The ACS Catalyst Awards provide one-year bridge funding for early-stage investigators whose recent ACS Research Scholar Grant or NCI R01 applications were highly rated but went unfunded. The intent is to keep promising cancer research projects and investigators alive long enough to secure major follow-on funding. Awards are relatively lean and focused, designed to support key experiments and staff continuity rather than large-scale programs.
Eligibility Criteria:
-
Independent investigator meeting ACS Research Scholar Grant eligibility (typically within 10 years of first independent faculty appointment)
-
Recently submitted an ACS Research Scholar Grant or NCI R01 in 2024–2025 that was scored highly (e.g., “Outstanding” at ACS or ≤15th percentile at NCI) but not funded
-
Principal investigator on no more than one active R01/R01-equivalent award at the time of deadline
-
Project for Catalyst support must fall within the scope of the previously submitted, unfunded application
-
Institution must be a US-based, eligible non-profit research organization or academic medical center
Funding Details:
-
Total award: 150,000 USD in direct costs
-
Grant term: 1 year; no indirect costs allowed
-
Funds may support personnel, critical experiments, assays, and other direct research expenses required to strengthen a re-submission
-
Designed explicitly as a catalytic, one-time mechanism rather than long-term lab support
Deadline:
-
Next announced cycle deadline: January 5, 2026 (ACS central deadline; same date each year going forward unless updated)
Where to go for further information:
-
ACS RFA page – American Cancer Society Catalyst Awards.