This NextGen Grant, co-funded by BCRF and AACR, offers a generous 3-year award to jump-start the careers of early-stage investigators focused on breast cancer. It provides $450,000 over 3 years for creative, paradigm-shifting research ideas in any area of breast cancer biology, prevention, detection, or treatment. The grant honors Dr. Nancy E. Davidson’s legacy by fostering “next generation” leaders who think outside the box. It enables a new independent researcher (within ~3 years of faculty appointment) to undertake a high-impact project that might be too innovative or high-risk for traditional funding. From deciphering metastatic mechanisms to developing novel targeted therapies, the proposed research should hold promise for transformative progress against breast cancer.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Junior faculty who have attained their first independent, tenure-track (or equivalent) faculty position within the last few years. Typically open to Assistant Professors with ≤3 years in that role at the time of application (e.g., appointed no earlier than 2022). Applicants should not yet have R01-level funding as PI.
- Research must be directly relevant to breast cancer. All disciplines are welcome (basic, translational, clinical, epidemiological). Interdisciplinary approaches are encouraged.
- No citizenship requirement – international applicants are eligible as long as they conduct the project at an academic, medical, or research institution. AACR membership is required by the full application deadline (nonmembers may apply for membership concurrently).
- Only one application per institution is typically allowed for this grant (each institution may nominate a candidate), so an internal selection process may apply. The Letter of Intent (LOI) will be used to screen and invite the most competitive applicants to submit full proposals.
Funding Details:
- Grant amount: $450,000 USD total, paid in increments of $150,000 per year for 3 years. This covers direct research costs including salaries (for the PI and research staff), supplies, equipment, and travel to AACR meetings. A modest portion of funds can support the PI’s salary, but the emphasis is on research execution.
- Duration: 3-year project period (start date July 1, 2026). Annual progress and financial reports are required. Continued disbursement each year depends on satisfactory progress.
- No more than 10% of each annual budget may be allocated to indirect costs (per AACR/BCRF policy). The majority of funds are expected to go towards experiments and personnel generating new data in breast cancer research.
- Grantees will have opportunities to engage with BCRF and AACR – e.g., presenting at AACR’s Annual Meeting or BCRF events to highlight discoveries.
Deadline:
- December 18, 2025 – Letter of Intent due (by 1:00 PM ET).
- Invited applicants will be notified in early 2026 and must then submit full applications by April 7, 2026.
- Funding decisions will be made by June 2026, with the grant term beginning in July 2026.
Where to go for further information: