The Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA) 2027 Mentored Investigator Grant — formerly known as the Ann and Sol Schreiber Mentored Investigator Award — supports postdoctoral fellows and clinical fellows at the earliest stage of their independent research careers, providing $100,000 over one to two years to conduct mentored ovarian or gynecologic cancer research under the supervision of a recognized leader in the field. OCRA is the world’s largest nonprofit funder of ovarian cancer research, having invested over $110 million in more than 400 grants at 100 institutions. The 2027 grant cycle LOI deadline is March 25, 2026; all submissions go through SmartSimple, OCRA’s grants management system. Awardees may only hold one active OCRA grant at a time and may only receive this particular award once. Applicants do not need to be oncologists, but must commit to spending at least 50–75% of their time on ovarian cancer research.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Must hold an MD or a PhD degree at the time of LOI submission
- Must be a postdoctoral fellow or clinical fellow (trainees only — not yet independent faculty)
- Mentor must be at the same institution as the applicant and must be a recognized leader in ovarian cancer research or a relevant area
- Research must focus on ovarian cancer and/or related gynecologic cancers
- MD/DO applicants with clinical responsibilities must dedicate at least 50% of time to research; applicants without clinical duties must commit at least 75%
- No citizenship or residency restrictions; international applicants are eligible
- Applicant may hold only one active OCRA grant at a time and may submit only one LOI per cycle
- Award may only be received once per investigator
Funding Details:
- Award amount: $100,000 total, to be used over one or two years
- Allowable costs: personnel, supplies, travel, and 10% indirect costs
- Subcontracts are not permitted
- Full proposal deadline (by invitation only): June 10, 2026
- Award notifications: End of September 2026
- Project start: funded projects typically begin in early 2027
Deadline:
- Letter of Intent (LOI): March 25, 2026
- LOI notifications (invite to full proposal): Mid-May 2026
- Full Proposal Deadline (invited only): June 10, 2026
- Award notifications: End of September 2026
- All submissions via SmartSimple
Contact / Further Information:
- OCRA Grant Programs page
- Apply for a Grant (FAQ & SmartSimple)
- Email: grants@ocrahope.org