The Conquer Cancer Career Development Award (CDA) is a two-year, $200,000 award from the ASCO Foundation designed to help early-career faculty establish independent oncology research programs during their critical first years as junior faculty. Unlike the Young Investigator Award (which targets fellows in training), the CDA is aimed at those who have recently completed training and taken on their first faculty appointment. It is open to US and international applicants in all areas of cancer research, and recipients join a highly regarded cohort of early-career investigators supported by Conquer Cancer’s network. Applications for the 2026 general competition are currently open via the ASCO application portal.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Must be a physician (MD, DO, or international equivalent) in the first four years of a faculty appointment at an academic medical institution at the time of application submission
- Must be within 10 years of obtaining their medical degree at time of application
- Must be planning and actively pursuing a career as an independent clinical investigator in oncology
- Must be an ASCO member or have submitted a membership application concurrently
- Must have a mentor from the sponsoring institution in the proposed research area
- Must commit at least 60% of research time to the CDA project
- Must hold a valid, active medical license in the country where research will be conducted
- Open to US and international applicants
Funding Details:
- $200,000 total over 2 years ($100,000/year)
- Covers personnel costs, research expenses, and other allowable costs
- Up to $1,500 travel allowance to attend the Conquer Cancer Grants and Awards Ceremony at the ASCO Annual Meeting (attendance required)
- Only one active Conquer Cancer grant may be held at a time
Deadline:
- March 26, 2026 (general competition — check the ASCO portal for updated dates as new cycles open)
- Decisions typically communicated approximately 3 months after deadline
Where to Go for Further Information: