Description

By specifically targeting promising early-career scientists and providing critically needed "seed" money for innovative projects, Concern Foundation supports development of the next generation of cancer researchers and thus promotes progress in understanding cancer biology and improved approaches to cancer.

Proposals must be hypothesis-driven and centered on cancer genetics, cancer biology, or cancer immunology. Concern will not fund clinical trials, cancer epidemiology, or behavioral studies.

It begins with submission of Letter of Intent (LOI).

Eligibility

- Grants are awarded to independent investigators who are at the start of their scientific career (i.e., junior faculty) and are at the level of Assistant Professor. A letter from the applicant's Department Chair is required and should attest to 1) the applicant's faculty status, 2) the applicant's status as an independent investigator, 3) institutional support in terms of stand-alone laboratory space and startup funds, and 4) percent protected time devoted to research as junior faculty. This letter needs to accompany the initial Letter of Intent.

- Priority is given to proposals from independent investigators who have yet to obtain significant funding for their work.

- Concern Foundation accepts grant applications from institutions in the United States and abroad. U.S. citizenship is not a requirement.

Documentation

The LOI should include the following sections and content:

A) All information requested by proposalCENTRAL and filled online.

B) Scientific Description (up to 1 page, uploaded as pdf):

1. Principal Investigator (applicant)

2. Title of project

3. Key Words (3-5)

4. Background and Preliminary Data

5. Hypothesis

6. Specific Aims and Synopsis of the work

7. Impact, Significance, Novelty (to science, to cancer, to advancement of PI's career)

8. Relevance to Concern Foundation's mission

C) Chair letter of support - Letter from the Department or Division Chair should include information on:

1. Academic position of applicant attesting to their status as junior investigator

2. Degree of independence (applicant's position, independence of research direction, independence of laboratory space)

3. Institutional commitment (space, financial support, protected time: amounts, duration)

4. Other relevant information in support of the applicant

D) Biosketch (Current NIH biosketch, up to 5 pages, uploaded, template provided on proposalCENTRAL) NIH-style biosketch. This should include past/current/pending grant support: agency, PI, role, grant title, dates, goal, % effort (or months effort), direct cost per year, overlap with current application.

Duration

1 or 2 years

Funding

The total grant amount is $60,000 per year for a maximum of two years. A second year of funding is not guaranteed and is based on evidence of sufficient progress.

Terms

In case of interest, please contact with Research Management Department until 31st August 2017.

Letters of Intent must be submitted online via proposaCENTRAL at https://proposalcentral.altum.com.