Picture a second-year med student at 1 a.m., laptop glow on her face, staring at a tuition bill that won’t stop climbing. She loves the kids on the pediatric oncology ward. She also can’t work out how she’ll fund the research year she’s dreaming about. That gap — between the work you feel called to do and the money to actually do it — is the exact gap the Merilyn Hester Scholarship was built to close.
If you’re an MD, PhD, or MD/PhD student with your heart set on pediatric cancer research, this one’s worth your time. Below you’ll find who qualifies, how much you can win, the real deadline, and a few honest tips on how to give yourself a shot. Let’s get into it.
Key Takeaways
- The Merilyn Hester Scholarship funds MD, PhD, and MD/PhD students doing pediatric hematology or oncology research at Indiana University, with recent MD awards reaching $7,000 (IU School of Medicine, 2025).
- Applications are due May 15 each cycle — the 2026 window has closed, and the next round opens in early 2027.
- You’ll need an application form and at least one letter of recommendation, submitted through the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center portal.
What is the Merilyn Hester Scholarship?
The Merilyn Hester Scholarship is an award from Indiana University’s Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center that supports medical and graduate students pursuing pediatric hematology or oncology research (IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, 2025). In plain terms: it helps the next generation of childhood-cancer researchers keep going when the bills pile up.
Here’s the part that gives it weight. The fund exists because of a person. The Walther Cancer Foundation created it in memory of Merilyn Hester after she died in 2004, and the foundation handed it to IU in 2009. So every award carries her name forward — and every recipient is, in a small way, part of her legacy.
Why does that matter to you? Because scholarships tied to a mission tend to reward people who genuinely believe in the cause. The committee isn’t just checking your GPA. They’re looking for someone who’ll actually spend their career fighting for sick kids.
Who runs it and where it lives
The scholarship is administered through the IU School of Medicine and the Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center in Indianapolis. Recent recipients include Noah Burket and Maya Krishnan in 2024, and Sarah Gutch and Emily White in 2023 (IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, 2025). Real students, real names, real research — not a mystery fund floating around the internet.
How much money will you actually get?
In the 2025 cycle, MD students could receive up to $7,000 toward tuition, while PhD and MD/PhD students could get a stipend increase of up to $5,000 plus $2,000 for research needs (IU School of Medicine, 2025). That research money splits into $1,000 for conference travel and $1,000 for lab supplies.
One honest caveat. IU’s cancer center page has also listed a maximum of $4,500 for eligible expenses, so the exact figure shifts from year to year (IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, 2025). Don’t fixate on a single number. Treat the application itself as the source of truth for your cycle, and confirm the amount before you count on it.
Our take: $7,000 won’t erase med-school debt. But it can be the difference between doing a summer of pediatric cancer research and skipping it to work a side job. For a resume in this field, that summer is worth far more than the check.
Who qualifies? The fine print people skim past
Eligibility is narrower than most students assume. You need to be a first- or second-year MD student, a PhD student, or an MD/PhD student, and you must show real interest and potential in pediatric hematology or oncology research (IU School of Medicine, 2025). This isn’t a general “any major welcome” scholarship.
Now the catch that trips people up. You can’t have received other scholarships or grants for the upcoming academic year and still take this one. Read that twice. If you’re already stacking awards, you may not be eligible — so plan your funding order carefully before you apply.
The committee weighs three things: your academic record, your potential for success, and your character plus professional goals (IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, 2025). Notice that last one. Character and goals carry real weight here, which is unusual and honestly kind of refreshing.
How to apply, step by step
The process is refreshingly simple compared to most big scholarships. You apply online through the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center’s portal, and the core materials are an application form plus at least one letter of recommendation (IU School of Medicine, 2025). No 20-page dossier. Here’s the flow:
- Confirm you qualify. First- or second-year MD, or a PhD/MD-PhD student, with a genuine pediatric heme/onc research angle and no conflicting awards for the year.
- Line up your recommender early. A mentor who knows your research interest will write a stronger letter than a professor who barely remembers you. Ask weeks ahead, not days.
- Fill out the application form on the official portal at apps.cancer.iu.edu.
- Submit before May 15. Late applications don’t get read. Aim to finish a week early.
- If you win, follow through. Recipients turn in a one-page summary at year’s end — signed by their mentor — explaining how the funding helped.
Stuck or unsure about a detail? Reach out to the IU School of Medicine office at [email protected] or 317-274-8157. Asking a smart question early beats guessing wrong on your application.
When’s the deadline? The real 2026/2027 timeline
The deadline is May 15 every cycle (IU School of Medicine, 2025). Here’s the straight talk, though: as of mid-2026, the current window is closed. IU’s own page says to check back for the next round, which opens in early 2027.
Mark your calendar: Watch the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center scholarships page in early 2027, and aim to submit your application well before the May 15, 2027 deadline. “Apply now” means preparing all your documents in advance so you can apply as soon as the portal reopens.
So no, you can’t hit submit today. But the students who win aren’t the ones scrambling in May. They’re the ones who spent the quiet months finding a mentor, shaping a research interest, and drafting their story. That head start is the whole game.
How to make your application actually stand out
Since the committee rewards character and clear goals, a generic “I love helping people” application won’t cut it. From what these mission-driven awards consistently reward, specificity wins. Tie your story to pediatric cancer in a way only you can.
- Name your “why.” A real moment — a patient, a lab result, a family member — beats vague passion every time.
- Show research potential, not just grades. Mention a project, a poster, a question that keeps you up at night.
- Pick the right recommender. One strong, specific letter outweighs two lukewarm ones.
- Connect to the mission. This award honors Merilyn Hester. Show you understand you’d be carrying something forward.
Unique insight: most applicants describe what they’ve done. The ones who win describe what they intend to do with the money — and why it moves pediatric cancer research even a little bit forward. Write the future, not just the past.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Merilyn Hester Scholarship legit?
Yes. It’s a real award administered by Indiana University’s Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, funded originally by the Walther Cancer Foundation in memory of Merilyn Hester (IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center, 2025). Named past recipients are listed publicly, and applications go through an official IU portal.
How much is the Merilyn Hester Scholarship worth?
In the 2025 cycle, MD students could receive up to $7,000 toward tuition, and PhD/MD-PhD students up to $5,000 in stipend plus $2,000 for research (IU School of Medicine, 2025). Exact amounts are set each cycle, so confirm on the application.
Who is eligible to apply?
First- and second-year MD students, plus PhD and MD/PhD students, who show interest and potential in pediatric hematology or oncology research (IU School of Medicine, 2025). You also can’t hold other scholarships or grants for that academic year.
When is the deadline for 2026/2027?
The deadline is May 15 each cycle (IU School of Medicine, 2025). The 2026 window has closed; the next cycle is expected to open in early 2027, with a May 15, 2027 target date.
What do I need to apply?
An online application form and at least one letter of recommendation, submitted through the IU Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center portal (IU School of Medicine, 2025). Winners later submit a mentor-signed one-page impact summary.
The bottom line
The Merilyn Hester Scholarship isn’t the biggest award you’ll ever chase. But for a med or grad student committed to fighting childhood cancer, it’s a meaningful boost with a genuinely good story behind it. Up to $7,000, a simple application, and a mission worth being part of.
You can’t apply this second — the next window opens in early 2027. So use the runway. Find your mentor, sharpen your research story, and be ready to submit the day it reopens. Then go check the official IU scholarships page and bookmark it. Bright futures don’t wait — but they do reward the prepared.
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