Israel Cancer Research Fund (ICRF) Project Grants provide funding for projects of high scientific merit and clear potential significance for advancing the understanding, diagnosis, or treatment of cancer. Project Grants are intended to support the research of established investigators working in areas in which they have demonstrated expertise.
Duration and Amount of Funding
Project Grants are awarded for three (3) years for $60,000 per year, as determined by the International Board of Trustees and availability of funds. Funding for the second and third years is contingent on progress in the preceding funding period, as documented in a Progress Report due annually on June 30.
ICRF supports all areas of cancer research (basic → translational → clinical), but successful proposals have a clear cancer-specific rationale, such as:
Cancer genetics and epigenetics
Tumor immunology & immunotherapy
Tumor microenvironment
Drug discovery & targeted therapy
Early detection and biomarkers
Cancer metabolism
Computational/AI cancer biology
Tumor heterogeneity & resistance
Metastasis mechanisms
Predictor: Your proposal must explicitly advance understanding of cancer mechanisms, detection, or treatment.
ICRF has multiple grant types, each with unique expectations:
🔹 ICRF Research Career Development Award (RCDA)
For early-career faculty in Israel (or Israeli scientists abroad starting jobs in Israel).
Requires strong mentorship, independence plan, and institutional commitment.
🔹 ICRF Project Grants (core mechanism)
1–3 year research projects.
Requires strong preliminary data + feasibility.
🔹 ICRF Acceleration Grants
High-risk, high-impact, innovative work with transformative potential.
🔹 ICRF–AACR Partner Awards / Thematic Calls
Highly specific cancer areas, often translational.
🔹 ICRF–U.S. Partnerships (e.g., ICRF–Chicago, ICRF–Toronto)
May include priority disease areas.
Predictor: Match career stage, institution, and project type to the correct grant.
Even for “acceleration” or early-career awards, competitive proposals include:
Pilot data supporting feasibility
Validation of methods or models
Early signals supporting the hypothesis
Demonstration that required datasets/materials are available
Predictor: ICRF rarely funds projects that lack preliminary evidence.
ICRF reviewers favor projects that:
Push boundaries (not incremental)
Introduce new tools, paradigms, or therapeutic strategies
Offer clear translational or mechanistic advances
Could lead to major discoveries in cancer biology or treatment
Address unmet medical needs or hard-to-treat cancers
Predictor: Innovation + potential to meaningfully impact cancer care or science.
Funded investigators typically demonstrate:
High-quality recent publications
Productivity in the proposed field
Ability to execute similar research
Successful mentorship and collaborations
Predictor: A strong publication record closely aligned with the proposed topic.
ICRF funds research conducted in Israel only (with rare joint exceptions). Strong proposals show:
Access to relevant research infrastructure (omics, imaging, bioinformatics, PDXs, patient samples)
Strong departmental and institutional support
Commitment of lab space, resources, core facilities
Predictor: Being at a leading Israeli research center with appropriate facilities strongly boosts competitiveness.
Strong ICRF proposals include:
2–3 focused Aims
Clear hypotheses, endpoints, and methods
Feasible 1–3 year execution timeline
Go/no-go milestones
Risk mitigation strategies
Predictor: Realistic, tightly structured projects score much higher.
ICRF values Israeli scientific collaboration—especially cross-institutional or cross-disciplinary partnerships.
Strong proposals often include:
Joint Israeli–international collaborations
Multi-PI synergy (e.g., computational + wet-lab + clinical)
Co-mentorship for early-career applicants
Predictor: Collaborative value improves competitiveness.
Successful ICRF grant applications are:
Very clearly written
Well organized (NIH-like structure)
Supported by strong figures for preliminary data
Persuasive in rationale and impact
Predictor: Clarity of the proposal has a major effect on reviewer enthusiasm.
ICRF has a dual mission:
Advance cancer research
Strengthen Israeli scientific excellence
Applications score higher if they demonstrate:
Training and building capacity in Israel
Contribution to Israeli research leadership
Potential to attract future external funding (NIH, ERC, etc.)
Predictor: Explicitly showing how your work strengthens Israel’s cancer research ecosystem.
| Predictor | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| Cancer-specific focus | Core eligibility |
| Correct mechanism alignment | Ensures proper scope & expectations |
| Strong preliminary data | Demonstrates feasibility |
| Innovation + high impact | Central ICRF priority |
| Strong publication track record | Predictor of successful outcomes |
| Strong Israeli institutional support | Required for infrastructure and execution |
| Collaborative value | Enhances impact |
| Feasible aims & timeline | Supports high reviewer confidence |
| Clear, persuasive writing | Improves scores |
| Contribution to Israeli cancer research | Aligns with ICRF mission |
The applicant must be an independent investigator who has demonstrated ability to lead a research team, as evident in the Biosketch and Publication Record. Applications must focus on questions related to human cancer that are supported by strong published or preliminary data and provide a solid foundation for future progress. Funding priority is typically given to projects with potential to impact prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of cancer in the next 5-10 years. Interdisciplinary approaches are encouraged, but not required.
The Principal Investigator (PI) must be an established independent researcher who has demonstrated ability to lead a research team, as evident in the Biosketch and Publication Record. The PI is responsible for the scientific direction, integrity, and conduct of the research, including the study design, data management, and timely reporting. Additional Co-Investigators may be named, but it is the PI who is ultimately responsible for all aspects of the research, and all communication with ICRF is to be conducted solely via the PI.
Eligible Countries:
Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Israel Cancer Research Fund
Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit
Address: 52 Vanderbilt Avenue, Suite 1410 New York, New York 10017-3835
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Jan 06, 2026
Jan 06, 2026
$60,000
Affiliation: Israel Cancer Research Fund
Address: 52 Vanderbilt Avenue, Suite 1410 New York, New York 10017-3835
Website URL: https://www.icrfonline.org/grants/#cda
Disclaimer:It is mandatory that all applicants carry workplace liability insurance, e.g., https://www.protrip-world-liability.com (Erasmus students use this package and typically costs around 5 € per month - please check) in addition to health insurance when you join any of the onsite Trialect partnered fellowships.