Cancer Research New Funding Opportunities

LOI Due 11/22/24 2025 Innovation Awards: Expanding Indications for Radiation Therapy

Radiation Oncology Institute
Award Name: 2025 Innovation Awards: Expanding Indications for Radiation Therapy
Hyperlink to Funding Announcement: https://www.roinstitute.org/research-and-education/grants-and-awards/funding-opportunities
LOI Deadline: Nov. 22, 2024 4 p.m. CT
Amount (including indirect costs): 
Brief Description of Mechanism: The ROI is seeking proposals for research on radiation therapy for the treatment of non-cancerous conditions. The long-term goal is to ultimately expand the indications for radiation therapy. Aims of the research project can include but are not limited to:
• Understanding the underlying mechanisms of the treatment
• Demonstrating clinical efficacy
• Facilitating implementation at a larger number of practices
• Generating evidence on cost and/or comparative effectiveness
• Developing educational materials for patients, caregivers and other medical professionals

Contact Alex Hood, Associate Director Foundation Relations at alex.hood@bcm.edu with any questions.

LOI Deadline: Dec. 1, 2024 4 p.m. CT
Amount (including indirect costs): The DLDCCC will fund 1-2 groups $200,000 for one year.
Brief Description of Mechanism: Please refer to the attached RFAs for more details.

To apply, upload all the application requirements as a single PDF file to: The DLDCCC Proposal Submission Form

If you have any questions, please contact DLDCCCgrants@bcm.edu.

Cancer Research Institute
Clinic & Laboratory Integration Program (CLIP)

Deadline: LOIs are due December 1 and full applications are due March 1
Budget: $300,000 over two years ($150k/year)
Award: CLIP supports pre-clinical and translational research that can be directly applied to optimizing cancer immunotherapy in the clinic. In partnership with the Kidney Cancer Association (KCA), CRI invites LOIs specifically focused on topics related to accelerating the development of effective immunotherapies for kidney cancer.

Contact Mary Hall Nunciato, Senior Director of Foundation Relations at mary.hall@bcm.edu with any questions. 
 

Cancer Research Institute
Clinical Innovator Grant
Deadline: Initial Protocol Concept Dec. 2
Budget: $1,000,000 based upon the successful completion of research milestones 
Award: The CRI Clinical Innovator will support novel clinical studies that address areas of high unmet need in cancer and seek mechanistic insights into clinical response with a goal of predictive biomarker discovery.  This award provides funding for clinician-scientists aiming to launch innovative phase I/II or phase II clinical studies using novel immunotherapies.  

Contact Mary Hall Nunciato, Senior Director of Foundation Relations at mary.hall@bcm.edu with any questions. 

Damon Runyon Quantitative Biology Fellowship

Award: The purpose of the Damon Runyon Quantitative Biology Fellowship is to identify computational scientists who innovatively combine quantitative analyses and modeling to solve biological questions. To achieve this goal the award program will support computational scientists who are deeply connected to biology labs so that they can bring their computational skills to bear on important biological questions, particularly in cancer. Additionally, the proposed mentored research training must reflect the individual's potential to develop into a productive, independent cancer research scientist.

This award program encourages scientists, trained in fields such as mathematics, computer science, physics, engineering, and/or a related field, to pursue research careers in computational biology under the joint mentorship of leaders in both computational science (“dry lab”) and cancer biology (“wet lab”). 

Amount:

DEBT REPAYMENT PROGRAM

The Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation will retire up to $100,000 of any qualifying medical school debt still owed by the awardee. Payment will be made annually over the course of the award.

• Eligibility: 
  Applicants must have completed one or more of the following degrees or its equivalent: PhD, MD, MD/PhD, DDS, DVM, DO. The applicant must include a copy of their diploma to confirm date of conferral.
• Applicants require two committed Mentors, one from the field of computational science (“dry lab”) and one from the area of cancer biology (“wet lab”).

Due Date: December 2, 2024
Please contact Mary Hall Nunciato, Director of Foundation Relations, at mary.hall@bcm.edu with any questions. 

CPRIT announces the release of three Requests For Applications (RFAs) for cancer prevention grants:

1. Primary Prevention of Cancer (PPC)
2. Cancer Screening and Early Detection (CSD)
3. Dissemination of CPRIT-funded Cancer Prevention and Control Interventions (DI)

View complete RFAs detailing deadlines, requirements, and instructions at the Apply for Funding section of CPRIT’s website. All applications must be submitted through CPRIT’s online grant application system.

Please direct questions to:
Carlton Allen, Program Manager for Prevention
512-626-2358 or cmallen@cprit.texas.gov

Application period:
Sept. 9, 2024 – Dec. 5, 2024

The Merkin Family Foundation Merkin Prize in Biomedical Technology
Nomination Deadline: December 6, 2024
Amount: $400,000
The Merkin Prize recognizes one specific technology, defined as an innovation or invention of a method or device, such as a technique used in a research or clinical laboratory, a computational method, a therapeutic medical device, or a diagnostic test, that is demonstrably improving human health. Individuals, teams, and/or combinations of individuals and teams may be nominated for the prize. 

Contact Alex Hood, Associate Director Foundation Relations, at alex.hood@bcm.edu with any questions. 

Young Investigator Grant

Award: The purpose of the Young Investigator Grant is to find cures and better treatments for childhood cancers by providing support to early career investigators pursuing promising childhood cancer research ideas. These grants aim to cultivate the best and brightest researchers of the future who demonstrate a commitment to a career in pediatric cancer. A mentor is required, and a career development plan must be included.

Amount: $180,000 in direct costs over three years. Indirect costs not allowed. 

Eligibility:

• Applicant institutions must be based in the United States or Canada. Applicants need not be United States citizens. Funds must be granted to nonprofit institutions or organizations.
• Applicants must have an MD, PhD, or MD/PhD or equivalent and must not have achieved an appointment higher than Instructor. Assistant Professors, including adjuncts at this level, will not be considered. In addition:
  • Applicants from accredited clinical fellowship programs are automatically eligible for the duration of their training and during their first three years at the Instructor level.
• A minimum of 75% of the applicant’s time during the Young Investigator period must be allocated as non-clinical protected time for all research activities. This percentage of time includes both Young Investigator activities and the applicant’s other research responsibilities.
• Research mentor(s) must be identified and have a track record in pediatric cancer research. If no such record exists, a co-mentor with such a record must be identified.
• Applicants must not hold an NIH independent (R or P Award) or individual training (F or K Award) grant. Institutional training grants (KL2, K12, T32) are permitted. Funding from other foundations is permitted provided there is no scientific or budgetary overlap.
• Proposals with a sole/primary focus on patients >19 years of age will not be considered.
• Translational and Clinical Research Projects are encouraged

Proposal Due: 12/12/2024 by 8 p.m. ET
Notification: May 2025
Projected Start/End Date: July 2025 – June 2028

Please contact Mary Hall Nunciato, Director of Foundation Relations, at mary.hall@bcm.edu with any questions.

Conquer Cancer/ASCO Foundation Advanced Clinical Research Award for Diversity and Inclusion in Breast Cancer Research 
LOI Deadline: December 13, 2024
Amount: $450,000 over 3 years
Awards will be given to mid-career investigators who identify as members of populations underrepresented in medicine (UIM), and who wish to conduct original breast cancer research not currently funded. Must be at mid-career level, normally between five to ten years from the first, full-time, primary faculty appointment in a clinical department at an academic medical institution by the application deadline.

Contact Alex Hood, Associate Director Foundation Relations, at alex.hood@bcm.edu with any questions. 

 2024-2025 Innovative/Translational Cancer Research Grant
*Limited Institutional Submission Opportunity requiring LOI and Internal Selection

The Mary Kay Foundation, a funding source for cancer research, is currently accepting applications for innovative grants for translational research for cancers affecting women, including but not limited to ovarian, uterine, breast and/or cervical cancer.

Key Points:

• RFA: 2024-2025 Innovative/Translational Cancer Research Grant
• Therapeutic Area: Cancers affecting women
• Amount: up to $100,000 over a two-year period (combined direct and indirect costs)
• Grants are by invitation only, the DLDCCC could submit only 1 application for this award.

If interested, please upload a one-page letter of intent (LOI) for the project and current NIH biosketch to the DLDCCC Proposal/LOI Submission Form by Monday, Dec. 16, 2024. The LOI will be reviewed by the DLDCCC-appointed panel to make the final decision on nominations. 

• Format Requirement: Ensuring all materials are uploaded as a single PDF file.
  Please name your LOI file as follows:
  NAME OF SPONSOR_PI LAST NAME_LOI
  Example: CPRIT_SMITH_LOI

For questions, please contact the DLDCCC grants team at DLDCCCgrants@bcm.edu.

American Association for Cancer Research John and Elizabeth Leonard Family Foundation Basic Cancer Research Fellowship
Deadline: LOI submissions due by Dec. 17, 2024, 1 p.m. (ET)
Budget: A two-year grant of $130,000 
Award: The AACR-John and Elizabeth Leonard Family Foundation Basic Cancer Research Fellowship encourages and supports postdoctoral and clinical research fellows to establish a successful career path in cancer research. The proposed project may be in any area of basic cancer research.  Applicants must be AACR members in good standing to apply.

Contact Lyndsie Whitehead, Assistant Director of Foundation Relations at lyndsie.whitehead@bcm.edu with any questions.

RUNX1 Early Career Investigator Program

Award: The RUNX1 Early Career Investigator grant is designed to fund research leading to the development of therapies to prevent the transition from pre-leukemia to leukemia for patients with RUNX1-FPD. Data sharing is a priority for this research program and an expected outcome of a completed project. Proposals that seek to translate from bench to bedside will receive priority.

Amount: $180,000 in direct costs over three years. Indirect costs not allowed. 

Eligibility:

• Applicant institutions may be based in the U.S. or outside of the U.S. Applicants need not be United States citizens. Funds must be granted to non-profit institutions or organizations.
• Applicants must have an MD, PhD, or MD/PhD (DO, MBBS, or equivalent) and be within five years of their first faculty appointment as an Assistant Professor or equivalent tenure-track position. Associate and Full Professors are ineligible. If at the Instructor level, the applicant must submit a letter of support from their mentor at the sponsoring institution.
• A minimum of 75% of the applicant’s time during the award period must be allocated as protected time for all research activities. This percentage of time includes both activities on this grant and the applicant’s other research responsibilities.
• Applicants may have research grants from other funding sources during the award period, but there must be clear documentation of mechanisms to avoid scientific and budgetary overlap.
• Applicants must have research experience working in, and a deep understanding of, normal or malignant hematopoiesis and/or immunology.
• One resubmission of a previously unfunded application is allowed. Use the Resubmission section of the application to respond to the prior RRP/ALSF critique of the proposal. The response will be scored in the review process in addition to the criteria used for new applications. Resubmissions compete with new applicants for funding.

Full Proposal Due: 12/19/2024 by 8 p.m. ET
Notification: March 2025
Projected Start Date: April 2025

Please contact Mary Hall Nunciato, Director of Foundation Relations, at mary.hall@bcm.edu with any questions. 

AACR-Johnson & Johnson Interventional Oncology Stimulating Therapeutic Advances through Research Training (START) Grants
Deadline: January 14, 2025, 1:00 PM (ET)
Budget: A three-year grant of $225,000 
Award: Proposals submitted should aim to focus on mechanisms linking immunogenic cell death pathways to amplification of innate and adaptive immunity, immunobiology of non-small cell lung cancers, and mechanisms of acquired resistance to immunotherapies are highly encouraged.  In addition, the training provided through this grants program will be invaluable to young investigators by providing fellows with a comprehensive research experience that will make them highly desirable to potential employers in either academic research or the pharmaceutical industry.

Contact Lyndsie Whitehead, Assistant Director of Foundation Relations at lyndsie.whitehead@bcm.edu with any questions.

https://thehopefoundation.org/funding-opportunities/swog-hope-foundation-impact-award/
LOI Deadline: Jan. 15, 2025 at 5pm ET
Amount: Up to $250,000 over 1-2 years

This program aims to advance SWOG research by funding the early and conceptual stages of these projects. The work proposed should use resources from completed SWOG studies or be directly translatable to future clinical trials in SWOG and the National Clinical Trials Network (NCTN). Projects may involve scientific risk but potentially lead to a breakthrough in a particular area, or to the development of novel techniques, agents, methodologies, models, or applications that could have a major impact on cancer research.

Contact Alex Hood, Associate Director Foundation Relations at alex.hood@bcm.edu with any questions. 

Cancer Research Institute  
Lloyd J. Old STAR Program 
Deadline: January 15th 
Budget: $1.25 million over a five-year period
Award: The CRI Lloyd J. Old STAR Program provides support to tenure-track assistant professors and associate professors who had a major impact in immunotherapy.  These grants are not tied to a specific research project, but rather support outstanding researchers based on the quality and promise of their overall work.  This long-term funding provides a degree of flexibility and freedom to explore outside-the-box and disruptive avenues of research.  It is expected that their discoveries in basic or translational research will ultimately influence the development of new immune-based therapies that will be effective for more cancer patients.

Contact Mary Hall Nunciato, Senior Director of Foundation Relations at mary.hall@bcm.edu with any questions. 

Stand Up To Cancer (SU2C)
Catalyst Research Program
Deadline: Tuesday, January 28, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. midnight PT
Budget: $2,000,000 over 3 years plus 25% indirect costs
Award: The SU2C Catalyst Research Program with support from Johnson & Johnson endeavors to support a clinical trial involving combination teclistamab and daratumumab for the treatment of AL amyloidosis. Mechanisms to foster collaborations within and among the Team will be employed—an approach that promotes the sharing of information and a goal-oriented focus on measurable milestones of progress. SU2C believes that this unique Team will advance scientific research in the interests of improved long-term outcomes for patients. The Team will benefit from SU2C’s structure and oversight through which a multi-disciplinary team will come together with support to focus on a discrete set of aims. The bi-annual progress review practiced by SU2C ensures that milestones and deliverables are met and will keep the project focused on its goals. The Research Team is supported by a funds via a collaborative agreement from Johnson & Johnson.

Contact Mary Hall Nunciato, Senior Director of Foundation Relations at mary.hall@bcm.edu with any questions. 

Young Investigator Award in Primary Brain Tumors
Application Deadline: January 31, 2025
Amount: $50,000 over 1 year
Provides funding to promising investigators to encourage and promote quality research in all focus areas of primary brain tumor research, with the goal of advancing the understanding and treatment of brain tumors. Applications are accepted from U.S. and Canadian applicants. Must be in the last two years of their final oncology subspecialty training and within 10 years of obtaining their medical degree at the time of grant submission.

Contact Alex Hood, Associate Director Foundation Relations, at alex.hood@bcm.edu with any questions. 

Jose Baselga Young Investigator Award in Drug Development
Application Deadline: January 31, 2025
Amount: $50,000 over 1 year
Provides funding to promising investigators to encourage and promote quality research in clinical oncology with a focus on drug development, from discovery to development of new therapeutic drugs for cancer treatment. Applications are accepted from U.S. and international applicants. Must be in the last two years of their final oncology subspecialty training and within 10 years of obtaining their medical degree at the time of grant submission. Must be planning an investigative career in clinical oncology with a focus on drug development research.

Contact Alex Hood, Associate Director Foundation Relations, at alex.hood@bcm.edu with any questions. 

Bristol Myers Squibb Endowed Young Investigator Award for Veteran Cancer
Application Deadline: January 31, 2025
Amount: $50,000 over 1 year
Provides funding to promising investigators to encourage and promote quality research in clinical oncology. This award will support an investigator who is a US Veteran1 or a research project that has a focus on Veteran cancer issues. Must be in the last two years of their final oncology subspecialty training and within 10 years of obtaining their medical degree at the time of grant submission. 

Contact Alex Hood, Associate Director Foundation Relations, at alex.hood@bcm.edu with any questions. 

The NIH-funded Baylor College of Medicine/Texas Southern University Collaborative Union for Cancer Research, Education and Disparities (BCM-TSU P20 CURED) is offering a new funding opportunity to foster collaboration between the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center (DLDCCC, an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center) and Texas Southern University (TSU, a predominantly minority serving institution).

CURED will fund two (2) pilot projects conducted by at least one DLDCCC and one TSU collaborator. These two-year projects will receive a total of $200K (to be split evenly as $50K per institution per year). Funding for year two will be contingent on progress made in the first year and additional matching institutional funds from the DLDCCC.

Projects must be cancer related and the connection between the DLDCCC and TSU components must be clear.

The official application will be available on December 15, 2024, and the deadline for applications is February 17, 2025.

For questions related to this RFA including about appropriateness of projects or help identifying a collaborator at BCM (DLDCCC) or TSU, please email rouce@bcm.edu.

Award Name: 2025 Brain Cancer Research Investigator Grant 
Application Deadline: March 3, 2025
Amount (including indirect costs): $50,000 over 1 year

Brief Description of Mechanism: This award is presented to a clinical doctor or research scientist whose primary focus is brain cancer research. Clinical projects are encouraged, as well as translational projects with significant clinical promise. Projects for adult and pediatric brain cancer research will be considered.

Contact Alex Hood, Associate Director Foundation Relations at alex.hood@bcm.edu with any questions.

Career Development Award
Application Deadline: March 13, 2025
Amount: $200,000 over 3 years
Provides research funding to clinical investigators, who have received their initial faculty appointment, as they work to establish an independent clinical cancer research program. This is a mentored award and the research project is conducted under the guidance of a scientific mentor. The research must have a patient-oriented focus, including a clinical research study and/or translational research involving human subjects. Applications in all areas of cancer research are accepted from U.S. and international applicants. Must be in the first to fourth year of a full-time primary faculty appointment at the time of grant submission. Applicants may not concurrently hold other career development awards from private foundations during the CDA-supported project term.

Contact Alex Hood, Associate Director Foundation Relations, at alex.hood@bcm.edu with any questions.

Young Investigator Award for Diversity and Inclusion in Breast Cancer Research
Application Deadline: March 13, 2025
Amount: $50,000 over 1 year
Provides funding to promising investigators who identify as members of populations underrepresented in medicine1 (UIM). The purpose of this award is to fund physicians during the transition from a fellowship program to a faculty appointment as they seek to build a career in clinical breast cancer research. Applications are accepted from U.S. and international applicants.  
Must be in the last two years of their final oncology subspecialty training and within 10 years of obtaining their medical degree at the time of grant submission. Must be planning an investigative career in clinical oncology with a focus on breast cancer research.

Contact Alex Hood, Associate Director Foundation Relations, at alex.hood@bcm.edu with any questions.