ACS IRG Seed Grants

The purpose of this grant program is to support the development of exceptional research projects that will help lead to the conquest of cancer and will further the objectives of the CU Cancer Center.

Funding for these grants is contingent upon funding by the American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant or the Cancer Center. RFA's are released annually in the spring and awards are issued with an April 1st start date.

Studies in all areas of cancer research—laboratory, clinical, prevention and control, and psychosocial cancer research—will be considered for funding.

ACS IRG Grants aim to entice young faculty to pursue cancer-related research problems and are reserved for applicants who are in their first few years as junior faculty members (instructors and assistant professors) and who are in the process of establishing independent cancer research programs.

Applicants cannot have received prior, or hold current, major funding from a national peer-reviewed source (R01, R21, R25, NSF, ACS, AHA, DOD, etc.).

Priority will be given to those applications which demonstrate promise to lead to further funding through conventional support mechanisms.

ACS IRG funds can be used to support project-related expenses only. Funds cannot be used for salary support for the PI. In addition to basic science projects, applications for novel clinical projects and community-based projects are particularly encouraged if realistically doable in one year.

Awards will be made for one year, beginning April 1, 2026. Awards will be made for a maximum of $55,000 for one year. These grants are not renewable, but a one-year no-cost extension may be requested.

Esophagogastric Pilot Grants

Priority will be given to applications that demonstrate promise to lead to further funding through conventional support mechanisms.

These funds from the O’Hara Chair and the Rady Center can be used to support project-related expenses only. Funds cannot be used for salary support for the PI but can be used for technical support staff. In addition to basic and translational science projects, applications for novel translational/clinical projects, population health, cancer disparities, and/or community-based projects are highly encouraged if realistically doable in one year.

All Esophagogastric Pilot Grants will be funded for $70,000 for one year, beginning April 1, 2026. These grants are not renewable and are non-transferable, but a one-year no-cost extension may be requested.

Eligibility

ACS IRG Eligibility: Instructor or Assistant Professor within six years for appointment (cannot have received major peer-reviewed funding already such as an NIH R01 or its equivalent; K awards are allowable). Applicants must have a faculty status. Prior ACS-IRG recipients are eligible to receive funding for a continuation of the same project if they have made substantial progress as determined by reviewers but have not yet received major funding as specified above.

Esophagogastric Eligibility: Instructor or Assistant Professor within six years of appointment are eligible. All faculty levels are also eligible to apply for the esophagogastric special funding. Applicants must have faculty status. Prior recipients are eligible to receive funding for a continuation (expansion beyond but related to) the prior funded work only if they have made substantial progress as determined by reviewers and have not yet received major funding as specified above.

Citizenship Requirements

Applicant, if not a U.S. Citizen or permanent resident, must hold a visa which will allow him or her to remain in the U.S. long enough to complete the scope of their application. Should an award be made, the applicant will be asked to provide such documentation prior to the award issuance.

Special Requirements

Letter of commitment from division/department chair; no major grant support; Cancer Center membership is not required, but is encouraged.

Application Information

If you have questions, please contact [email protected].

Personal Information

Provide the name of the Principal Investigator, including academic position, school, department, contact information and CU Cancer Center membership status.

Application Cover Page and Summary

Applications must include a cover page and summary of the project. It should consist of a brief description of the objectives, rationale, methods, and expected results. (Limit 250 words)

Please use the provided Application Cover Page and Summary template found on the Application Templates tab.

Budget

A detailed, categorical budget request for the project must be provided.
A copy of the ACS Budget Guidelines is included for guidance on ACS IRG budgets.
Only direct costs are allowed. Salaries and fringe benefits for technical support may be included.
Justification should be included for all costs. Requests for travel funds or for items of major equipment (cost per item exceeding $2,000) will require detailed justification.
Funds will not be provided to pay for clinical services or other expenses that are otherwise a reimbursable cost.
ACS IRG budget for total costs will not exceed $55,000 (no indirect costs awarded).
Esophagogastric Pilot Grant budget for total costs will not exceed $70,000 (no indirect costs awarded).
The use of Cancer Center Shared Resources to support each research effort is strongly encouraged.

Please use the provided budget template found on the template tab above.

Cancer Relevance Information

Cancer relevance must be described for the project. Please use the approved form found on the templates tab.

Biographical Sketch

A biographical sketch, using the NIH Biosketch template or SciENcv format, should be included for the Principal Investigator(s) and any other key personnel (collaborators, Co-PIs, co-sponsors, etc). Do not exceed 5 pages.

Positions and Honors

List in chronological order previous positions concluding with your present position. State duration, title, and institution. List any honors

Publications

Give complete references for all peer reviewed publications over the last five years, including titles; begin each citation on a new line. If the number of publications is extensive, you may give partial listing; indicate total number of publications (excluding abstracts, non-peer reviewed articles or book chapters).

Other Support

For each PI and all key personnel for whom a biosketch is included, provide a complete list of all current and pending research support, including Agency, project title, annual direct costs, period of award and Principal Investigator. Overlap with the present application must be defined and justified. Do not exceed 2 pages. Please see example on templates tab.

Description of Research Proposed

A complete but concise description of the project must be included. This portion of the application should contain:

Specific Aims (no more than 1/2 page)
Rationale and Background (limited to 1 page)
Preliminary Studies (limited to 1-1/2 pages)
Experimental Design and Methods (limited to 3 pages)
Any other information required to fully describe the proposed work.

The Project Plan should be no more than a total of 6 typed pages, including figures, tables and other relevant data.

Significance

The importance of the proposed work, its relevance to cancer, its translational impact, the potential for further research and the potential for securing future funding for the project must be clearly and concisely stated (limited to 250 words).

Other Factors

Applicants may include a concise description of any other factors that should be considered in the evaluation of the proposal, for example, specialized resources or equipment available to the study, collaborative arrangements, etc (limit to 250 words).

References

References should be limited to two pages.

Assurances

Assistant Professors and Instructors are required to submit a letter of support from the chair or division head stating the independence of the application and the unit’s commitment to the applicant (e.g., research space, salary, etc.).

Protocols

If the study involved human subjects, vertebrate animals, or recombinant DNA research, the Principal Investigator must certify that, if a grant is awarded, he/she will adhere to appropriate regulations, including approval of the study by the properly constituted Institutional Review Board (COMIRB), Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC), and/or Biosafety Committee. Funds may not be expended until satisfactory documentation of the required approval(s) is provided.

ACS-IRG Research Promotion Form

Self-explanatory. Please use template on the templates tab.

Publications resulting from this award must contain the following acknowledgement:

“Supported by ACS IRG (Award Number Pending) from the American Cancer Society to the University of Colorado Cancer Center”

If the Cancer Center shared resource cores are used, acknowledgment to the Cancer Center Support Grant (P30CA046934) is required and the publications must be submitted to PubMed Central. Acknowledgement to the specific shared resource(s) is also required.

Recipients are required to submit a report summarizing the results of the grant. A template and instructions will be provided at the conclusion of the grant.

As a result of your grant, you are required to submit annual updates for a total of 7 years documenting your publication and grant successes and plans.

These reports are critical for successful ACS IRG grant renewal. Failure to submit a final report could jeopardize future funding to the individual and/or the institution.

ACS BUDGET GUIDELINES EXPENDITURES ALLOWED

Research supplies and animal maintenance
Technical assistance
Domestic travel when necessary to carry out the proposed research program
Publication costs, including reprints
Costs of computer time
Budget for total costs will not exceed $55,000 (no indirect costs awarded)
Stipends for graduate students and postdoctoral assistants if their role is to promote and sustain the project presented by the junior faculty member
Equipment costing less than $2,000. Special justification is necessary for items exceeding this amount, and permission must be obtained from the Society’s Extramural Grants Department for the purchase of such equipment
Registration fees at scientific meetings

EXPENDITURES NOT ALLOWED

Secretarial/Administrative salaries
Salary of Principal Investigator
Student tuition and student fees including graduate and undergraduate Foreign Travel; special consideration will be given for attendance at scientific meetings held in Canada
Honoraria and travel expenses for visiting lecturers
Foreign travel (special consideration given for attendance at scientific meetings held in Canada)
Books and periodicals except for required texts for coursework in the approved training plan for MRSGs.
Per diem charges for hospital beds
Non-medical services to patients (travel to a clinical site or patient incentives are allowable expenses)
Office and laboratory furniture
Office equipment and supplies
Construction, renovation, or maintenance of buildings/laboratories
Rental of office or laboratory space
Recruiting and relocation expenses
Due and membership fees in scientific societies

Contact Information

Funding

Mailing Address

13001 E. 17th Place
Campus Box F434
Aurora, CO 80045

Questions

Traci Lyons, PhD

Grant PI and Application Review Committee Director

John Tentler, PhD

Grant Co-PI and Application Review Committee Director

Elizabeth Spiker

Grants Management

Tools & Resources

CU Campuses

CU Anschutz

University of Colorado Cancer Center

ACS IRG Seed Grants

Esophagogastric Pilot Grants

Eligibility

Citizenship Requirements

Special Requirements

Application Information

Personal Information

Application Cover Page and Summary

Budget

Cancer Relevance Information

Biographical Sketch

Positions and Honors

Publications

Other Support

Description of Research Proposed

Significance

Other Factors

References

Assurances

Protocols

ACS-IRG Research Promotion Form

Deadline:

Questions:

ACS BUDGET GUIDELINES EXPENDITURES ALLOWED

EXPENDITURES NOT ALLOWED

Contact Information

Funding

Questions

Cancer Center

ACS IRG Seed Grants

Esophagogastric Pilot Grants

Eligibility

Citizenship Requirements

Special Requirements

Application Information

Application Instructions

Application Templates

Publications

Reporting

Submission Requirements

ACS Budget Guidelines

Contact Information

Funding

Questions

Cancer Center