Funder: American Cancer Society
Due Dates: September 1, 2025 (LOI) | December 1, 2025 (Full application)
Funding Amounts: $80,000/year for 5 years (renewable); total $400,000; flexible use
Summary: Honorific award for full professors with seminal, ongoing contributions to cancer research, scientific mentoring, and leadership.
Key Information: Applicants must be full professors with a record of impactful, field-shaping cancer research and strong mentoring/community engagement.
Description
This award recognizes and supports full professors who have made, and are expected to continue making, seminal contributions to cancer research. The focus is on individuals whose work has fundamentally changed the direction of cancer research, spanning basic, preclinical, clinical, psychosocial, behavioral, health policy, or epidemiologic domains. In addition to research excellence, the selection process emphasizes demonstrated leadership, scientific mentoring, and community engagement. Recipients are expected to serve as spokespeople for the American Cancer Society (ACS) and the broader cancer research community.
Due Dates
- Letter of Intent (LOI): September 1, 2025 (LOI window opens June 1)
- Full Application: December 1, 2025 (by invitation, after LOI approval)
- If a deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, applications are accepted the next business day.
Funding Amount
- Award: $80,000 per year for 5 years (total $400,000)
- Renewal: Award is renewable
- Budget: Funds may be used at the awardee’s discretion to support creative and innovative cancer research activities
Eligibility
- Academic Rank: Applicants must be at the rank of full professor at an eligible institution.
- Track Record: Must have made, and be likely to continue making, impactful contributions that have changed the direction of cancer research.
- Research Focus: Achievements may be in fundamental, preclinical, clinical, psychosocial, behavioral, health policy, or epidemiologic research.
- Additional Criteria: Demonstrated commitment and success in scientific mentoring, leadership, and community engagement are required.
- Role: Recipients are expected to act as spokespeople for ACS and cancer research.
Application Process
- Letter of Intent (LOI):
- Submit via ProposalCentral between June 1 and September 1, 2025.
- Follow the LOI instructions.
- Full Application:
- If the LOI is approved, submit a full application by December 1, 2025.
- Refer to grant instructions and grant policies.
- Review Process:
- Applications are peer-reviewed by ACS committees and the Discovery Scientific Council.
- Notifications are typically sent about 4 months after submission.
Additional Information
- The award is primarily honorific and recognizes sustained, field-shaping impact.
- Funds are flexible and can be used to support innovative research directions.
- See the list of current and previous ACS Professors for examples of past awardees.
External Links
Contact Information
For additional contacts, see the Extramural Grants Department Contacts.