+ More Filters

Reset Filters

Title

Funding Organization

Funding Type

Eligible Country

Deadline

Other (Select all that apply)

Show Expired Programs

Show Verified Programs

Verified

AACR Career Development Awards to Foster Diversity and Inclusion

American Association for Cancer Research

Description

The AACR Career Development Awards to Foster Diversity and Inclusion in Cancer Research encourages and supports early-stage scientists engaged in cancer research. Proposed projects may be in basic, translational, or population sciences related research and must have direct applicability and relevance to the understanding, detection, diagnosis, interception, treatment, or prevention of cancer.

This grant provides $300,000 over three years for expenses related to the research project, which may include salary and benefits of the grant recipient and any collaborator, postdoctoral research fellows, graduate students (including tuition costs associated with graduate students’ education and training), research assistants; research/laboratory supplies; equipment; publication charges for manuscripts that pertain directly to the funded project; and other research expenses.

AI based application success predictor

Although AACR does not publish a granular scoring rubric, competitive applications across its programs tend to share these characteristics (based on program descriptions and typical reviewer expectations in cancer research funding):

✅ 1) Scientific Innovation & High Impact

AACR explicitly funds research that advances understanding, prevention, detection, or treatment of cancer, including projects expected to influence clinical practice or future research directions. AACR

Predictor:

Identify a clear cancer biology problem or unmet clinical need.

Propose novel hypotheses, methods, or models that could substantially advance the field.

✅ 2) Strong Preliminary Data (When Expected)

For competitive mechanisms — especially independent research or career development awards — high-quality pilot data demonstrating feasibility and biological relevance is often a major differentiator. Trialect

Predictor:

Well-designed preliminary results that show your project can realistically succeed.

Data that support your key hypotheses and justify your approach.

✅ 3) Clear Translational Potential

AACR values work with a credible trajectory toward impact on patients (e.g., new targets, biomarkers, therapeutic approaches). Trialect

Predictor:

Describe how your findings could move from lab to clinic within a reasonable timeframe or enable future translational studies.

✅ 4) Explicit Cancer Relevance

This is fundamental: proposals must explicitly tie the science to cancer mechanisms, tumor biology, or clinical oncology challenges. Trialect

Predictor:

Ground hypotheses in established cancer pathways.

Justify model systems and readouts with respect to cancer biology or treatment.

✅ 5) Investigator Track Record & Environment

AACR reviewers consider the track record of productivity (especially first-author publications and progress in the field) and whether the applicant’s institution provides a supportive research environment. Trialect

Predictor:

Recent relevant publications and abstracts at major oncology meetings.

Clear institutional support (facilities, mentorship, collaborations).

✅ 6) Feasible, Focused Aims

Too many or overly ambitious aims can reduce a proposal’s chance of success, especially if they appear unrealistic within the grant term. Trialect

Predictor:

2–3 well-defined, achievable aims with clear decision points and milestones.

✅ 7) Strong Mentorship (for Early-Career Awards)

For fellowships and career development grants, detailed mentorship plans with established scientists signal high potential for growth and success. Trialect

Predictor:

Mentors with relevant expertise and a track record of guiding productive trainees.

✅ 8) Clear, Reviewer-Friendly Writing

Proposal clarity — including lucid hypotheses, logical experimental design, and straightforward presentation of expected outcomes — helps peer reviewers (often from diverse subfields) assess merit fairly.

Predictor:

Avoid jargon; write so that reviewers outside your specific niche can appreciate innovation and feasibility.

✅ 9) Alignment with Specific Grant Goals

AACR offers many distinct mechanisms — from basic research to diversity and inclusion awards. Each has unique priorities. AACR

Predictor:

Tailor your application to the specific goals of the mechanism you’re applying for (e.g., research focus, career stage, or diversity mission).

🧠 Application Strategy Tips

Here’s a checklist based on best practices for competitive cancer research grant proposals:

Before You Apply
✔ Review the program guidelines and eligibility thoroughly. AACR
✔ Contact program staff with any questions about fit.*
✔ Secure strong letters of support (especially for career awards).

Proposal Development
✔ Build compelling rationale with data and literature context.
✔ Define concise, hypothesis-driven aims.
✔ Justify methods, models, and sample sizes.
✔ Create a realistic timeline and budget.
✔ Highlight translational relevance.

Review Process Understanding
AACR’s grant review is peer-based, with experts evaluating scientific merit, feasibility, and significance — much like other competitive biomedical grant systems. Clear communication about why the science matters is essential. AACR

📌 In Summary: Predictors of AACR Grant Success

Key Predictor	Why It Matters
Scientific innovation	AACR prioritizes breakthrough cancer science. AACR
Robust preliminary data	Bolsters feasibility and credibility. Trialect
Clear translational potential	Aligns research with patient impact. Trialect
Explicit cancer relevance	Fundamental to AACR’s mission. Trialect
Investigator track record	Signals ability to execute. Trialect
Focused, achievable aims	Prevents overreach. Trialect
Strong mentorship & environment	Important for early-career awards. Trialect

Specialties

Cancer

Oncology

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must have a doctoral degree (including PhD, MD, MD/PhD, or equivalent) in a related field and not currently be a candidate for a further doctoral or professional degree. Applicants cannot have clinical responsibilities.

At the start of the grant term on September 1, 2026, applicants must:

Hold a faculty position with the title of assistant professor, instructor, research assistant professor, or the equivalent
- If eligibility is based on a future position, the position must be confirmed at the time of application and CANNOT be contingent upon receiving this grant.
- If the future position is at a different institution than the applicant’s current institution, the applicant must contact the AACR’s Research and Grants Administration Department (RGA) at grants@aacr.org before submitting their application for information on additional verification materials/signatures that may be required.
Have attained their first independent investigator position no earlier than September 1, 2020 and no later than September 1, 2026.
Have independent laboratory space as confirmed by their institution.
Work at an academic, medical, or research institution anywhere in the world

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: American Association for Cancer Research

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 615 Chestnut St., 17th Floor Philadelphia, PA 19106-4404 USA

Legal & Affiliation Disclaimer

Affiliation Disclaimer: Trialect operates independently and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or supported by any sponsors or organizations posting on the GrantsBoard platform. As an independent aggregator of publicly available funding opportunities, Trialect provides equal access to information for all users without endorsing any specific funding source, content, organization, or sponsor. Trialect assumes no responsibility for the content posted by sponsors or third parties.

Subscription Disclaimer: Upon logging into Trialect, you may choose to SUBSCRIBE to GrantsBoard for timely notifications of funding opportunities and to access exclusive benefits, such as priority alerts, reminders, personalized recommendations, and additional application support. However, users are advised to contact sponsors directly for any questions and are not required to subscribe to engage with funding opportunities.

Content Ownership and Copyright Disclaimer: Trialect respects the intellectual property rights of all organizations and individuals. All content posted on GrantsBoard is provided solely for informational purposes and remains the property of the original owners. Trialect does not claim ownership of, nor does it have any proprietary interest in, content provided by third-party sponsors. Users are encouraged to verify content and ownership directly with the posting sponsor.

Fair Use Disclaimer: The information and content available on GrantsBoard are compiled from publicly accessible sources in alignment with fair use principles under U.S. copyright law. Trialect serves as an aggregator of this content, offering it to users in good faith and with the understanding that it is available for public dissemination. Any organization or individual who believes their intellectual property rights have been violated is encouraged to contact us for prompt resolution.

Third-Party Posting Responsibility Disclaimer: Trialect is a neutral platform that allows third-party sponsors to post funding opportunities for informational purposes only. Sponsors are solely responsible for ensuring that their postings comply with copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. Trialect assumes no liability for any copyright or intellectual property infringements in third-party content and will take appropriate action to address any substantiated claims.

Accuracy and Verification Disclaimer: Trialect makes no warranties regarding the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information provided by sponsors. Users are advised to verify the details of any funding opportunity directly with the sponsor before taking action. Trialect cannot be held liable for any discrepancies, omissions, or inaccuracies in third-party postings.

Notice and Takedown Policy: Trialect is committed to upholding copyright law and protecting the rights of intellectual property owners. If you believe that content on GrantsBoard infringes your copyright or intellectual property rights, please contact us with detailed information about the claim. Upon receipt of a valid notice, Trialect will promptly investigate and, where appropriate, remove or disable access to the infringing content.

View Funding Opportunity