Funder: College of American Pathologists Foundation
Due Dates: November 2, 2026 (Application deadline)
Funding Amounts: Up to $120,000 USD; projects run February 2027–February 2028 and must be completed within 12 months
Summary: Supports early-career pathologists conducting quantitative research to optimize and validate HER2 immunohistochemistry in solid tumors beyond breast and gastric cancer.
Key Information: Only one proposal per institution is permitted, with a letter of support from the Pathology Department Chair.
Description
The College of American Pathologists (CAP) Foundation supports quantitative pathology research to improve HER2 immunohistochemistry (IHC) testing in solid tumors beyond breast and gastric cancer. The award helps early-career investigators build research experience while addressing gaps in assay standardization and implementation. Funded work aims to generate evidence for consistent, accurate patient selection for anti-HER2 antibody-drug conjugate therapies and assess the clinical utility of HER2 testing.
Projects should optimize and validate HER2 IHC assays using tumor-specific criteria and rigorous analytic validation. Priority areas are colorectal cancer, head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, and non-small cell lung cancer. Additional objectives may examine HER2 expression patterns, correlations with other diagnostic modalities, or evidence-based recommendations to inform potential future CAP testing guidelines. All proposals should incorporate mentored research experience and skills development.
