A one-year Young Investigator Award (YIA) to fast-track research by clinical oncology fellows or junior researchers in new cancer drug development. Offered by Conquer Cancer (the ASCO Foundation), this award provides seed funding for promising early-career investigators pursuing projects in therapeutics discovery, preclinical drug development, or early-phase clinical trials of novel agents.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Physicians (MD, DO or international equivalent) in the final stages of oncology fellowship or within 3 years of fellowship completion are eligible, as per general ASCO YIA criteria .
- Applicant must plan an academic career in oncology research and have a committed mentor in drug development research. ASCO membership is required (or membership application submitted) .
- Research proposal must focus on some aspect of oncology drug development – e.g. identifying new targets, testing novel compounds in models or patients, optimizing drug delivery, or investigating mechanisms of drug resistance.
- Applicants should dedicate ≥60% effort to research during the award period and not already hold major grant funding.
Funding Details:
- Award Amount: USD 50,000 for a 1-year project . This supports the awardee’s research expenses and a portion of salary.
- Allowable Costs: Personnel (including the awardee’s stipend/salary and research staff), laboratory supplies, assays, and patient care costs for a pilot trial, as applicable . Travel funding is provided for the awardee to present at the ASCO Annual Meeting.
- Indirect Costs: Not permitted; the full $50K is for direct project costs . The number of awards granted depends on available funding and quality of applications.
Deadline:
- Application Deadline: January 29, 2026 . (This is a special YIA RFP in Drug Development; applications opened July 1, 2025.)
- Award winners will be notified in Spring 2026, and the funding term runs July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027 (coinciding with ASCO’s grant cycle).
Where to go for further information: