NAC Careers

NAC Launches Fellowship to Shape the Future of Cancer Caregiving Research

The National Alliance for Caregiving (NAC) is now accepting applications for a new fellowship opportunity designed to shape the next generation of cancer caregiving research in the United States.

Building on NAC’s widely cited 2016 report Cancer Caregiving in the US: An Intense, Episodic, and Challenging Care Experience, this 12-month fellowship will support the development of a Report Planning and Analysis Framework for the upcoming update— ensuring the research reflects the evolving realities of caregivers and centers health equity

at every stage.

At a time when millions of families are navigating the complexities of cancer care, this work is more urgent than ever. The selected Fellow will play a key role in advancing rigorous, equity-centered analysis while helping translate findings into actionable policy and practice change that better support cancer caregivers nationwide.

“As the demands placed on cancer caregivers continue to grow, this Fellowship offers a unique opportunity to partner with leaders in the field to shape research reflects full complexity of caregiving and advances systemic, equity driven solutions.” – Yadira Montoya, Senior Director of Health Programs at NAC.

What the Fellowship Will Do

The Fellowship is designed to do more than advance cancer caregiving research—it aims to shape how caregiving data is analyzed, understood, and applied. Over the course of the fellowship, the selected candidate will:

• Co-develop an equity-centered analytical framework for an updated Cancer Caregiving in the US report, using NAC’s Caregiving in the US 2025 dataset
• Convene and facilitate a multidisciplinary working group of researchers, clinicians, advocates, and caregivers
• Partner with NAC’s Cancer Caregiving Collaborative members to translate findings into policy and practice recommendations and realworld impact
• Opportunity to contribute to dissemination through reports, presentations, and stakeholder engagement

A core focus of the fellowship is ensuring that diverse caregiver voices — especially those from historically underrepresented communities—are meaningfully integrated into research priorities, interpretation, practice change, and policy solutions.

Fellowship at a Glance

• Duration: 12 months (July 2026 – June 2027), with continued engagement through 2028
• Time Commitment: ~4 hours per week (with periodic peaks)
• Stipend: $15,000
• Affiliation: NAC Health Programs
• Start Date: Mid July

Who Should Apply

NAC is seeking candidates with strong research backgrounds and a demonstrated commitment to advancing cancer care in support of family caregivers, policy change, and health equity. Ideal applicants will have:

• Doctoral-level training (PhD preferred) in health services research, public health, policy, sociology, epidemiology, or a related field
• Experience with quantitative health and caregiving research
• A demonstrated interest in cancer caregiving, health equity, system change, and policy
• Experience facilitating stakeholder or community-engaged processes (strongly preferred)

Why This Fellowship Matters

Cancer caregiving is complex, evolving, and deeply personal. Yet too often, research fails to capture the full scope of caregiver experiences, especially across different communities and identities.

This fellowship is an opportunity to help change that.

By guiding how data is analyzed and interpreted, the Fellow will help ensure that the next Cancer Caregiving in the U.S. report not only reflects the realities caregivers face but also drives solutions that improve their lives.

How to Apply

Application Deadline: June 20, 2026

Selection Timeline:

• Applications reviewed the week of June 22
• Finalist interviews conducted in the week of June 30
• Fellow selected by July 10

Applicants should submit:

• A personal statement (max 750 words) outlining relevant experience, approach to the CGUS agenda, and career goals
• Current CV Applicants must also be available for a 60-minute interview during the week of June 22.

Additional details can be found in the Candidate FAQ.

Apply Today

If you are passionate about advancing caregiving research and shaping policy solutions that support families across the country, we encourage you to apply.

Please send completed applications to hr@caregiving.org.