The Conquer Cancer Young Investigator Award in Primary Brain Tumors provides mentored research funding to promising physician-investigators transitioning from oncology training or fellowship to an academic faculty appointment.
The award supports clinical, translational, and clinically relevant preclinical research aimed at improving the understanding and treatment of tumors originating in brain tissue. Projects focused on brain metastases from cancers originating elsewhere are not eligible for this competition. One award will be made to the highest-ranked eligible application.
Eligibility Criteria:
- Applicants must be physicians holding an MD, DO, or international equivalent.
- Applicants must generally be within 10 years of receiving their medical degree. Limited exceptions may be considered for international medical graduates and fellows in prolonged specialist training pathways.
- When the mentor is not an ASCO member, a supporting letter from an ASCO member at the sponsoring institution is required.
- The RFP’s purpose section states that applications are accepted from applicants in the United States and Canada. Because another section contains broader standard YIA geographic language, applicants outside these countries should confirm their eligibility with Conquer Cancer before applying.
- Applicants may apply to both the general YIA and YIA special competitions but may accept only the first formal award offered.
- Previous or current recipients of the Conquer Cancer–AACR Young Investigator Award for Translational Cancer Research are not eligible.
Funding Details:
- The total award amount is USD 50,000 for one year.
- Funding is paid to the sponsoring institution in two instalments of USD 25,000.
- One award is expected to be funded through the 2027 competition.
Deadline:
- Applications opened: July 1, 2026.
- Full application deadline: January 28, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.
- Technical assistance is available only until 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline date.
- Post-submission materials deadline: February 18, 2027.
- Award term: July 1, 2027–June 30, 2028.
Further Information:
- Projects must focus on primary brain tumors originating in brain tissue; proposals focused on brain metastases are not eligible.
- Clinical proposals must be developed with a patient advocate, while patient-advocate involvement is strongly encouraged for preclinical projects.
- Applications require a four-page research strategy, one-page biostatistical plan, patient-impact section, budget, timeline, biosketch, mentorship plan, and institutional support letter.
- All materials must be prepared in English and submitted through the ASCO and Conquer Cancer Application Portal; email, fax, and paper applications are not accepted.
- Applicants with eligibility questions, particularly those based outside the United States or Canada, should contact grants@conquer.org before beginning an application.