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Victoria’s Secret Global Fund for Women’s Cancers Career Development Award, in Partnership with Pelotonia & AACR

American Association for Cancer Research

Grant Amount$206,000 USD

Grant Term2 Years

Start of Grant TermDecember 1, 2026

Application DeadlineSeptember 3, 2026 1:00 PM

Decision DateNovember 2026

Additional InformationAdditional details regarding this grant can be found in the Program Guidelines and Application Instructions. Final determinations of eligibility will not be completed until the AACR is in receipt of the submitted application.

Description

The Victoria’s Secret Global Fund for Women's Cancers was established to accelerate innovation in cancer research for women, by women. This groundbreaking initiative will fund innovative research aimed at progressing outcomes for women's cancers and invest in the next generation of women scientists who represent the diverse population they serve. By focusing on prevention, detection, diagnostic, and treatment innovations for women’s cancers and advancing outcomes for cancer health disparities, Victoria’s Secret aims to improve and save the lives of millions of women around the world.

The Fund builds upon Victoria's Secret’s established commitment toward cancer research and education, with longstanding impact partner, Pelotonia. Through a transformational partnership with Pelotonia and the American Association of Cancer Research (AACR), The Victoria’s Secret Global Fund for Women's Cancers is proud to offer a series of grants programs for female researchers and clinicians working internationally, and at various stages of their careers. To learn more please visit pelotonia.org/vsfund.

The Victoria’s Secret Global Fund for Women’s Cancers Career Development Award, in Partnership with Pelotonia & AACR is intended to fund innovative research projects in breast and gynecologic cancers and to invest in the next generation of female early-stage scientists domestically and globally. The aim of this award is to foster innovation in the understanding, prevention, interception, early detection, diagnosis, and treatment of breast and gynecologic cancers with the goal of eliminating cancer health disparities and improving patient outcomes. The research proposed for funding may be in basic, translational, clinical, or population sciences. Proposals focused on research into the causes of cancer health disparities and approaches to achieve equity in outcomes are especially encouraged.

The grant provides $206,000 over two years for expenses related to the research project, which may include salary and benefits of the grant recipient (who must devote at least 75% of their total effort to research in breast or a gynecologic cancer), collaborators, postdoctoral or clinical research fellows, graduate students (including tuition costs associated with graduate students’ education and training), or research assistants; research/laboratory supplies; equipment; publication charges for manuscripts that pertain directly to the funded project; and other research expenses. Indirect expenses are not allowed.

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.

AI Based Application Success Predictor

1. Strong alignment with the specific AACR funding opportunity (Highest Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

This is the most important predictor of success.

Competitive proposals should closely match the objectives of the specific grant mechanism or Request for Applications (RFA).

Common priority areas include:

Cancer biology
Cancer prevention
Early detection
Cancer diagnosis
Cancer interception
Precision oncology
Immunotherapy
Translational research
Population science
Cancer disparities
Therapeutic development

Applications that clearly fit the stated goals and eligibility requirements of the funding opportunity are substantially more competitive.

2. Scientific excellence and innovation (Highest Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Innovation is central to AACR funding.

Competitive proposals demonstrate:

Novel hypotheses
Original scientific concepts
Innovative technologies
Creative experimental approaches
High scientific significance
Potential to substantially advance cancer research

AACR consistently prioritizes research that moves the field beyond incremental advances.

3. Direct relevance to improving cancer prevention, diagnosis, or treatment (Highest Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Successful proposals clearly explain how the research will improve one or more of the following:

Cancer prevention
Early detection
Diagnosis
Treatment
Interception
Survivorship
Understanding of cancer biology

Projects with clear relevance to improving outcomes for people with cancer are particularly competitive.

4. Strong scientific rigor and methodology (Highest Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Competitive applications include:

Clearly defined hypotheses
Robust experimental design
Appropriate statistical analyses
Well-defined endpoints
Reproducible methods
Feasible research plan

Scientific rigor is a fundamental component of AACR's peer-review process.

5. Strong translational potential (Very High Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

AACR strongly supports research capable of moving discoveries toward clinical benefit.

Competitive projects often include:

Biomarker development
Precision medicine
Therapeutic development
Translational oncology
Clinical implementation
Early-phase clinical translation

Applications should clearly describe how laboratory discoveries could ultimately benefit patients.

6. Investigator excellence and career development (Very High Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Reviewers evaluate:

Publication record
Scientific achievements
Leadership potential
Independence (where applicable)
Institutional support
Career development plan (for fellowship and career awards)

Many AACR funding mechanisms are specifically designed to support early-career investigators, postdoctoral fellows, and newly independent faculty.

7. Addressing important unmet needs in cancer research (Very High Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐)

Competitive proposals frequently address:

Drug resistance
Rare cancers
Metastatic disease
Cancer disparities
Tumor microenvironment
Immunotherapy resistance
Early detection
Precision oncology
Cancer prevention

Projects targeting major unmet scientific or clinical challenges are highly valued.

8. Strong multidisciplinary collaboration (High Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆)

Competitive teams often include:

Basic scientists
Medical oncologists
Surgeons
Radiation oncologists
Pathologists
Bioinformaticians
Computational biologists
Epidemiologists

Multidisciplinary expertise enhances both scientific quality and translational impact.

9. Feasible project design and appropriate budget (High Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆)

Competitive proposals demonstrate:

Realistic timelines
Clearly defined milestones
Appropriate resource allocation
Well-justified budgets
Feasible implementation

Projects should be achievable within the duration and budget of the specific AACR award.

10. Potential for high scientific and clinical impact (High Predictor ⭐⭐⭐⭐☆)

The strongest proposals demonstrate potential to:

Change clinical practice
Influence future clinical trials
Generate high-impact publications
Advance precision oncology
Improve patient outcomes
Secure future external funding

Research with broad influence across cancer research or patient care is especially competitive.

Specialties

Cancer

Oncology

Gynecology

Eligibility Requirements

At the start of the grant term (December 1, 2026), applicants must:

Have a doctoral degree (PhD, MD, MD/PhD, or equivalent) in a related field.
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 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 started their first independent faculty position within the past 6 years from the start of the grant term (as indicated on the employment offer letter). Exceptions to the 6-year window may be granted for up to 12 months of parental or justified personal/family leave. Applicants exceeding the 6-year limit who believe they are eligible must contact the AACR’s RGA before submitting their application.
Devote at least 75% of their total effort to research in breast or a gynecologic cancer.
Have independent laboratory space as confirmed by their institution.
Work at an academic, medical, or research institution anywhere in the world.

At the start of the grant term (December 1, 2026), 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., December 1, 2026). Also, the terms of their current grant must stipulate that the final progress reports be approved by the AACR before December 1, 2026.
Be, or have been, a Principal Investigator on a substantial independent research award (e.g., an NIH R01 award, DP2 award, DP5 award, MIRA award, or the equivalent). These individuals are invited to apply for AACR grants for independent investigators.
- For the purposes of this grant, a substantial independent research award is defined as a grant that offers at least $250,000 (direct) per year for more than three years and must have undergone a peer-review process by active researchers and physician-scientists.

All applicants with questions about eligibility should contact the AACR’s Research and Grants Administration at grants@aacr.org before submitting an application.

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

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