2019-2020 Cancer Research Foundation Young Investigator Awards

DESCRIPTION OF AWARD

The Cancer Research Foundation Young Investigator Awards (YIAs) are two-year research grants for scientists who have an interest in cancer research and who are in the beginnings of their investigative careers.  These grants are designed to nurture early career researchers in the pursuit of independent hypotheses and are generally intended to support scientists who have little established funding “track records” and who have not yet qualified for significant external research support in cancer at the time the YIA proposal is submitted.  The Cancer Research Foundation is particularly interested in funding research focused on decoding the mechanics of cancer, its development, diagnosis and treatment, using epigenetics, genomics, informatics, molecular and bio-chemical engineering, or image-oriented research, among other scientific disciplines. Projects causing scientists from fields adjacent to cancer such as chemistry, molecular engineering or data science to turn their research aims towards cancer will also be considered.

Each Young Investigator will be granted $100,000 to cover materials, lab technicians, lab services and other costs.  The award may not be used to fund the salary of the Young Investigator, indirect costs, or travel expenses. Funding is for two years, ending on March 31^st, 2022.  We expect that the entire grant will be spent over this time period, but a carry-over of funds will be considered under particular circumstances.  Two $50,000 partial grant funding payments will be made, one at the start of the project and the second after 12 months. Different funding schedules will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

The Cancer Research Foundation is committed to creating a collaborative relationship between itself, its donors and the scientists it funds.  For that reason, CRF Young Investigators are required to produce an update at the end of the first year of their grant, which will be posted to the CRF website and shared with donors. In addition, within six months of the end of the project, Young Investigator Awardees are asked to produce a final report about the conclusion and results of their project and some suggestion of their potential research going forward.  It is important that these reports be appropriate for public release when they are submitted.

ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

The Young Investigator Award is intended to help promising young investigators as they initiate a successful scientific career.  Our intent is to provide “seed funding” for cancer researchers and their newest ideas and generally the Young Investigator Award should fund researchers who have not yet received major outside financial support. However, exceptions have been made for applicants who have recently accepted career development awards, such as K08 awards.

The CRF Young Investigator Award is limited to applicants with current appointments at institutions directly affiliated with Comprehensive Cancer Centers recognized by the National Cancer Institute.  Ideal candidates for the award will either be current members of or candidates for membership in their Cancer Center.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

A successful proposal will contain:

• A cover letter addressed to Stanford Goldblatt, Chairman of the Cancer Research Foundation. This letter must contain a short abstract of the research project described in clear, succinct lay terms. If the proposal is accepted, the body of this letter may be published on the Cancer Research Foundation website. The cover letter should explain the goal of the project and the potential value it could have in treating, preventing or otherwise increasing cancer knowledge.  It should be clear what the applicant is studying and why the proposed research is significant; all scientific terms should be explained or defined. The potential impact of a successful outcome and possible plans for further research are of particular interest to the Board.
• A more formal scientific proposal, no more than five pages singles spaced
• A letter of support from the NCI recognized Comprehensive Cancer Center with which the applicant is affiliated. This letter come from either the Director or a member of the Awards Committee and should indicate a commitment to the applicant as well as the availability of adequate resources, including laboratory space.  It should also suggest how the proposal would fair if presented to a governmental funding source such as the NIH.
• A letter from a senior faculty advisor or mentor, supporting the worthiness and relevance of the project. Letter from additional mentors, advisors and collaborators are welcome.
• A detailed budget and justification
• A current CV and a photo which may be used on the CRF website if the proposal is funded.
• A list of any external funding secured for this project and any other funded research related to cancer. Please include the PI name, role of the applicant if not the PI, the project title, the agency name, the project and budget period, and any overlap.
• A list of publications and major speaking engagements

Proposals for the Cancer Research Foundation Young Investigator Award should be submitted to Alexandra Nikitas by December 2nd, 2019 in PDF form via email to the following address:  anikitas@cancerresearchfdn.org.  The Cancer Research Foundation coordinates with some Cancer Centers to organize proposals and consider them as a group.  Please check with your Center Administration to determine any internal submission requirements.

Funding decisions will be made and recipients will be informed in early 2020.