The Conquer Cancer Young Investigator Award for Veteran Cancer provides mentored research funding to promising physician-investigators transitioning from oncology fellowship or specialist training to an academic faculty appointment.
The award supports either an eligible investigator who is a U.S. Veteran or a research project addressing cancer issues relevant to U.S. Veterans. Eligible projects may involve Veteran patient populations or data, investigate cancers commonly affecting Veterans, examine military-health concerns, or improve the delivery of oncology care to Veterans. Preclinical, clinical, translational, epidemiological, behavioural, outcomes, health-services, and implementation-science research may be considered.
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.
- Applicants must plan to pursue an investigative career in oncology.
- When the mentor is not an ASCO member, a supporting letter from an ASCO member at the sponsoring institution is required.
- Applicants must commit at least 60% of their overall professional time to research during the award period.
- Applicants must either be U.S. Veterans or propose research focused on U.S. Veteran cancer issues.
- Non-Veteran applicants may qualify through projects that use Veteran populations or data, improve Veteran cancer care, address cancers commonly affecting Veterans, or focus on military-health and implementation-science priorities.
- 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 during the 2027 competition.
Deadline:
- Applications opened: July 1, 2026.
- Full application deadline: March 11, 2027, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.
- Technical assistance is available only until 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time on the deadline date.
- Award notification: April 2027.
- Award term: July 1, 2027–June 30, 2028.
Further Information:
- Projects must either be led by a U.S. Veteran or focus on cancer research and care relevant to U.S. Veterans.
- Clinical proposals must be developed with a patient advocate; 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 application materials must be submitted in English through the ASCO and Conquer Cancer Application Portal; email, fax, and paper submissions are not accepted.
- Applicants with eligibility questions may contact grants@conquer.org.