UICC Stimulus Grants for Investigator‑Initiated Trials (IITs) are intended to support cancer treatment clinical trials to maintain enrollment momentum as the center advances toward NCI designation. Priority is given to treatment trials that can open and accrue efficiently, include a translational component, and produce publishable results shortly after final accrual.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Must be a Cancer Center investigator submitting a treatment clinical trial concept.
- Trial must be a “treatment” clinical trial (protocol designed to evaluate one or more interventions for treating a disease/syndrome/condition).
- Trial must be registered on ClinicalTrials.gov (and accrual must count toward treatment enrollment targets).
- Full accrual should be feasible within 12–24 months from trial start; outcomes should be publishable soon after final accrual.
- Standard-of-care procedures/drugs should be billable to insurance. For drug studies, investigational agents not commercially available for the indication must be supplied by the manufacturer (the budget is not intended to cover high-cost investigational drugs).
- Must include a translational outcome (e.g., tissue, blood, DNA/RNA) and involve collaboration with at least one Cancer Center co‑PI (laboratory or non‑laboratory).
- The concept should be leverageable for future grant applications or follow‑on trials.
Funding Details:
- Funding is made available to support treatment clinical trials; the announcement does not state a fixed award amount.
- Applicants do not need a detailed budget, but must include a total direct cost estimate to conduct the study.
- Funds are generally intended to cover specimen collection (including research biopsy) and processing, plus research-related clinical services.
- The Cancer Center Clinical Trials Office will provide staff support; the budget should not include staff time for study start‑up and management.
- Expected awards: 2–3 trials funded (depending on scope and budget of selected projects).
- Post‑selection requirements: funding is contingent on PRC and IRB approval.
- Timeline expectations: awardees have 12–24 months to complete trial accrual.
- Reporting: interim and final progress reports, plus a 15‑minute presentation to Cancer Center leadership.
Deadline:
- Posted application deadline: January 12, 2026
- Important note in the announcement: applications submitted after January 6, 2026 will not be considered (submit by Jan 6 to avoid disqualification).
Where to go for further information: