CRI Lloyd J. Old STAR Program
CRI Lloyd J. Old STAR Program supports mid-career scientists pursuing high-risk, high-reward research to advance cancer immunotherapy and discoveries that broaden the impact of immune-based therapies.
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Funder: Cancer Research Institute
Due Dates: January 15, 2027 (Application) | Spring 2027, date TBD (Invited interviews)
Funding Amounts: $1.25 million over five years, plus indirect costs up to 10%
Summary: Supports mid-career scientists pursuing high-risk, high-reward research with transformative potential for cancer immunotherapy.
Key Information: Applicants must hold an eligible tenure-track or institutionally equivalent appointment and commit at least 80% of their time to research.
Description
The Cancer Research Institute’s Lloyd J. Old STAR Program—Scientists TAking Risks—provides long-term, flexible support for mid-career scientists working at the leading edge of cancer immunotherapy. Rather than funding a single project, it supports outstanding investigators whose body of work demonstrates exceptional promise and the potential for transformative impact. The program honors CRI’s founding scientific and medical director, Lloyd J. Old, and his vision of empowering scientific pioneers.
The program prioritizes significant, non-obvious questions, connections across disciplines, novel hypotheses, and unconventional inquiry, even when these approaches risk failure. Sustained, unrestricted support allows investigators to follow unexpected scientific paths and pursue paradigm-shifting discoveries. Recipients are expected to become leaders in cancer immunotherapy, advancing fundamental or translational discoveries that shape immune-based therapies and broaden their impact for patients worldwide.
