Funding Opportunities

SebastianStrong Foundation

Discovery Science Award

The SebastianStrong Foundation is offering a $500,000 award to support early-stage research that could lead to more targeted, less toxic treatments for childhood cancer. The Foundation is especially interested in research that: 

• Focuses on pediatric cancers with low survival or high relapse rates.
• Show strong potential to reach a clinical trial within 1–3 years.
• Pursues underfunded or unconventional approaches that could change the status quo.

Projects already in progress or currently in clinical trials are not eligible.

The CU Anschutz Cancer Center may submit two (2) nominations. Internal LOI instructions can be found in the link below. 
Additional information and requirements can be found in the RFA linked below.

Internal LOI deadline: 5:00 pm MT on Friday, August 14

Internal LOI instructions and submission

Wings of Hope for Pancreatic Cancer Research

The University of Colorado Anschutz Cancer Center has the great fortune of working with the Wings of Hope for Pancreatic Cancer Research to sponsor pilot grants at various levels focused on advancing research in pancreatic cancer.

Award types: 

• Small Pilot Grants: Intended to support investigators interested in (a) testing new ideas in pancreatic cancer research, or applying a research concept to pancreatic cancer for the first time, (b) developing a new line of research focused on pancreatic cancer in an investigator’s lab not previously focused on pancreatic cancer research, or (c) supporting the acquisition of additional data to address critiques of an NIH or other national grant focused on pancreatic cancer.  Awards are anticipated to be in, but not limited to, the $30-50K range and will be issued for 12 months.
• Collaborative Pilot Grants: Intended to stimulate collaborative research involving two or more co-PIs (one of whom must be a Cancer Center member) focused on pancreatic cancer that has a high likelihood of leading to a multi-PI NIH or other national grant submission within 15-18 months of the award start.  Awards will be issued for an 18-month period and are anticipated to be in, but not limited to, the $50-100K range.
• Team Science Awards: Intended to support the development of pancreatic cancer-focused team science grants such as large multi-PI R01 (>$250K directs/yr), P, U or other multi-project team grants offered by a national-level sponsor. The proposal must involve three or more investigators (one of whom must be a Cancer Center member) each providing substantive contributions to the proposed research. Awards will be issued for an 18-month period and are anticipated to be in, but not limited to, the $150K range.
  

Eligibility: Principal Investigators must be a cancer center member. Adjunct Cancer Center members are not eligible to apply. Funds are not intended to support extensions on prior pilot project efforts or to extend funding already provided by the Cancer Center for the development of multi-project grants. Wings will not fund largely duplicative pilots when they have been funded through another pilot award or other foundations. All progress reports, including previous Wings pilot updates, must be current. Eligibility requires active awards to be in good financial standing; applicants with awards in deficit will not be considered. Applicants who received a pilot grant from the Wings of Hope in previous years that are not yet complete at time of application are ineligible for this round of pilot awards. Please read the RFA for all eligibility requirements.

Duration: 12-18 months depending on the award type, with an anticipated award start date of January 1, 2027. 
Amount: $50,000-$100,000 depending on the award type. 

Individuals must submit the Intent to Apply form to receive a web link to submit a full proposal.  
Intent to Apply (REQUIRED!) deadline: 5:00 pm MT on Thursday, July 23, 2026. 

Proposal deadline: 11:59 pm MT on Thursday, August 20, 2026.  

Wings of Hope Intent to Apply Form