Pre-announcement: Challenge Grants

The Challenge Grants program will support cancer research projects across the cancer continuum and across disciplines, with an ultimate goal of solving a problem (i.e. a ‘challenge’) that is meaningful to people affected by or at risk of cancer. Applications from the four pillars of health research (i.e. biomedical; clinical; health services; and social, cultural, environmental and population health) are welcome. Applicants are strongly encouraged to demonstrate meaningful engagement of people affected by or at risk of cancer (termed patient and stakeholder engagement) in the development, implementation, and/or dissemination of research findings. We have compiled resources on our website to help inform the engagement process.

Up to $18M is available in this competition to fund grants of up to $175k/yr over 3 years.

Challenges should align with CCS Research Goals and applicants must clearly articulate how and/or why the challenge is relevant to people affected by cancer (or at risk, for prevention-focused research). Applicants must clearly describe the anticipated contribution of their proposed project towards solving the identified challenge. This includes, for example, outcomes that have immediate impact (such as a device, therapeutic, program, policy, or practice change), or those that are more long term in scope (such as an important finding relevant to the biology or etiology of cancer that could eventually be applied to prevent cancer or improve outcomes). Applicants will describe how the knowledge generated through these grants will be shared and/or mobilized to ensure implementation of next steps.