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ABTA Discovery Grants

American Brain Tumor Association

The American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA) is the nation’s oldest non-profit organization dedicated to brain tumor education, support, and research. For more than 50 years, the ABTA has supported early-career investigators, contributing to the brain tumor field and scientific community to advance the scientific understanding and medical treatment of brain tumors. Today, the ABTA's research alumni are leading some of the nation's most prestigious brain tumor centers and mentoring a new generation of scientists and clinicians.

An independent, multi-level, external review process ensures that ABTA grants are awarded for the most meritorious brain tumor research projects. Our prestigious Scientific Advisory Council and grant reviewers are leaders in the brain tumor community. Through the funding of brain tumor research, the ABTA supports projects that will change our understanding of the causes, effects, diagnosis, and treatment of brain tumors. We fund innovative discovery science that is developing new drugs, new imaging techniques, and advanced methods of diagnosis as well as research that will improve the quality of life of brain tumor patients and their caregivers.

Funding Opportunity Description

The American Brain Tumor Association seeks applications from faculty who propose highrisk/high-impact projects with the potential to change current diagnostic or treatment paradigms for adult and pediatric brain tumor care.

• ABTA Discovery Grants provide up to $50,000 in support over a one-year period (see Section III for more information on the grant award and term).

• Grants are intended to encourage the development of new approaches to diagnosis and treatment, leading to advancements in the understanding and treatment of brain tumors and increasing the potential for improving, extending, and ultimately, saving the lives of those living with a brain tumor diagnosis.

• The funding mechanism specifically encourages novel research, allowing researchers to conduct the early scientific studies needed to secure additional/future funding for their projects.

• Investigators from sciences outside traditional biological fields are encouraged to apply.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Alignment with Brain Tumor Research Focus

Projects must directly target brain tumors (primary or metastatic) — including biology, genetics/epigenetics, novel therapeutics, imaging/diagnostics, biomarkers of risk or treatment response. American Brain Tumor Association+3UNC Lineberger+3American Brain Tumor Association+3

If a project does not clearly address brain tumors, it risks administrative withdrawal. UNC Lineberger+1

Both adult and pediatric brain tumors are eligible, so long as the relevance is clear. American Brain Tumor Association

2. Appropriate Grant Mechanism & Career Stage

ABTA offers different grants for various career levels:

Discovery Grants (~US $50,000 for 1 year) for bold, early‐stage ideas. American Brain Tumor Association+1

Basic Research Fellowships (~US $100,000 over two years) for postdoctoral fellows under mentorship. UNC Lineberger+1

Research Collaboration Grants (~US $200,000 over two years) for multi‐investigator, multi‐institutional projects. American Brain Tumor Association

Medical Student Summer Fellowships (~US $3,000) to engage students in brain‐tumor research. American Brain Tumor Association+1

Matching your stage and experience to the correct award type is critical.

3. Innovation + High Potential Impact

Discovery Grants are explicitly for “high‐risk, high‐impact” work that could transform current diagnostic or treatment models. American Brain Tumor Association+1

Projects that pause conventional thinking or propose novel therapeutic strategies, new imaging/diagnostic tools, or biomarker discovery tend to be more competitive.

4. Feasibility & Clear Execution Plan

Even for seed/early‐stage awards, applications must show a reasonable plan, with realistic aims and timelines.

For fellowship-level awards: mentorship, institutional backing, and a credible environment matter. For example, the fellowship requires the applicant to work under a lead mentor who has substantial brain‐tumor research credentials. UNC Lineberger+1

5. Strong Mentorship & Institutional Support

For the Basic Research Fellowship: the postdoctoral candidate must commit at least 75% effort to the project; institutional and mentor support must be evident. Funds for NGOs+1

For multi‐institutional grants: having co‐PIs across institutions and multidisciplinary collaboration increases strength. American Brain Tumor Association

6. Early‐Career Pipeline/Commitment to Brain Tumor Field

The ABTA emphasizes cultivating new brain‐tumor researchers (“the next generation of leaders”). A demonstrated commitment to a career in brain‐tumor research helps. UNC Lineberger+1

For student fellowships, the goal is to stimulate interest in neuro‐oncology research careers. American Brain Tumor Association

7. Correct Use of Data, Repositories, and Community Resources

ABTA funds seed and translational research; proposals that leverage or propose to integrate resources such as the brain‐tumor registry, collaborative networks, or patient biospecimens may be seen as more strategic (though this is less explicit in the public criteria).

The ABTA’s research program page notes support of the Research Registry of primary brain tumors. American Brain Tumor Association

8. Clear & Focused Writing, Strong Rationale

Proposals with a clear hypothesis, a concise “Specific Aims” style layout, and a strong rationale gain reviewer confidence.

Projects should answer the question: What gap in brain tumor research will this fill, and how will the outcomes advance the field?

9. Budget & Duration Fit to the Grant Scope

For example, Discovery Grants are 1 year and ~$50k; Basic Fellowships are 2 years and ~$100k. Aligning your budget and timeline to match the grant’s expectations is essential. American Brain Tumor Association+1

Avoid over‐ambitious scopes given the budget/time.

10. Deadline Compliance & LOI Process

Many ABTA grant programs use a Letter of Intent (LOI) stage followed by full application invitation. For example, the Discovery Grant process is LOI → full application. Funds for NGOs

Being ready early, submitting by deadlines, and following guidelines increases competitiveness.

📋 Summary Table

Success Predictor	Why It Matters for ABTA Grants
Brain‐tumor–specific focus	Aligns directly with ABTA mission
Matching grant type to applicant stage	Ensures reviewer expectations align
Innovation + high‐impact potential	Drives transformation in field
Feasibility + clear plan	Shows you can deliver within budget/time
Strong mentorship & environment	Supports applicant readiness and project execution
Commitment to brain tumor research	Demonstrates long-term value to ABTA
Leveraging brain-tumor resources	Adds strategic value and network effect
Clear, persuasive writing	Increases reviewer engagement and clarity
Appropriate budget & timeline	Fits grant scope and avoids mismatch
LOI adherence & deadline compliance	Facilitates entry into competitive pool

Specialties

Cancer

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants/Principal Investigators, Mentors, and Institutions must conform to the eligibility criteria below to apply for an ABTA Discovery Grant.

Grants will be awarded to a single Principal Investigator (PI) and a Mentor (if applicable). CoMentors and Co-Principal Investigators (Co-PIs) are not allowed for this mechanism. If you have questions about your eligibility, contact grants@abta.org.

The PI or mentor faculty must confirm that their institution considers their position equivalent to a faculty position if they do not follow traditional academic rank titles (e.g., Professor, Associate Professor).

Applicant/Principal Investigator (PI) Requirements:

• At the time of LOI submission applicants MUST o Have a doctoral degree, including MD, PhD, DrPH, DO, or equivalent. o Hold a full-time faculty position and cannot have held a full-time faculty appointment before September 1, 2018. A documented leave of absence may be excluded from the eight-year window of eligibility, such as for parental leave or other well justified leave from research, of generally less than 12-months duration. Applicants whose experience exceeds the maximum of eight years but who believe they are eligible must email ABTA at grants@abta.org with their biosketch and a description of how the leave of absence will be documented within the application before submitting their application to verify their eligibility.

• Is not required to be a U.S. citizen or resident.

• May only submit ONE Discovery Grant Letter of Intent per funding cycle.

• May not be a PI on another ABTA grant at the start of the grant term.

Lead Mentor Requirements:

A Lead Mentor is required for Applicants/PIs that are within the first five years of their first faculty appointment (i.e., started their first faculty position after December 31, 2020); optional for Applicants/PIs beyond five years of a faculty appointment.

• Must hold a full-time faculty appointment at the same institution as the Applicant/PI.

• Must currently conduct brain tumor research.

• Is not required to be a U.S. citizen or resident.

• Can be a mentor on more than one 2026 Discovery Grant Application.

Lead Institution Requirements:

• Must be a non-profit institution or organization anywhere in the world.

• Must not be a governmental institution (i.e. NIH, NCI, etc.).

• Must serve as the administrator of the grant funds and will hold responsibility for the management of the budget and submission of all required documents and reports.

• Must agree to adhere to the ABTA’s Policies and Procedures for Research Grants and Fellowships, located at the top of the For Researchers web page.

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: American Brain Tumor Association

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 8550 W. Bryn Mawr Ave. Ste 550 Chicago, IL 60631 Phone: 773-577-8750

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