[The Mark Foundation for Cancer Research](https://themarkfoundation.org)

September 2026 (Full application) | January 2027 (Letter of Intent)

$3,000,000 total per award, disbursed over 3 years; typically 2 awards per cycle.

Supports collaborative, multidisciplinary teams conducting transformative research in cancer prevention, diagnosis, or treatment.

This is a forecasted opportunity; all dates are projected and subject to change.

--- ## Description The Mark Foundation Endeavor Awards are designed to support large-scale, collaborative research projects that unite investigators from diverse disciplines to address major scientific challenges in cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. The program funds teams of three or more investigators who integrate data and insights from multiple research perspectives. The goal is to generate advances for cancer patients that would not be possible through individual efforts, with an emphasis on multidisciplinary collaboration and the pursuit of transformative discoveries. --- ## Due Dates - **January 2027 (anticipated):** Letter of Intent submission deadline - **September 2026 (anticipated):** Full application submission deadline *All dates are projected based on the annual cycle; check the program page for updates.* --- ## Funding Amount - **Award size:** $3,000,000 USD per award - **Duration:** 3 years - **Number of awards:** Typically 2 per cycle (may vary) - **Budget structure:** Funding should be distributed among team members based on actual project costs. Indirect costs are capped at 10% of direct costs. The letter of agreement includes IP terms with a revenue-sharing component. --- ## Eligibility ### Institutional Eligibility - Open to non-profit academic and research institutions worldwide. - No requirement to include a US-based institution. - Each institution (broadly defined; e.g., a medical school and its academic departments count as one) may submit: - One application as host institution (any cancer type). - A second application as host institution only for translational or clinical projects focusing on upper GI, glioblastoma, triple-negative breast, or pancreatic cancer. - No more than two applications per institution as host. - Co-investigators from any institution may participate in any number of applications. ### Investigator Eligibility - No citizenship or geographic restrictions. - Principal Investigators (PIs) must hold an independent faculty appointment (tenure-track or equivalent) at a non-profit academic/research institution. - Investigators may serve as PI on only one proposal, but may be co-PI or collaborator on additional proposals. - Current co-PIs on Endeavor teams may apply as co-PI or collaborator on new applications. ### Team Composition - Teams must have 1 PI and 2–8 co-PIs (total team size: 3–9 investigators; additional collaborators allowed). - Inter-institutional and international collaborations are encouraged. - Teams are encouraged to reflect diversity in discipline, seniority, gender, race, and ethnicity. ### Project Eligibility - Basic, translational, and clinical cancer research projects are eligible. - Projects must address an overarching, urgent scientific question, with sub-projects contributing to the central theme. - Outputs (data, samples, hypotheses, compounds, etc.) must be integrated/shared to ensure the project’s impact exceeds the sum of its parts. - Projects must not be supported by other sources of funding; overlap with other awards must be disclosed at the finalist stage. - Strong encouragement for projects addressing substantial unmet needs in any cancer type, especially upper GI, glioblastoma, triple-negative breast, and pancreatic cancers. --- ## Application Process - **Stage 1: Letter of Intent (LOI)** - Submit via The Mark Foundation’s online grants portal. - LOI includes PI and co-PI details, project summary (350 words), 3–5 page project description, team description, collaborative science statement, and budget overview. - **Stage 2: Full Application** - By invitation only, following LOI review. - More detailed research plan, biosketches, budget justification, and institutional endorsements required. - **Review:** Rigorous peer review; finalists may be asked to clarify project overlap and team structure. - **Terms:** Funding agreement will include IP and revenue-sharing terms. --- ## Additional Information - The Mark Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, or other legally protected characteristics. - Past Endeavor Awards have supported projects on topics such as cancer cachexia, CAR T-cell therapies for gastric cancer, and chromosomal instability in cancer. - For glioblastoma-specific proposals, at least the PI and one co-PI must have attended the relevant workshop (see [GBM RFP](https://themarkfoundation.org/request-for-proposals-gbm/)). --- ## External Links - [Program Page: Endeavor Awards](https://themarkfoundation.org/endeavor/) - [Grant Submission Portal](https://themarkfoundation.smapply.org/prog/endeavor_award_2025/) - [Funder Home Page](https://themarkfoundation.org) - [GBM-Specific RFP](https://themarkfoundation.org/request-for-proposals-gbm/) - [Past Awardees & Projects](https://themarkfoundation.org/2025/04/2025-mark-foundation-endeavor-awards-drive-multidisciplinary-cancer-research/) --- ## Contact Information | Contact | Details | |-------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------| | General Inquiries | [info@themarkfoundation.org](mailto:info@themarkfoundation.org) | | Grants Questions | [grants@themarkfoundation.org](mailto:grants@themarkfoundation.org) | | Phone | +1 646-866-5950 | | Contact Form | [Contact Page](https://themarkfoundation.org/contact/) |

Endeavor Awards

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