CCS Environmental Cancer Research Grants: Environmental drivers of cancer and population-based approaches to cancer prevention

Highlights of the program

CCS Environmental Cancer Research Grants support impact-focused cancer research to: 1) advance mechanistic understanding of how environmental factors contribute to cancer risk and development and 2) inform population, policy, and system-level approaches to reduce environmental cancer risk and advance cancer prevention.

CCS Strategic plan and priorities

In 2026, CCS launched a bold new strategic plan to lead the way to a future without cancer. Our strategic plan is a commitment to working together for even greater impact and transformational change. Together we can save and improve lives and drive collective action to make a difference for everyone affected by cancer. One of our priorities is stopping cancer before it starts; and to do this, CCS is committed to both driving discoveries in cancer prevention and understanding cancer risk. To learn more about our goals, priorities and strategic plan, visit: https://cancer.ca/en/about-us/strategic-plan

NOTE: CCS launches multiple research funding opportunities throughout the year. Applicants are encouraged to regularly check our website, subscribe to our newsletter, and follow us on social media for updates and new opportunities. Where funding opportunities overlap in research focus, applicants are responsible for determining which funding opportunity is the best fit for their proposed project. Different applications may be submitted to multiple funding opportunities; however, the same application may not be submitted to more than one funding opportunity.

Program launch (EGrAMS):

November 5, 2026

Abstract registration deadline:

January 13, 2027 (5:00 PM ET)

Full application deadline:

April 7, 2027 (5:00 PM ET)

Results announcement:

August 2027

Anticipated funding start date:

September 1, 2027

Background

Every day, people in Canada are exposed to environmental factors that may influence their cancer risk through the air they breathe, the water they drink, the food they eat, the products they use, and the places they live, work, and play. Planetary health and climate change are also important drivers of environmental exposures and direct contributors to health. While some environmental exposures, such as radon, arsenic, smoke and air pollution (e.g., PM2.5), have been linked to cancer risk, important questions remain about how environmental factors contribute to cancer development and how best to reduce their impact.

Stopping cancer before it starts requires both a better understanding of cancer risk and evidence that can inform prevention efforts. Environmental cancer research can help identify opportunities for risk reduction, improve understanding of how environmental exposures contribute to cancer, and generate evidence to support prevention policies and programs. Findings from this work can help inform decision-making and contribute to reducing the impact of cancer on people in Canada.

Program description

The CCS Environmental Cancer Research Grants target two under-researched areas: 1) Research that advances understanding of the biological and mechanistic pathways through which environmental factors contribute to cancer risk and development; and/or 2) Research that informs population, policy and system level approaches to reduce environmental cancer risk and translate knowledge into cancer prevention action.

Research teams are encouraged to consider a wide range of environmental exposures and what gaps in research evidence exist. Examples of potential focus areas include (but are not limited to):

Chemical and physical exposures in the environment such as air pollution (indoor or outdoor), smoke and other fine particulate matter (PM 2.5), arsenic, radon, solar UV radiation, and mechanisms of cancer development
Environmental exposures relevant to cancer which are ingested – either through diet or drinking water, such as micro/nanoplastics, ultra-processed foods, bacteria (i.e., E. Coli Nissle 1917), pesticides, arsenic, or other carcinogenic agents
Research that integrates biological data with epidemiological data from environmental exposures and the biological processes involved in the interplay between environmental exposure and molecular, cellular or macro changes resulting in cancer development
Geospatial approaches and spatial mapping to understand environmental exposure and cancer risk
Population, policy and systems level approaches to reduce environmental cancer risks
Implementation science or policy research aimed at understanding how evidence on environmental cancer risks can be translated into effective prevention action
Evaluation of interventions, programs, policies or regulations designed to reduce environmental cancer risk
Environmental surveillance, monitoring or decision-support tools that inform cancer prevention efforts
Population-based approaches to prevent exposure to carcinogenic agents to prevent cancer occurrence

Note: Where Canadian data is not available, international cohorts with justification for the relevance to Canada may be accepted

These grants support investigator-initiated projects addressing mechanistic knowledge gaps or evidence to action gaps. The goal for each project, even mechanistic ones, is to contribute to cancer prevention and risk reduction in Canada.

Research teams are encouraged to consider a wide range of environmental exposures and what gaps in research evidence exist.

Out of Scope Research:

Environmental exposures and effects related to treatment or cancer survivorship
Epidemiological, biological, or population-based studies lacking environmental factors
Discovery research with no clear relevance to cancer

Funds available

It is anticipated that at least 4 grants will be awarded in this competition. Consideration for a wide range of topics will be given during the review process to maximize program scope.

Applicants may request up to $300,000 over a maximum of 3 years. Requests may not exceed $150,000 in any one year.

Funding will be provided to support the direct costs of research, including supplies, salaries, publication and other end-of-grant dissemination costs, and equipment associated with the proposed work. Equipment requests cannot exceed 15% of the requested budget. Indirect costs are not eligible.

Please consult CCS’s Financial Administration policies when developing the budget.

Total budget:

$1.2M

Amount:

$300k (max. $150k/year)

Duration:

Up to 3 years

Equipment:

Up to 15% of the total budget

Eligibility criteria

Please review carefully to ensure research team eligibility.

We welcome applicants from a wide range of research areas (environmental, earth science, agricultural, nutrition, community health science, etc), not just cancer, so long as the proposed research fits within the program’s objectives.
Applications from any pillar of health research (i.e., biomedical; clinical; health services; and social, cultural, environmental and population health) are eligible.
A maximum of one application per Principal Investigator will be permitted in this competition (applicants may be listed as Co-PIs on multiple applications).
Applications are required to meaningfully involve people affected by or at risk of cancer.
Each team is encouraged to include early career researchers, trainees, and knowledge/end-users (such as policy makers or individuals affected by the environmental exposure under study) as an integral part of research teams.
As a condition of funding, grantees will agree to the reporting and engagement criteria laid out by CCS and partners (see below).

We encourage inquiries about project scope and eligibility of team members. Please contact research@cancer.ca.

Guidance on engagement of people affected by or at risk of cancer

Applications must demonstrate the meaningful engagement of people affected by or at risk of cancer in research development, implementation, and dissemination of research findings. Engagement can mean many things, and all types of research can benefit from the inclusion of diverse perspectives. We have compiled resources on our website to help inform and guide the engagement process and encourage you to consult these. These include a wide range of resources developed and offered by the CIHR Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR) support units, but also articles on engagement in different types of research. We recognize that patient or stakeholder engagement will look different for different types of research and encourage both broader forms of engagement (as part of an overall research or learning program/strategy) as well as creativity in devising engagement strategies.

Engagement Resources

If you missed it, please watch the recording of our workshop on meaningful engagement of patient partners in research (starting at 14:00 min) hosted by our team on April 9^th, 2025 here.

Key resources

All applications must be submitted through EGrAMS. Detailed application instructions are available in the application guidelines linked at the top of this page. Additional key resources are provided below.

There will be a two-stage review process:

Administrative review

Abstract submissions will undergo an initial administrative review by CCS staff. Applications that are incomplete, do not follow the formatting guidelines, do not meet eligibility criteria, or are outside of the scope of the competition (i.e., applications that do not relate to environmental cancer research) will be withdrawn from the competition, and the applicant will be notified.

Eligible abstract registrations will be invited to submit a full application. Substantive changes that significantly alter the overall goals and aims of the proposal relative to the Abstract Registration are not permitted at the applications stage.

Expert review

Two expert review committees will be assembled to review the full applications. The committees will include scientist and patient/survivor/caregiver reviewers who collectively have the relevant expertise and experience needed to assess the submitted applications (see review criteria below for more information). One committee will focus on biological or mechanistic projects, with a second committee focused on population or system-level projects.

Applications will be evaluated against the review criteria listed in the rating scales. Two scores – Merit and Relevance and Potential Impact – are averaged together to create a final score upon which applications are ranked. Please refer to the application guides and rating scales when preparing an application.

Applicants are required to submit an abstract by the deadline.

Abstract registration includes:

Applicant and (known) team details
- Principal Investigator (PI), Co-PIs, Co-Applicants, Additional Authors, People affected by or at risk of cancer, Knowledge/End-Users, Collaborators
- Additional team members may be added at the full application stage
Project title
Public summary (2,000 characters, spaces included)
Scientific abstract (4,200 characters, spaces included)
Relevance statement (2,000 characters, spaces included)
Keywords
Suggested reviewers and exclusions

Please consult the application guide prior to submitting your application. 

When preparing the full application, the following additional information is required:

Team member Biosketches or Letters of Collaboration
Detailed scientific proposal (21,000 characters, spaces included). An additional 2 pages of figures/tables/charts and associated legends are permitted (and may be embedded in the proposal as images without affecting character count)
Description of how intersectional identity, sex, gender and/or other dimensions of diversity have been intentionally integrated into the research plan through to dissemination of results/next steps towards implementation (where relevant)
Timeline and key milestones (1 page)
Data management plan (DMP) (maximum 3 pages)
Knowledge translation/mobilization plan (4,200 characters, spaces included)
Engagement plan (4,200 characters, spaces included)
Terms of Reference (ToR)
AI Use Disclosure
Detailed budget and justification
Research tracking information (for administrative purposes)

CCS recognizes that advancing equity, diversity, and inclusivity requires ongoing reflection, effort, and accountability. We are taking concrete steps to address structural racism and discrimination within the cancer research ecosystem by implementing targeted policies, providing training, designing funding programs to reduce bias, and actively seeking input from underrepresented communities. By fostering an environment where diverse experiences and perspectives are valued, we aim to strengthen the quality, relevance, and impact of cancer research.

We recognize the value of Indigenous knowledge systems, including Indigenous environmental knowledge, and support their meaningful inclusion in research design, implementation, and knowledge mobilization, where appropriate and in partnership with Indigenous communities. We encourage research teams to reflect on their practices, identify barriers to participation, and take concrete steps to make their programs and processes more equitable and inclusive.

All grant recipients must:

Submit annual progress reports and statements of account throughout the grant (and 2 years post-grant for progress reports). Principal Investigators will be emailed instructions about completing the report in our online system (EGrAMS). Submission of these reports is mandatory. Failure to submit the required reports will result in the future installments of a grant being withheld.
Engage with CCS staff, where relevant, to identify potential program, policy, and/or advocacy opportunities related to environmental exposure and cancer risk.
Participate, as applicable, in workshops, symposia or other engagement opportunities to share and discuss research progress, results and impact with relevant interested parties.

The Notification of Award and Letter of Acceptance will set the formal terms and conditions applicable to each grant. Failure to comply with any of the listed expectations during the duration of the award will result in future installments of a grant being withheld.

It is understood that applications may also be made to other agencies to provide support for grants/programs similar to those submitted to CCS. There must not be substantive overlap (more than 50%) with any pending application (including those at the abstract or Letter of Intent submission stage) to any other Canadian Cancer Society Research program as of this competition due date. Duplicate applications will not be accepted. The onus is on the applicant to indicate the extent (or absence) of overlap.

Applicants are reminded to review the Eligibility and requirements section for details on scientific and financial reporting, funder acknowledgement, Canadian Cancer Society policies on open access and tobacco related funding.

CCS is a proud signatory of the San Francisco Declaration on Research Assessment (DORA) and a member of the Impact Funders Forum as well as other coalitions that work to support better research assessment practices and improve how evidence is generated, utilized, and applied across various issue areas and policy sectors. In line with our research strategy, CCS expects to engage with research teams in various ways to promote learning, networking, and knowledge sharing throughout the life cycle of each grant. As part of a successful application, CCS expects that grantees will engage in multiple opportunities as appropriate and able.

Scientific misconduct including, but not limited to, fabrication, falsification, plagiarism or misrepresentation of data will not be tolerated and may result in the rejection of proposals in the current program and possibly from future CCS programs. Misconduct, including but not limited to, racism, discrimination, bullying, harassment of any form (i.e., sexual) will be treated with the same severity

CCS reserves the right to cancel the support provided through its program(s) were any of this conduct proven to (have) happen(ed).