The Winn Career Development Award (Winn CDA) was established by Bristol Myers Squibb in 2020 to tackle one of the most persistent challenges in medicine: the lack of participation in clinical research. For decades, many populations most affected by disease have been left out of clinical trials because of cultural, socioeconomic, and geographic barriers.

When research does not reflect the full spectrum of patients it aims to serve, the consequences can be serious. Treatments proven effective in one group may be less effective — or even unsafe — for others. Equally important, many communities are often denied timely access to the most innovative, potentially life-saving therapies.

The Winn CDA exists to change this by training a new generation of physician-researchers to lead the transformation of the clinical research landscape.

The Robert A. Winn Excellence in Clinical Trials: Career Development Award (Winn CDA) is a rigorous 2-yr program designed to train early-career investigator-physicians to design and implement clinical trials that engage more communities.

The purpose is to ensure that all the populations impacted by the disease being studied are reflected in research so that treatments developed are safe and effective for all who will use them. It’s a mission we call Better Science For All.

The scholars accepted into the prestigious Winn CDA program demonstrate excellence in care and research as well as profound dedication to ensuring the latest medical advances reach the communities that need them most.

Through structured education and mentorship, Winn CDA Scholars become community-oriented clinical trialists who have the skills and expertise to transform the ways that communities conduct research and deliver care.

Current Winn CDA clinical research areas include cancer, cardiovascular and cardio-metabolic disease, and neuropsychiatry. 

The Winn Career Development Award (Winn CDA) provides $120,000 annually for two years, intended to cover a portion of the scholar’s salary — approximately 40% of their time — allowing them the protected space needed to fully engage in the program’s intensive training and research activities.

The award is made possible and secured through the support of dedicated funding partners— the Bristol Myers Squibb Foundation, Gilead Sciences, Amgen, and Genentech. We are incredibly grateful for their steadfast commitment to our shared mission of advancing Better Science For All.

Each Winn CDA scholar is mentored by a seasoned clinical investigator and is expected to be engaged in an active clinical trial, which must meet the FDA’s Clinical Trial Definition. This trial can be that of their mentor’s or their own. The trial is meant to serve as a learning tool, and the scholar must play an active role in the trial.

The Winn Career Development Award (Winn CDA) begins each fall with a virtual orientation in October, followed by an in-person, 4.5-day intensive workshop — the Robert A. Winn Excellence in Clinical Trials: Design and Implementation of Clinical Trials Workshop, presented in partnership with the American Association for Cancer Research® (Winn-AACR DICT Workshop).

The 2026 workshop will take place November 16–20 in Atlanta, Georgia, and provides foundational training in clinical trial design, development, implementation, and community engagement.

Following the workshop, scholars embark on a two-year Community-Oriented Clinical Trialist (COCT) curriculum that delivers comprehensive, hands-on training in clinical research and community engagement. The curriculum includes weekly or biweekly scholar forums, community engagement assignments, and a capstone project in which each scholar develops a mentored research protocol.

To guide their growth, every scholar creates an Individual Professional Development Plan (IPDP) — a roadmap built through self-assessment and close collaboration with their mentor. The program’s tiered mentoring model also provides opportunities for leadership: during the summer of their first year, scholars mentor medical students participating in the Winn Clinical Investigator Pathway Program.

Each year concludes with the Winn CDA Annual Convening, a three-day event held every November. The convening features sessions on increasing patient participation in clinical research, skills development workshops, and scholar capstone project presentations.

Throughout the program, scholars are expected to remain active learners and contributors by submitting biannual status reports documenting their progress and achievements and annual expenditure reports documenting their program period budget.

Mentorship is a cornerstone of the Winn Career Development Award (Winn CDA). Each scholar is paired with an experienced clinical investigator who provides guidance on career development, professional growth, and navigating challenges and opportunities specific to researchers from underserved backgrounds. Mentors share insights from their own career journeys, offering lessons and strategies that have shaped their paths in clinical research.

Mentors also immerse scholars in hands-on clinical trial experience, engaging them in all aspects of trial administration and implementation. On average, mentorship is structured so that 75% of interactions focus on clinical trial activities, while the remaining 25% addresses career development, personal growth, and professional mentoring. This combination of practical experience and personalized guidance equips scholars to become skilled, confident, and community-oriented clinical investigators.

To ensure meaningful engagement, mentors and scholars are expected to hold at least two meetings per month.

Real Cancer Talk in Albuquerque: The Robert A. Winn CDA Award Scholars Dr. Maliha Nusrat and Dr. Blessie E. Nelson

Real Cancer Talk: Winn CDA Scholar Dr. Oluwadamilola “Lola” T. Oladeru and Dr. Rob Winn.