A targeted Young Investigator Award aimed at advancing research in primary brain tumors, offered by Conquer Cancer, the ASCO Foundation. This one-year grant of $50,000 empowers a promising young oncologist to explore innovative approaches to brain tumor treatment or biology under mentorship . The award supports research on gliomas, meningiomas, or other central nervous system tumors – from developing novel therapies to improving patient outcomes – during the critical transition from fellowship to independent faculty.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Applicant must be a junior oncologist or neuro-oncologist (medical, surgical, or radiation oncology) who is in the last year of training or first couple of years of practice as of the grant start. Typically, this means within ~5 years of fellowship completion .
- The proposed project must focus on primary brain tumors (malignant or benign primary CNS neoplasms). Research can be clinical (e.g., early-phase trial of a brain tumor therapy), translational (e.g., molecular targets in glioblastoma), or epidemiologic, as long as it directly relates to brain tumor oncology.
- A qualified mentor with expertise in neuro-oncology research is required. Applicants from any country are eligible, and international projects are welcome. ASCO/Conquer Cancer encourages diversity and global participation.
Funding Details:
- Award Amount: $50,000 USD for 1 year, to cover the investigator’s stipend and research costs. A small portion (up to 5%) may be used for institutional overhead if necessary .
- Grant Term: The 2026 YIA term will run approximately from July 2026 through June 2027. During this period, the awardee is expected to devote the majority of their effort to the brain tumor research project.
- Additional Support: YIA recipients join Conquer Cancer’s network of young investigators and receive access to career development events at the ASCO Annual Meeting. Successful completion of the project and demonstrated potential may position the awardee for ASCO’s Career Development Award or other larger grants.
Deadline:
- January 29, 2026 – Complete proposal and letters of support due by this date (11:59 PM ET) .
- This is a once-yearly application cycle; the RFP for the Brain Tumor YIA was announced in mid-2025.
- Grant winners will be notified in May 2026, and funding will initiate in July 2026.
Where to go for further information:
- Program details.
- Specific questions can be emailed to [email protected].