Funding Opportunities
Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center regularly solicits applications for pilot funding to support basic, translational, clinical or collaborative cancer research. Pilot funds allow investigators to collect preliminary data to support an application for independent research support through extramural, peer-reviewed funding. Over the past five years, the Cancer Center awarded $4.1 million to fund 98 pilot projects. This investment led to the acquisition of more than $41 million in extramurally funded grants – a 985 percent return on investment.
Calls for proposals are distributed throughout the year by email, online, and in campus publications. Award amounts and submission deadlines vary. All pilot project awards are funded for one-year periods.
For more information, contact us at viccresearchenterprise@vumc.org
Funding Sources
| Source | Eligibility | Funding Cycle | Amount | Principal Investigator |
| Multi-Tier Developmental Research Funding | Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center members only | Variable | Three Tiers | Ben Ho Park, M.D., Ph.D. |
| American Cancer Society-Institutional Research Grants (ACS-IRG) | Open to junior faculty in any school/department at Vanderbilt University | Spring & Fall | up to $30,000 | David Cortez, Ph.D |
| Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG) | Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center members only | Variable | up to $35,000 | Ben Ho Park, M.D., Ph.D. |
| Breast SPORE DRP | Tenured and tenure-track faculty at Vanderbilt, Meharry Medical College or Tennessee State University with membership in the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center | Variable | up to $50,000 | Jennifer Pietenpol, Ph.D. Ben Ho Park, M.D., Ph.D. |
| Breast SPORE CEP | The Breast SPORE Career Enhancement Program solicits applications yearly from investigators at Vanderbilt, Meharry Medical College or Tennessee State University. | Variable | up to $50,000 | Jennifer Pietenpol, Ph.D. Ben Ho Park, M.D., Ph.D. |
| GI SPORE DRP | Tenured and tenure-track faculty at Vanderbilt, Meharry Medical College or Tennessee State University | Variable | up to $50,000 | Robert Coffey, M.D. |
| GI SPORE CEP | The GI SPORE Career Enhancement Program solicits applications yearly from investigators at Vanderbilt, Meharry Medical College or Tennessee State University. | Variable | up to $50,000 | Robert Coffey, M.D. |
| VICC Ambassadors | Junior faculty at Vanderbilt | Fall | $50,000 | Scott Hiebert, Ph.D. |
American Cancer Society-Institutional Research Grants
The American Cancer Society (ACS)-Institutional Research Grant (IRG) is the major source of support at Vanderbilt University for young investigators building cancer research programs. These funds provide seed money to support junior faculty members with an interest in cancer research who do not have national grant support of their own or who have not received prior support from the IRG. The ACS defines junior faculty as investigators at the rank of assistant professor or equivalent who are eligible to apply as a principal investigator for grant support from national agencies. Eligible investigators must be within six years of their first independent faculty appointment. Awards are made for a one-year project period and the maximum allocation is limited to $30,000. If sufficient progress has been made toward the project goals, IRG support may be renewed for an additional year. Funds are available to all schools at Vanderbilt University.
Cancer Center Support Grant Pilot Projects
Funding provided by the Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG) supports several types of pilot projects (1) highly innovative pilot projects focusing on proof-of-concept or translational research; (2) preliminary collaborative investigations that lead to multi-investigator grant awards or clinical trial; (3) projects that closely align with the Cancer Center's strategic plan and enhance key initiatives; and (4) pilot funding for junior investigators to jump-start independent projects or for more senior investigators looking to study a novel idea derived from discovery.
SPORE Pilot Projects
The Breast SPORE Developmental Research Program provides pilot funding to promote excellent translational research in breast cancer. These funds allow early, high-risk research to move solid basic science findings toward clinical application, as well as the migration of provocative clinical observations back to the laboratory in order to understand their mechanistic basis. Main criteria for selection and funding of developmental (pilot) projects include scientific merit, relevance to mammary biology and/or breast cancer, collaboration and potential for extramural peer-reviewed funding. There also is an emphasis on utilization of emerging technologies and on young investigators.
Current Opportunity: Breast SPORE Developmental Research Program Funding
The Breast SPORE Career Enhancement Program solicits applications yearly from investigators at Vanderbilt, Meharry Medical College or Tennessee State University. Proposals are reviewed for scientific merit and the likelihood of leading to extramural funding. Special emphasis is placed on attracting young investigators into breast cancer research, high risk/high gain projects, and emerging technologies and their application to breast cancer research. Award amounts of up to $50,000 per project per year are available.
Current Opportunity: Breast SPORE Career Enhancement Program Funding
The GI SPORE Developmental Research Program solicits applications once a year in the spring from investigators at Vanderbilt, Meharry Medical College or Tennessee State University. Proposals are reviewed for scientific merit and the likelihood of leading to extramural funding. Special emphasis is placed on attracting young investigators into GI cancer research, high risk/high gain projects, and emerging technologies and their application to GI cancer research. Award amounts of up to $50,000 per project per year are available.
Current Opportunity: GI SPORE Developmental Research Program Pilot Project Funding
The GI SPORE Career Enhancement Program solicits applications yearly from investigators at Vanderbilt, Meharry Medical College or Tennessee State University. Proposals are reviewed for scientific merit and the likelihood of leading to extramural funding. Special emphasis is placed on attracting young investigators into GI cancer research, high risk/high gain projects, and emerging technologies and their application to GI cancer research. Award amounts of up to $50,000 per project per year are available.
Current Opportunity: GI SPORE Career Enhancement Program Funding
VICC Ambassadors
The VICC Ambassadors are the next generation of philanthropists committed to winning the battle against cancer by awarding Discovery Grants to promising young researchers at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center. Discovery Grants allow skilled researchers to pursue exciting discoveries in basic and clinical science—aiding our understanding of disease processes and leading to better methods of prevention, diagnosis and treatment. For Vanderbilt physicians and scientists this funding not only yields early results, it helps develop the ideas that grow to large federally funded projects aimed at transformative breakthroughs in care. Three grants of $50,000 each are awarded every fall.
Other Funding Resources
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American Cancer Society NCI Research Opportunity Announcement (ROA) : All of Us Center for Linkage and Acquisition of Data Leukemia & Lymphoma Society- Chronic Myelomonocytic Leukemia (CMML) Special Initiative NCCN and Pfizer Elranatamab and the treatment of Multiple Myeloma Research Opportunity NCCN, Pfizer, Myovant Prostate Cancer Clinical Research Opportunity Liver Cancer Collaborative Projects with the Liver Cirrhosis Network NIH/NCI Research Specialist (Clinician Scientist) Award Notice of Special Interest (NOSI): Technology Development for Cancer Control and Population Science Research Impacts of Climate Change Across the Cancer Control Continuum R01 Clinical Trial Optional Impacts of Climate Change Across the Cancer Control Continuum R21 Clinical Trial Optional |
| *The VUMC Corporate & Foundation Relations team is happy to assist with proposal development for the above opportunities. Contact cfr@vumc.org for more information. |
