Brave Fellowship
What is the Brave Fellowship?
The Brave Like Gabe Foundation and Fred Hutch are dedicated to training a diverse group of world-class scientists. The Brave Fellowship was created in honor of Gabe Grunewald and part of an ongoing effort to support the work of post-doctoral researchers and graduate students engaged in rare cancer research who themselves have overcome barriers to pursue a research career.
This fellowship funds one post-doctoral fellow or graduate student for a period of one year. In line with the mission of the Brave Like Gabe Foundation, funding will ensure retention and help to foster a diverse community of scientists within rare cancer research. The 2022 fellowship application is closed.
How is the Brave Fellowship funded?
Gabe Grunewald taught many to be resilient, to be brave, to be hopeful. Brooks Running honored her spirit with the Brave Like Gabe special edition apparel collection designed in partnership with her family and friends. Now Brooks and the Brave Like Gabe Foundation have partnered with Fred Hutch to support the fellowship.
Who was Gabe Grunewald?
Gabriele “Gabe” Grunewald was a professional American middle-distance runner who ran professionally for Brooks from 2010 until her passing in 2019. Throughout her 10-year battle with cancer, Gabe continued to compete and run professionally — using running as a tool to move through her cancer diagnosis. She also founded the Brave Like Gabe Foundation, which is focused on raising funds (and awareness) to support research and accelerate treatments for rare cancer patients.
Gabe’s positive spirit and love of the run were contagious—inspiring millions of people across the country.
Fred Hutch's Dr. Abir Arfaoui, recipient of the 2021 Brave Fellowship, explains her work on fibrolamellar carcinoma, a rare and deadly liver cancer.
Video by Robert Hood / Fred Hutch News ServiceFellowship Funding Details
Funds may support salary, fringe, IDC, and tuition (for graduate students only) up to a total award amount of approximately $125,000. Fellow salary levels should at least meet the National Institutes of Health minimum for postdocs or current salary amount set by primary mentor or other sponsored funds. Awarded funds in excess of the above may be used to support other activities as approved by the foundation.
Eligibility Information
Who is eligible to apply?
Eligible applicants have an established relationship with a primary mentor based in one of the five scientific divisions within Fred Hutch. All self-identified underrepresented scientists are eligible and encouraged to apply. Specific eligible groups include but are not limited to: individuals from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups; women and transgender scientists; individuals who identify as lesbian, gay or bisexual; individuals with disabilities; non-US citizen international scientists; veterans; and individuals from other socially, culturally, economically, or educationally disadvantaged backgrounds that have inhibited their ability to pursue a career in health-related research. Eligibility is not limited to these general categories, however, and we recognize that individuals can be underrepresented specifically within their field or within Fred Hutch.
How do I confirm that my area of research is considered a rare cancer?
Rare cancers are defined by the United States National Cancer Institute (NCI) as those with an incidence of fewer than 15 per 100,000 people per year. Rare cancers account for approximately one quarter of all cancers diagnosed each year in the United States and Europe. Based on the traditional, organ-based classification of cancers, only 11 cancers would not be considered rare based on the US NCI’s definition: prostate, breast, lung, colon, uterus, bladder, melanoma, rectum, ovary, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and kidney. However, a growing number of rare subtypes of these “common” cancers are being identified, and some of these subtypes share molecular alterations with cancers originating in different organs.
View list of eligible areas of research
5q- syndrome
Acinic cell carcinoma
Acral lentiginous melanoma Acromegaly
Acrospiroma
ACTH-secreting pituitary adenoma
Acute erythroid leukemia
Acute leukemia of ambiguous lineage
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia congenital sporadic aniridia
Acute megakaryoblastic leukemia
Acute monoblastic leukemia
Acute myeloblastic leukemia with maturation
Acute myeloblastic leukemia without maturation
Acute myeloid leukemia with abnormal bone marrow eosinophils inv(16)(p13q22) or t(16;16)(p13;q22)
Acute myeloid leukemia with inv3(p21;q26.2) or t(3;3)(p21;q26.2)
Acute myelomonocytic leukemia
Acute non lymphoblastic leukemia
Acute panmyelosis with myelofibrosis
Acute promyelocytic leukemia
Adenocarcinoid tumor
Adenocarcinoma of the appendix
Adenoid cystic carcinoma
Adenosarcoma of the uterus
Adrenal cancer
Adrenal medulla cancer
Adrenocortical carcinoma
Aggressive NK cell leukemia
Aicardi syndrome
Alveolar soft part sarcoma
Ameloblastic carcinoma
AML with myelodysplasia-related features
Anal cancer
Anaplastic astrocytoma
Anaplastic ependymoma
Anaplastic ganglioglioma
Anaplastic large cell lymphoma
Anaplastic oligoastrocytoma
Anaplastic oligodendroglioma
Anaplastic plasmacytoma
Anaplastic small cell lymphoma
Anaplastic thyroid cancer
Angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma
Angioma hereditary neurocutaneous
Angioma serpiginosum
Angiosarcoma of the breast
Angiosarcoma of the liver
Angiosarcoma of the scalp
Astroblastoma
Ataxia telangiectasia
Atrial myxoma, familial
Autoimmune lymphoproliferative syndrome
B cell prolymphocytic leukemia
B-cell lymphoma
Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome
Basal cell carcinoma, infundibulocystic
Basal cell carcinoma, multiple
Bazex-Dupre-Christol syndrome
Becker nevus syndrome
Bednar tumor
Benign metastasizing leiomyoma
Benign multicystic peritoneal mesothelioma
Bile duct cancer
Biliary tract cancer
Birt-Hogg-Dube syndrome
Blastic plasmacytoid dendritic cell
Bloom syndrome
Blue rubber bleb nevus syndrome
Bowen's disease
Brain stem cancer
Brain tumor, adult
Brain tumor, childhood
BRCA1 hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome
BRCA2 hereditary breast and ovarian cancer syndrome
Breast cancer, male
Brenner tumor of ovary
Brenner tumor of the vagina
Bronchial adenomas/carcinoids childhood
Burkitt lymphoma
Buschke-Lowenstein tumor
Carcinoid syndrome
Carcinoid tumor
Carcinoid tumor childhood
Carcinoma of the vocal tract
Carney complex
Carney triad
Carotid body tumor
Cartilaginous cancer
CDK4 linked melanoma
Central nervous system germinoma
Central neurocytoma
Cerebellar astrocytoma, childhood
Cerebellar liponeurocytoma
Cerebral astrocytoma, childhood
Cerebral sarcoma
Cerebral ventricle cancer
Cerebro-oculo-facio-skeletal syndrome
Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia
CHILD syndrome
Childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia
Childhood brain stem glioma
Childhood hepatocellular carcinoma
Childhood Supratentorial Embryonal Tumor, Not Otherwise Specified
Chondrosarcoma
Chordoid glioma of the third ventricle
Chordoma
Choriocarcinoma
Choroid plexus carcinoma
Choroid plexus papilloma
Chromophil renal cell carcinoma
Chromophobe renal cell carcinoma
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
Chronic myeloid leukemia
Chronic myelomonocytic leukemia
Chronic myeloproliferative disorders
Chronic neutrophilic leukemia
Clear cell renal cell carcinoma
CLOVES syndrome
Cockayne syndrome type I
Cockayne syndrome type II
Cockayne syndrome type III
Collecting duct carcinoma
Common variable immunodeficiency
Costello syndrome
Cowden syndrome
Craniopharyngioma
Cronkhite-Canada disease
Cutaneous mastocytoma
Cutaneous T-cell lymphoma
Deafness-lymphedema-leukemia syndrome
Dendritic cell tumor
Denys-Drash syndrome
Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans
Desmoid tumor
Desmoplastic infantile astrocytoma
Desmoplastic infantile ganglioglioma
Desmoplastic small round cell tumor
Diamond-Blackfan anemia
Diaphyseal medullary stenosis with malignant fibrous histiocytoma
Diffuse astrocytoma
Diffuse cavernous hemangioma of the rectum
Diffuse gastric cancer
Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma
Digestive System Melanoma
Disseminated peritoneal leiomyomatosis
Dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor
Dyskeratosis congenita
Dyskeratosis congenita autosomal dominant
Dyskeratosis congenita autosomal recessive
Dyskeratosis congenita X-linked
Eccrine mucinous carcinoma
Eccrine porocarcinoma
Embryonal carcinoma
Embryonal sarcoma
Embryonal tumor with multilayered rosettes
Enchondroma
Endemic Kaposi sarcoma
Endometrial stromal sarcoma
Enteropathy-associated T-cell lymphoma
Ependymoma
Epithelial-myoepithelial carcinoma
Esophageal cancer
Essential thrombocythemia
Ewing sarcoma
Extragonadal germ cell tumor
Extramammary Paget disease
Fallopian tube cancer
Familial adenomatous polyposis
Familial breast cancer - Not a rare disease
Familial colorectal cancer
Familial hyperaldosteronism type 2
Familial pancreatic cancer
Familial platelet disorder with associated myeloid malignancy
Familial prostate cancer
Familial Wilms tumor 2
Fanconi anemia
Fibrolamellar carcinoma
Fibrosarcoma
Follicular lymphoma
Frasier syndrome
Functioning pancreatic endocrine tumor
Gallbladder cancer
Gangliocytoma
Ganglioglioma
Gardner syndrome
Gastric lymphoma
Gastric Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Gastro-enteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumor
Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors
Giant cell tumor of bone
Giant congenital nevus
Glassy cell carcinoma of the cervix
Glioblastoma
Glioma
Gliosarcoma
Glomus jugulare tumors
Glomus tympanicum tumor
Glomus vagale tumor
Glucagonoma
Goblet cell carcinoid
Granular cell tumor
Granulomatous slack skin disease
Granulosa cell tumor of the ovary
Gray zone lymphoma
Gynandroblastoma
Hairy cell leukemia
Heart tumor
Hemangioblastoma
Hemangioendothelioma
Hemangioma thrombocytopenia syndrome
Hemangiopericytoma
Hemi 3 syndrome
Hepatoblastoma
Hereditary diffuse gastric cancer
Hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell cancer
Hereditary melanoma
Hereditary multiple osteochondromas
Hereditary paraganglioma-pheochromocytoma
Hereditary renal cell carcinoma
Hidradenocarcinoma
Hodgkin lymphoma
Hurthle cell thyroid cancer
Hyaline fibromatosis syndrome
Hyperparathyroidism-jaw tumor syndrome
Hypopharyngeal cancer
Indolent B cell lymphoma
Infantile myofibromatosis
Inflammatory breast cancer
Inflammatory linear verrucous epidermal nevus
Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor
Insulinoma
Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma
Intraneural perineurioma
Intraocular melanoma
Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia
Juvenile polyposis syndrome
Kaposi sarcoma
Kaposiform Hemangioendothelioma
Klatskin tumor
Krukenberg carcinoma
Langerhans cell sarcoma
Laryngeal cancer
Ledderhose disease
Leiomyosarcoma
Lentigo maligna melanoma
LEOPARD syndrome
Leukemia subleukemic
Leukemia, T-cell, chronic
Lhermitte-Duclos disease
Li-Fraumeni syndrome
Linear nevus sebaceous syndrome
Lip and oral cavity cancer
Lipoblastoma
Liposarcoma
Lung adenocarcinoma
Lymph Node Neoplasm
Lymphoblastic lymphoma
Lymphoma AIDS related
Lymphoma, large-cell, immunoblastic
Lymphomatoid papulosis
Lymphosarcoma
Lynch syndrome - Not a rare disease
Maffucci syndrome
Mahvash disease
Malignant cylindroma
Malignant eccrine spiradenoma
Malignant germ cell tumor
Malignant melanoma, childhood
Malignant mesenchymoma
Malignant mesothelioma
Malignant mixed
Mullerian tumor
Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor
Malignant Teratocarcinosarcoma
Mantle cell lymphoma
McCune-Albright syndrome
Mediastinal endodermal sinus tumors
Medulloblastoma
Medulloblastoma, childhood
Megalencephaly-capillary malformation syndrome
Melanocytic lesions of CNS
Melanoma astrocytoma syndrome
Meningioma
Merkel cell carcinoma
Metaplastic carcinoma of the breast
Metastatic insulinoma
Metastatic squamous neck cancer with occult primary
Microcystic adnexal carcinoma
Microcystic lymphatic malformation
Mosaic variegated aneuploidy syndrome
Mucoepidermoid carcinoma
Muir-Torre syndrome
Multicentric Castleman Disease
Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1
Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A
Multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2B
Multiple fibrofolliculoma familial
Multiple myeloma
Multiple self healing squamous epithelioma
Mycosis fungoides
Myelocytic leukemia-like syndrome, familial, chronic
Myelodysplastic syndromes
Myeloid leukemia
Myeloid sarcoma
Myoepithelial carcinoma
Myxoid liposarcoma
N syndrome
Nasopharyngeal carcinoma
Neural crest tumor
Neuroblastoma
Neurocutaneous melanosis
Neuroendocrine carcinoma of the cervix
Neuroepithelioma
Neurofibromatosis type 2
Neurofibromatosis-Noonan syndrome
Neurofibrosarcoma
Nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome
Nevus comedonicus syndrome
Nevus of Ito
Nijmegen breakage syndrome
Nodular melanoma
Non functioning pancreatic endocrine tumor
Non-involuting congenital hemangioma
Nonseminomatous germ cell tumor
Noonan syndrome
Noonan syndrome 1 - See Noonan syndrome
Noonan syndrome 2 - See Noonan syndrome
Noonan syndrome 3 - See Noonan syndrome
Noonan syndrome 4 - See Noonan syndrome
Noonan syndrome 5 - See Noonan syndrome
Noonan syndrome 6 - See Noonan syndrome
Ocular melanoma
Olfactory neuroblastoma
Oligoastrocytoma
Oligodendroglioma
Ollier disease
Onychocytic matricoma
Optic pathway glioma
Oral cancer
Oral squamous cell carcinoma
Orbital lymphangioma
Orbital lymphoma
Oropharyngeal cancer, adult
Oslam syndrome
Osteofibrous dysplasia
Osteosarcoma
Ovarian cancer
Ovarian carcinosarcoma
Ovarian epithelial cancer
Ovarian germ cell tumor
Ovarian low malignant potential tumor
Ovarian small cell carcinoma
Paget disease of the breast
Painful orbital and systemic neurofibromas-marfanoid habitus syndrome
Pancreatic adenoma
Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatoblastoma
Papillary cystadenocarcinoma
Papillary renal cell carcinoma
Papillary thyroid carcinoma
Paraganglioma and gastric stromal sarcoma
Paranasal sinus cancer, adult
Paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration
Parathyroid carcinoma
Pediatric T-cell leukemia
Penile cancer
Peripheral T-cell lymphoma
Perlman syndrome
Peutz-Jeghers syndrome
PHACE syndrome
Pheochromocytoma
Philadelphia-negative chronic myeloid leukemia
Phyllodes tumor of the breast
Phyllodes tumor of the prostate
Pilocytic astrocytoma
Pilomatrixoma
Pineal parenchymal tumors of intermediate differentiation
Pineoblastoma
Pituitary cancer
Plasma cell leukemia
Plasmablastic lymphoma
Pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma
Pleuropulmonary blastoma
Plexosarcoma
POEMS syndrome
Polycythemia vera
Polyembryoma
Polymorphous low-grade adenocarcinoma
Primary central nervous system lymphoma
Primary effusion lymphoma
Primary liver cancer
Primary malignant melanoma of the cervix
Primary malignant melanoma of the conjunctiva
Primary melanoma of the central nervous system
Primary myelofibrosis
Proliferating trichilemmal cyst
Proteus syndrome
Proteus-like syndrome
Pseudomyxoma peritonei
Radiation induced angiosarcoma of the breast
Radiation induced cancer
Radiation induced meningioma
Rare adenocarcinoma of the breast
Renal cell carcinoma 4
Retinoblastoma
Retroperitoneal liposarcoma
Rhabdoid tumor
Rhabdomyosarcoma alveolar
Rhabdomyosarcoma embryonal
Richter syndrome
Ring dermoid of cornea
Rombo syndrome
Sacrococcygeal Teratoma
Saethre-Chotzen syndrome
Salivary gland cancer, adult
Sarcoma botryoides
Schinzel Giedion syndrome
Schwannomatosis
Secretory breast carcinoma
Sertoli-leydig cell tumors
Severe congenital neutropenia autosomal recessive 3
Sezary syndrome
Shwachman-Diamond syndrome
Sideroblastic anemia pyridoxine-refractory autosomal recessive
Simpson-Golabi-Behmel syndrome
Sinonasal undifferentiated carcinoma
Sinus cancer
Small cell carcinoma of the bladder
Small cell lung cancer
Small intestine cancer
Soft tissue sarcoma
Somatostatinoma
Sotos syndrome
Splenic neoplasm
Squamous cell carcinoma - Not a rare disease
Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck - Not a rare disease
Stomach cancer
Subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma
Subependymal giant cell astrocytoma
Subependymoma
Superficial spreading melanoma
Supraglottic laryngeal cancer
Supratentorial primitive neuroectodermal tumor
Supraumbilical midabdominal raphe and facial cavernous hemangiomas
Synovial sarcoma
T-cell large granular lymphocyte leukemia
T-cell lymphoma 1A
T-cell/histiocyte rich large B cell lymphoma
Teratoma with malignant transformation
Testicular seminoma
Testicular yolk sac tumor
Thoracolaryngopelvic dysplasia
Thymic epithelial tumor
Thyroid cancer, follicular
Thyroid cancer, medullary
Tongue cancer
Transient myeloproliferative syndrome
Transitional cell cancer of the renal pelvis and ureter
Transitional cell carcinoma
Trichofolliculoma
Trophoblastic tumor placental site
Tuberous sclerosis complex
Tufted angioma
Turcot syndrome
Tylosis with esophageal cancer
Tyrosinemia type 1
Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma
Unicentric Castleman disease
Urachal adenocarcinoma
Urachal cancer
Urethral cancer
Uterine Carcinosarcoma
Uterine sarcoma
Vaginal cancer
Verrucous nevus acanthokeratolytic
VIPoma
Visual pathway and hypothalamic glioma, childhood
Von Hippel-Lindau disease
Vulvar cancer
WAGR syndrome
Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia
Werner syndrome
White sponge nevus of cannon
Wilms tumor and radial bilateral aplasia
Wilms' tumor
Wiskott Aldrich syndrome
WT limb blood syndrome
X-linked lymphoproliferative disease due to SH2D1A deficiency
X-linked lymphoproliferative syndrome
Xeroderma pigmentosum
Zollinger-Ellison syndrome
Zuska's disease
Application Process
Please read this section carefully.
Required Written Components:
- Statement of Eligibility (250 word maximum): The Brave Fellowship provides financial support for self-identified underrepresented post-doctoral researchers and graduate students in order to ensure their retention and to foster a diverse community of scientists. Please describe how you identify as underrepresented.
- Statement of Need (250 word maximum): What other sources of funding have you pursued, and why have those sources of funding been inadequate? Are there restrictions in your mentor's funding?
- Research Project Abstract (250 word maximum): Summarize your research project using language that can be understood by non-experts.
- Rare Cancer Research Significance: In two to three sentences, describe the relevance of your project to rare cancer research. Use language that can be understood by laypeople, avoiding the use of jargon and acronyms.
- Optional - Connection to Running (250 word maximum): While a connection to running is not an eligibility requirement for this fellowship, we would like to learn how running has influenced your life, if it has.
Additional Required Documents:
Please upload the following documents in PDF format in the application form.
- Current CV
- Research Proposal (3 page maximum - excludes references): The proposal should include a brief background to the proposed research, specific research objectives/aims, a concise description of the method of approach, and explanation of the significance of the proposed research to human health as it relates to rare cancer. Figures or tables are optional, but if used should be embedded within the text of your proposal. Figures and tables are excluded in the three-page limit.
- Personal Statement (1 page maximum): Describe your short- and long-term career goals and how The Brave Fellowship helps you to reach these goals.
- Commitment to Diversity & Rare Cancer Research (1 page maximum): Our mission is to support research and accelerate treatments for rare cancer patients. To do this we believe firmly in the power of a diverse and inclusive workforce in biomedical research. What have you done in the past and what do you plan to do in the future that demonstrates your commitment to this mission? How does your background/perspective make you uniquely qualified to address biomedical workforce diversity? How do you plan to develop your skills as a leader in diversity?
- Statement of Support (1 page maximum): A statement from your Fred Hutch research mentor describing resources available for your project (including equipment, facilities, and additional funding sources available) as well as a mentoring/career development plan tailored to the trainee.
- Letters of Recommendation: Three letters of recommendation are required.
Applications will not be reviewed until all materials have been received.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mentors Play Key Role
The committee recognizes the important role mentors play in the success of their trainees by providing the physical and mental space they need to complete a challenging research project and offering invaluable career develop guidance.
The principal investigator supporting a current trainee's application for the Brave Fellowship is required to provide a one-page statement of support. This document should include the following elements:
- Resources your trainee can access to successfully complete their proposed project, such as specialized facilities, equipment, and additional sources of funding.
- A tailored mentoring and career development plan that links directly to the career goals your mentee described in his or her personal statement.
2020 Brave Fellowship Recipient: Dr. Alyssa Webster
In September 2020, Fred Hutch's Alyssa Webster, Ph.D. became the inaugural recipient of the Brave Fellowship. Learn more about Dr. Alyssa Webster, her research and how she uses running to relieve stress and clear her mind for research.
Contact Us
For more information or questions about the fellowship, contact Elizabeth Martin, Associate Director of Corporate Engagement at Fred Hutch.
