share with the applicant's grants team/office of sponsored research if needed.