In keeping with our mission, the LCRF grant program provides funding for research into the prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure of lung cancer. Our funding mechanisms are designed to fund innovative projects across a variety of diverse topics and to support the careers of talented scientists. To learn about research that has been previously funded by LCRF, please visit the Our Investigators section. Information for investigators seeking funding for research, including an overview of our funding mechanisms and any current requests for proposals, can be found below. For questions about our grants, please contact us at grants@LCRF.org.
About Our Grants
LCRF Leading Edge Research Grant Program
Lung cancer continues to be the number one cause of cancer deaths worldwide, accounting for an estimated 130,180 deaths annually in the United States alone. Despite being the most common cancer killer of both men and women, lung cancer research remains critically underfunded. To help close this gap and improve outcomes, the goal of the LCRF Leading Edge Research Grant Program is to fund innovative projects across the full spectrum of basic, translational, clinical, epidemiological, health services, early detection, disparities, and social determinants of health research. 2023 LCRF Leading Edge Research Grants will provide $150,000 over a period of two years for projects including but not limited to the following topics:
- Lung cancer biology
- Risk reduction and screening for early detection
- Identification of new biomarkers
- Development of more effective and less toxic therapies including but not limited to targeted and immune-therapies
- Genetic and gene-environment interactions
- Interactions and contributions of multiple factors (e.g. smoking, genetics, environment, societal factors) to disparities in lung cancer outcomes
- Mechanisms of sensitivity and resistance to lung cancer therapies
- Bioengineering approaches to understanding and/or treating lung cancer (i.e., theranostics, biomaterials, nanotechnology, controlled-drug release, and gene therapy)
- Supportive measures for people with lung cancer and their families
- Identification of metabolic vulnerabilities in lung cancer
These awards provide a maximum of $150,000 in funding over a period of two years to post-doctoral researchers, clinical fellows, or early- and mid-career investigators with less than 10 years’ experience since their initial faculty appointment. For full details, eligibility criteria, and application instructions, please refer to the request for proposals.
Applications will be submitted through a two-step process consisting of a Letter of Intent (LOI) and full proposal. Applicants whose LOI submission is reviewed favorably will be invited to complete a full proposal. Letters of Intent will be accepted through March 10, 2023.
LCRF – Daiichi Sankyo – AstraZeneca Research Grant on Antibody Drug Conjugates
LCRF is collaborating with Daiichi Sankyo and AstraZeneca to fund innovative projects focused on antibody drug conjugates (ADCs) to improve outcomes for people with lung cancer. The LCRF – Daiichi Sankyo – AstraZeneca Research Grants will provide $270,000 over a period of two years for projects focused on one or more of the following topics that support research studies to develop further understanding of the mechanism of action and biomarkers for TROP2 directed ADCs in lung cancer and HER2 directed ADCs in HER2 mutant NSCLC and primary and acquired resistance to TROP2 directed and HER2 directed ADCs, including:
- Employment of state-of-the art technology to characterize ADC target expression on patient biopsies
- Development and evaluation of patient-derived xenograft models (PDX) from patients responsive and/or resistant to TROP2 directed or HER2 directed ADCs
- Discovery and/or validation of predictive biomarkers of TROP2 directed or HER2 directed ADCs efficacy in the lung cancer
- Prevalence of potential prognostic or predictive biomarkers from lung cancer cells and/or blood
- Co-expression of the identified biomarkers with other known biomarkers (eg actionable drivers, immune-related biomarkers, poor prognosis biomarkers)
- Evolution of the biomarkers pre-, during- and post-SOC treatment
These awards provide a maximum of $270,000 in funding over a period of two years (disbursed at $135,000 per year). Senior investigators with more than 10 years’ experience since faculty appointment are generally not eligible for funding and are encouraged to mentor a junior team member through the application process. However, exceptions will be made for investigators with more than 10 years’ experience in other disease areas or topics.
For full details, eligibility criteria, and application instructions, please refer to the request for proposals.
Applications for this grant will be accepted through May 31, 2023.
LCRF Minority Career Development Award (CDA) in Lung Cancer
National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding is considered a prerequisite for establishing independence, academic promotion, recognition as an expert, serving on grant review panels, and leadership roles. Minority applicants are less likely to receive grants, to have the R phases of K01 or K99 awards activated, need more submissions to obtain funding, and often will not resubmit proposals. As minority applicants must overcome systemic and structural barriers due to race, ethnicity, country of origin, socioeconomic status, and/or language, many leave academia which further exacerbates the lack of diversity in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and medical fields. To provide protected time and mentoring to these trainees, we continue to offer the LCRF Minority Career Development Award (CDA) for Lung Cancer for minority postdoctoral/clinical fellows and assistant professors within 10 years of completing their MD and/or PhD degrees to submit proposals.
We encourage applications on a wide variety of topics including but not limited to the following:
- Lung cancer biology
- Risk reduction and screening for early detection
- Identification of new biomarkers
- Development of more effective and less toxic therapies including but not limited to targeted and immune-therapies
- Genetic and gene-environment interactions
- Interactions and contributions of multiple factors (e.g. smoking, genetics, environment, societal factors) to disparities in lung cancer outcomes
- Mechanisms of sensitivity and resistance to lung cancer therapies
- Bioengineering approaches to understanding and/or treating lung cancer (i.e., theranostics, biomaterials, nanotechnology, controlled-drug release, and gene therapy)
- Supportive measures for people with lung cancer and their families
- Identification of metabolic vulnerabilities in lung cancer
These awards provide a maximum of $150,000 in funding over a period of two years to post-doctoral researchers, clinical fellows, or early-career and mid-career investigators within 10 years of receiving their MD and/or PhD. Investigators must be from racial or ethnic groups that are underrepresented in health-related sciences and biomedical research. For complete details, eligibility criteria, and application instructions, please refer to the request for proposals.
The LCRF Minority Career Development Award (CDA) in Lung Cancer RFP applications will be accepted through May 31, 2023.
LCRF Research Grant on Early Detection and Pre-Neoplasia in Lung Cancer
Given the significance and need for early detection of lung cancer and advancements in molecular screening, LCRF continues to offer a funding mechanism to support research projects that facilitate or advance the understanding and characterization of pre-neoplasia or approaches for early detection of lung cancer. Work supported through this mechanism addresses important questions in non-small cell and small cell lung cancer.
This funding mechanism is focused on identifying, characterizing, and developing approaches and techniques that will allow early detection and/or risk reduction of lung cancer and gaining insight into pre-neoplastic processes in the lungs. The ultimate goal is to detect lung cancer at the earliest stages and subsequently increase survival and survivorship. The program is designed to support early-stage researchers and faculty within the first 10 years of their faculty appointment. While this list is not exclusive, general areas of interest include:
- Identification and characterization of new biomarkers for NSCLC and SCLC
- Liquid biopsy assays and related techniques
- Improvements in risk stratifying patients for screening
- Development of predictive, diagnostic, or prognostic biomarkers
- Genomic and histological approaches to improve early detection in tissue samples
- Novel imaging modalities to identify and risk stratify pre-neoplastic lesions
- Studies of pre-neoplasia and progression to lung neoplasia that may inform prevention strategies
- Development of pathways to increase uptake and utilization of lung cancer screening
These awards provide a maximum of $150,000 in funding over a period of two years to post-doctoral researchers, clinical fellows, or early-career and mid-career investigators with less than 10 years’ experience since their initial faculty appointment. For full details, eligibility criteria, and application instructions, please refer to the request for proposals.
Applications will be submitted through a two-step process consisting of a Letter of Intent (LOI) and full proposal. Applicants whose LOI submission is reviewed favorably will be invited to complete a full proposal. Letters of Intent will be accepted through March 10, 2023.
LCRF Research Grants on Understanding Resistance in Lung Cancer
In 2023, in partnership with leading patient advocacy organizations, this grant mechanism focuses on understanding development, prevention, and therapy of resistance by supporting research projects that are identifying, characterizing, treating, or preventing resistance to therapies in lung tumor cells, tissues, mouse models, and/or patients. Work supported through this mechanism will address important mechanistic questions and developmental therapeutics across histological subtypes of lung cancer (including lung adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and small cell lung cancer) and across the care continuum including newly designed targeted therapies and immunotherapies. These studies will enhance the momentum of improving lung cancer outcomes and have the potential to increase survivorship.
We encourage applications on a wide variety of topics related to understanding resistance including:
- Mechanisms of resistance to targeted therapies for oncogene-driven lung cancers including, but not limited to ALK, EGFR, KRAS and MET
- Biology and mechanisms of drug resistance to lung cancer therapies; i.e. chemotherapy, immunotherapy and radiotherapy
- Novel treatment approaches and new therapies to overcome and/or prevent resistance to lung cancer therapies
- Novel diagnostic approaches to monitor treatment response and relapse
These awards provide a maximum of $150,000 in funding over a period of two years to post-doctoral researchers, clinical fellows, or investigators at any level of research experience. For full details, eligibility criteria, and application instructions, please refer to the request for proposals.
Applications will be submitted through a two-step process consisting of a Letter of Intent (LOI) and full proposal. Applicants whose LOI submission is reviewed favorably will be invited to complete a full proposal. Letters of Intent will be accepted through March 10, 2023.
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