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The Young Investigator Award (YIA) provides funding to promising investigators to encourage and promote quality research in clinical oncology. The purpose of this grant is to fund physicians during the transition from a fellowship program to a faculty appointment. This is a mentored award and the research project is conducted under the guidance of a scientific mentor. Applications in all areas of cancer research are accepted from U.S. and international applicants.

The YIA is a one-year grant totaling $50,000 that supports personnel and/or research expenses, and travel to attend the Conquer Cancer Grants & Awards Ceremony at the ASCO Annual Meeting. Applicants who are selected to receive a YIA are allowed to receive other grants from other funding agencies. 

Eligibility

Applicants must meet the following criteria to qualify for a YIA:

  • Be a physician (MD, DO, or international equivalent) working in any country and currently in the last two years of their final oncology subspecialty training at an academic medical institution and within 10 years of obtaining their medical degree at the time of grant submission. Examples of subspecialty training include, but are not limited to, a hematology-oncology fellowship, a surgical oncology fellowship, or a radiation oncology residency. An MD, PhD is eligible if both degrees are completed prior to the start of the grant period. If there are questions regarding whether the potential applicant is at the correct career stage, send an email to grants@conquer.org for clarification and eligibility verification and include your latest CV. 
  • Be planning an investigative career in clinical oncology.
  • Have a valid, active medical license in the country where the research will be conducted at the time of application.
  • Be working in an oncology laboratory or clinical research setting. 
  • Have a mentor in the proposed research field from the sponsoring institution. The mentor must assume responsibility and provide guidance for the research. If the mentor is not an ASCO member, a supporting letter from an ASCO member from the sponsoring institution must be included.
  • Be an ASCO member or have submitted a membership application with the grant application. To apply for new membership, or to renew an existing membership, go to asco.org/membership. 
  • Be able to commit at least 60% of full- time effort in research (applies to total research, not just the proposed project) during the award period, as confirmed in an institutional Letter of Support.  

Applicants who are uncertain about their eligibility are encouraged to refer to the Eligibility section in this FAQ or contact our grants team for clarification and provide their full CV for evaluation.

Funding Available

Conquer Cancer funds the most meritorious applications in all areas of cancer research. Awards are given based on individual merit and availability of funds.

ASCO and Conquer Cancer are committed to fostering health equity in cancer research by improving diversity and inclusion in the oncology workforce, funding research focused on health disparities and bolstering funding for investigators from underrepresented populations in medicine (UIM) and low- and middle-income countries. Applications from investigators who are UIM and from LMICs are strongly encouraged. 

Areas with Endowed and Dedicated Funding (as of July 1, 2023)

Conquer Cancer encourages applications in ALL areas of cancer research from U.S. and international applicants. We fund all applications that are selected for funding after a rigorous peer-review process. Some grants will be supported with special funding from our donors. We also have endowed and multi-year funding for certain areas that allows us to fund grants in these areas year after year. For 2024, dedicated funding is available in, but not limited to, the areas and groups listed below. This list will be updated as new funding is confirmed.  Please apply to the YIA general competition unless otherwise noted. The YIA general competition is due September 21, 2023.

  • QuadW Foundation Young Investigator Award in Sarcoma in Memory of Willie Tichenor
  • Women Who Conquer Cancer Young Investigator Awards
  • Women Who Conquer Cancer Young Investigator Award for an Outstanding Latina Researcher 
  • Young Investigator Award for Equity in Genomics Research 
  • Young Investigator Awards in Health Disparities Research 
  • Young Investigator Awards for Diversity and Inclusion in Cancer Research 

YIA Special Competitions are open for applicants whose research project falls under the following areas:

The YIA General Competition is open for applicants with research projects focused on all other areas.  To download the YIA General Competition Request for Proposals (RFP), click here. Applicants may only submit one YIA application either under a special competition or the general competition..

Application Instructions

All application materials must be in English and must be submitted through the Application Portal. Paper applications or applications sent by e-mail or fax will not be accepted.

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Application Resources

Resources for grant writing, finding patient research advocates, other helpful resources and FAQ can be found here. 

Supporters

The Young Investigator Awards are supported by:

Association for Value-Based Cancer Care
Fuck Cancer
Gateway for Cancer Research GSK
Illumina Lefkofsky Family Foundation
Lilly Logo for Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance Massachusetts Society of Clinical Oncologists
Pfizer QuadW
Swim Across America Texas Society of Clinical Oncology
Vaniam Group    

 

Anonymous
Dr. Charles M. Baum and Carol A. Baum
Friends and Colleagues of Kathryn Beal, MD
Dr. Sumeet and Sumeeta Bhatia
Franci Blassberg and Joe Rice
Nina Lesavoy Brady
Howard A. Burris, III, MD and Karen Y. Burris
Stephen A. Cannistra, MD
Casdin Family Foundation
Mr. and Mrs. Charles and Trisha Elcan
Dr. and Mrs. Thomas F. Frist, Jr.
Deanna B. van Gestel and Supporters of the Women Leaders in Oncology
Friends and Family of Dr. Arti Hurria
Dr. Judith and Alan Kaur
LA Kunkel Foundation
Georgia and Michael Michelson
Mike Miller Estate
Moderna
Victoria H. Montgomery
Dr. Anne Moore
New Rhein Foundation
Pediatric Oncologists and Friends of Conquer Cancer
Thomas G. Roberts, Jr., MD, FASCO and Susan M. DaSilva, DNP
Colleagues, Friends, and Family of Dr. Gladys Rodriguez and Dr. Narjust Florez
Sapiente Family Foundation
Sarah Cannon Research Institute
Aaron and Barbro Sasson
Friends and Family of Hattie Sherman
Jackie Soffer and Craig Robins
Tomasello Family
Wawa Foundation
Generous Supporters of the Women Who Conquer Cancer

 

This list reflects commitments as of May 26, 2023.
 

This grant receives support that may result in a report to the CMS Open Payments website under the Physician Payments Sunshine Act. The supporting companies are required to report the amount of the grant, the names of physicians who are awarded this grant, and the names of their institutions. This information may appear on the Open Payments website. Find out more information about the Sunshine Act and CMS Open Payments program.