Intramural Research Program
The Ohio State University Intramural Research Program funds innovative, collaborative cancer research projects across disciplines to generate data for future external grants.
Funder: Ohio State University
Due Dates: January 30, 2026 (Spring 2026) | August 31, 2026 (Fall 2026)
Funding Amounts: Up to $75,000/year for 2 years (total $150,000) for most awards; select Team Science awards up to $200,000/year for 2 years; CCE-CURES Accelerator Awards up to $50,000 for 1 year.
Summary: Provides seed funding to support innovative, collaborative, and cancer-focused research by OSUCCC – James investigators, with dedicated opportunities for early-career faculty and team science.
Key Information: All PIs/co-PIs must participate in Pelotonia fundraising ($1,250 minimum); only one application as PI/co-PI per cycle.
Description
The Intramural Research Program (IRP) at the Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James (OSUCCC – James) is a twice-yearly internal seed funding mechanism designed to accelerate innovative cancer research and multidisciplinary collaboration. Funded primarily by Pelotonia, the IRP supports projects that generate preliminary data and publications to enhance competitiveness for future NCI and external grants. The IRP offers several award categories:
- Idea Grants: High-risk, high-reward research across all cancer research areas.
- Early-Career Awards: For early-stage faculty with a mentored plan to achieve external cancer research funding.
- Community-Based Partnership Awards: Collaborative projects with community organizations.
- Clinical Trial Grants: Investigator-initiated phase I or pilot clinical trials.
- BRIDGE Awards: Focused on early-onset/young adult cancers, supporting both health services and basic/translational research.
- Team Science Awards (from Fall 2026): Large-scale, multi-investigator projects across OSU colleges.
- CCE-CURES Accelerator Awards: Cross-disciplinary projects at the intersection of engineering and cancer research.
All projects must be cancer-focused and are reviewed via a rigorous scientific peer review process, with an emphasis on innovation, team science, and future external funding potential.
