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The Bosarge Family Foundation-Waun Ki Hong Scholar Award for Regenerative Cancer Medicine

Bosarge Family Foundation

Grant Amount$120,000 USD

Grant Term2 Years

Start of Grant TermJuly 1, 2027

Application DeadlineNovember 18, 2026 1:00 PM

Decision DateFebruary 2027

The Bosarge Family Foundation-Waun Ki Hong Scholar Award for Regenerative Cancer Medicine represents a joint effort to encourage and support postdoctoral or clinical research fellows to conduct highly novel and provocative research in the field of regenerative cancer medicine and to establish a successful career path in this field. The research proposed for funding may be translational, clinical, or population sciences in nature and must have direct applicability and relevance to enhancing the physiology of cancer survivors (and/or mitigating the negative effects of their cancer treatment) using regenerative medicine approaches.

This grant provides $120,000 over two years to support the salary and benefits of the fellow while working on mentored research focused on regenerative cancer medicine. Funds may also be designated for non-personnel expenses, such as research/laboratory supplies, equipment, publication charges for manuscripts that pertain directly to the funded project, and other research expenses. Indirect costs are not permitted.

Citizenship Requirements

There are no citizenship or geographic requirements. However, by submitting an application for this grant, applicants applying from an institution in a country where they are not a citizen or permanent resident confirm that their work status will allow them to complete the project and grant term.

AACR Membership Requirements

By the submission deadline, applicants must be AACR members in good standing (dues paid for the current year):

Information on AACR membership, including membership categories, due rates, and steps for lapsed or nonmembers, can be accessed on our membership website.
Assistance with membership can be requested by submitting a myAACR help form or by contacting our Membership Department at membership@aacr.org
Applicants whose membership is not in good standing or nonmembers who do not apply for membership by the submission deadline will be considered ineligible.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Direct Fit With Regenerative Cancer Medicine

Importance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Critical

The single most important factor is whether the research directly falls within regenerative cancer medicine.

The current AACR program requires the proposed research to have direct applicability to enhancing cancer survivors' physiology or mitigating negative effects of cancer treatment through regenerative-medicine approaches.

Strong areas include:

Tissue regeneration after cancer treatment
Restoration of damaged organs/tissues
Cancer-treatment-induced injury
Cellular regeneration
Stem-cell biology
Tissue engineering
Cellular plasticity
Regenerative therapeutics
Recovery from radiation or chemotherapy injury

A general cancer project without a meaningful regenerative-medicine component would have poor program fit.

2. Direct Benefit to Cancer Survivors

Importance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Critical

The program specifically emphasizes enhancing the physiology of cancer survivors and mitigating the negative consequences of cancer treatment.

A strong proposal should clearly identify:

Cancer treatment → persistent injury/complication → regenerative intervention → improved survivor health

Potential outcomes include:

Improved organ function
Reduced treatment-related toxicity
Improved physical function
Reduced chronic complications
Improved quality of life
Restoration of damaged tissue
Prevention of long-term treatment injury

This patient-centered connection should be visible throughout the proposal.

3. High Scientific Novelty and Provocative Research Question

Importance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Critical

The award description explicitly seeks "highly novel and provocative" research.

The proposal should therefore identify a meaningful unanswered question rather than simply reproduce established regenerative biology.

Potentially compelling approaches include:

New mechanisms of tissue repair.
Novel cellular plasticity mechanisms.
New regenerative therapies.
New ways to prevent treatment-induced tissue damage.
Innovative biomaterials.
Novel cell-based approaches.
New therapeutic repurposing strategies.

The 2025 funded project illustrates this pattern: the award supported research investigating cell plasticity and pharmacological modulation to address radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis, using preclinical models, single-cell transcriptomics and functional assessments.

4. Strong Translational or Clinical Relevance

Importance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very High

Eligible projects can be translational, clinical or population-science research, but they must have direct applicability to the program's regenerative-cancer objectives.

A strong application should explain:

What clinical problem exists?
What biological mechanism causes it?
How will the proposed intervention address it?
What evidence will demonstrate improvement?
How could the approach eventually reach patients?

The strongest translational chain is:

Mechanism → intervention → preclinical/clinical validation → improved cancer survivorship

5. Strong Applicant Potential for an Independent Cancer Research Career

Importance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very High

The award is explicitly designed not only to fund research but also to establish a successful career path in regenerative cancer medicine.

The evaluation criteria historically emphasize whether the applicant:

Has strong training and experience.
Has a high-quality academic/research record.
Can successfully implement the proposed project.
Has potential to become an independent and productive cancer researcher.

For an early-career award, the application should therefore connect the project to the applicant's long-term research trajectory.

6. Exceptional Mentor and Research Environment

Importance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very High

Mentorship is a particularly important feature of this award.

Applicants must work under a mentor at an academic, medical or research institution, and the published program materials state that significant weight is given to the mentor's reference letter because of the mentorship component.

A strong mentor should provide:

Relevant regenerative-medicine expertise.
Cancer-research expertise.
Strong publication record.
Evidence of successful mentorship.
Appropriate laboratory/clinical resources.
Access to necessary models or patient populations.
Support for the applicant's transition toward independence.

7. Scientific Quality and Rigor

Importance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Very High

The scientific review committee evaluates the quality of the proposed project, alongside the applicant and mentor.

A strong project should contain:

Clear hypothesis.
Specific aims.
Appropriate controls.
Valid methodology.
Quantifiable endpoints.
Appropriate statistical analysis.
Alternative strategies.
Realistic timeline.

A novel idea without a rigorous experimental plan is unlikely to be competitive.

8. Clear Connection Between Cancer Treatment Injury and Regenerative Solution

Importance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ High

A particularly strong proposal establishes a direct mechanistic link between an adverse cancer-treatment effect and a regenerative intervention.

Examples explicitly mentioned by AACR include research on:

Treatment-induced neurotoxicity.
Chemoradiation-induced severe mucositis.
Xerostomia in head and neck cancer.

Other conceptually aligned areas could include:

Radiation-induced fibrosis.
Cardiac injury following cancer therapy.
Neuropathy.
Pulmonary injury.
Gastrointestinal damage.
Salivary-gland dysfunction.
Muscle or tissue injury.

The central question should be:

Can regenerative medicine restore or protect tissue damaged by cancer treatment?

9. Feasibility and Appropriate Use of the Two-Year Award

Importance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ High

The award provides $120,000 over two years, primarily supporting the fellow's salary and benefits, with permitted non-personnel expenses such as supplies, equipment and publication costs. Indirect costs are not permitted.

A competitive proposal should therefore have:

Achievable aims.
Appropriate scope.
Available infrastructure.
Access to necessary samples/models.
Realistic milestones.
A budget directly linked to the research plan.

Avoid proposing an entire therapeutic-development program that cannot reasonably produce meaningful evidence within two years.

10. Strong Career-Development and Long-Term Impact Pathway

Importance: ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆ High

The program is explicitly intended to establish a successful career path in regenerative cancer medicine.

A strong proposal should show how the award will enable:

Fellowship → publications/data → independent research direction → larger funding → translational research career

The project should ideally establish expertise that the applicant can carry forward into an independent research program.

Specialties

Cancer

Regenerative Medicine

Oncology

Eligibility Requirements

At the start of the grant term (July 1, 2027), applicants must:

Have a doctoral degree (PhD, MD, MD/PhD, or equivalent) in a related field.
Hold a mentored research position with the title of postdoctoral fellow, clinical research fellow, or the equivalent.
- If eligibility is based on a future position, the position must be confirmed at the time of submission and CANNOT be contingent upon receiving this grant. Applicants are advised to contact the AACR’s Research and Grants Administration (RGA) at grants@aacr.org before submission to confirm they will hold an eligible position.
Have completed their most recent doctoral degree or medical residency within the past five years (i.e., degree conferral or medical residency completion date is July 1, 2022, or later; the formal date of receipt of the degree is the date the degree was conferred, as indicated on your diploma and/or transcript). Exceptions to the 5-year window may be granted for up to 12 months of parental or justified personal/family leave. Applicants exceeding the 5-year limit who believe they are eligible must contact the AACR’s RGA before submitting their application.
Be able to dedicate at least 50% effort to the proposed project throughout the duration of the grant term.
Work under the auspices of a mentor at an academic, medical, or research institution anywhere in the world.

At the start of the grant term (July 1, 2027), applicants cannot:

Be a candidate for a further doctoral degree.
Be an employee or subcontractor of a U.S. federal government entity or for-profit private industry. They may serve as collaborators, but no grant funds may be directed toward these individuals.
Concurrently hold another AACR grant.
- Current AACR grantees may apply only if their current grant ends before the start of the grant term for this funding opportunity (i.e., July 1, 2027). Also, the terms of their current grant must stipulate that the final progress reports be approved by the AACR before July 1, 2027.
Be, or have been, at the rank of instructor, adjunct professor, assistant professor, research assistant professor, the equivalent, or higher. Qualified researchers are invited to apply for an AACR Career Development Award.
- Exception: If you are an MD who is considered a postdoctoral fellow but hold the title of instructor so that you can see patients, you may be eligible. Potential applicants possessing an MD are encouraged to contact AACR’s RGA before submitting an application to verify your eligibility.

Sponsor Details

Sponsor Institute/Organizations: Bosarge Family Foundation

Sponsor Type: Corporate/Non-Profit

Address: 615 Chestnut St., 17th Floor Philadelphia, PA

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