2024 Breast Cancer Alliance: Young Investigator Grants

The Chao Family Comprehensive Cancer Center (CFCCC) will be selecting TWO candidates for the BCA Young Investigator Grant in breast cancer research. To be considered for selection, please submit your internal application through this InfoReady posting by the internal deadline of March 1, 2023 (5:00 pm PST).

To encourage a commitment to breast cancer research, Breast Cancer Alliance invites clinical doctors and research scientists, including post-docs, whose primary focus is breast cancer research and who are at any stage of their careers, to apply for funding for the Young Investigator Grant. This is a 2-year grant for a total of $125,000.

Applicants for the 2024 award must (i) not have held a tenure track faculty or tenure track research position for more than four years following completion of their training, as of March 1, 2024; (ii) not have been or are not a principal investigator on an NIH R01 or equivalent national/international non-mentored award as of March 1, 2024; and (iii) dedicate at least 50% of their work effort to research. This grant is intended to help advance the careers of young researchers who do not yet have their own major grant support but who design and conduct their own independent research projects.

The term of the Young Investigator Grant is two years, beginning on March 1, 2024. The grant provides salary support and project costs for a total of $125,000 (distributed over the two-year period as noted above.) Indirect costs, which are included in the $125,000 award, must be limited to 8% of total direct costs.

Full applications to BCA are by invitation only and requires submission of an LOI. Researchers should coordinate with CFCCC, as BCA will accept a maximum of 2 Young Investigator Grant LOIs per institution. Contact cfcccadmin@hs.uci.edu if you have any questions about the internal application process.

**You may only submit an LOI for each proposal for either an Exceptional Project Grant or a Young Investigator Grant (this call).

LEARN MORE ON THE BCA WEBSITE (here).

Breast Cancer Alliance Mission Statement:

The mission of Breast Cancer Alliance is to improve survival rates and quality of life for those impacted by breast cancer through better prevention, early detection, treatment and cure. To promote these goals, we invest in innovative research, breast surgery fellowships, regional education, dignified support and screening for the underserved.

To accomplish this, the Breast Cancer Alliance:

• Funds a diversified portfolio of breast cancer research
• Funds Breast Surgery Fellowship programs
• Funds the purchase of equipment for research
• Provides timely information on breast health and the importance of early detection
• Supports outreach and case managerial services, education, counseling, and mammograms for underserved and underinsured women in mid to southern Connecticut and Westchester County, New York

Terms: 

The term of the Young Investigator Grant is two years, beginning on March 1, 2024. Applicants for the 2024 award must (i) have not held a tenure track faculty or tenure track research position for more than four years following completion of their training, as  of March 1, 2024; (ii) have not been a principal investigator on an NIH R01 or equivalent national/international non-mentored award; and (iii) dedicate at least 50% of their work effort to research. This grant is intended to help advance the careers of young researchers who do not yet have their own major grant support but who design and conduct their own independent research projects. The grant provides salary support and project costs for a total of $125,000 (distributed over the two-year period). Administrative costs, which are included in the $125,000 award, must be limited to 8% of total direct costs.

The research project must be directly related to the field of breast cancer. Areas of relevant research may include but are not limited to: diagnosis, etiology, immunology, genetics and epigenetics, therapies, prevention and clinical studies. Grant recipients must submit a brief report documenting progress by March 1, 2025, and a final report by April 30, 2026 (60 days following the grant term.) Both reports must be written in layman terms and should include current accounting of expenditures to date. Failure to submit the progress report will result in forfeiture of any remaining grant funds. Grant recipients must also schedule a site visit with Breast Cancer Alliance representatives approximately midway during the grant term.

Any publication associated with the research must recognize Breast Cancer Alliance as a sponsor.