Funder: National Institutes of Health
Due Dates: January 11, 2027 (Application deadline, 5:00 PM local time)
Funding Amounts: Up to $700,000 in direct costs annually for up to 5 years; $4.4 million total program funding
Summary: Supports collaborative teams developing blood-brain-barrier-penetrating therapies for adult glioblastoma, from late preclinical development through early clinical trials.
Key Information: Multi-institutional teams and clinical trials are required; only one application per lead institution is allowed.
Description
The National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of NIH, supports the Glioblastoma Therapeutics Network through U19 cooperative agreements. The network brings together cross-disciplinary teams to advance therapeutic agents from late preclinical development through investigational new drug (IND) studies into pilot Phase 0/1 clinical studies. Its goal is to improve adult glioblastoma treatment with effective agents that cross the blood-brain barrier and can transition into later-stage trials through established NCI mechanisms.
Eligible therapeutic approaches include novel agents and drugs or combinations approved for other indications and repurposed for glioblastoma. The program emphasizes rigorous preclinical validation, timely movement into clinical testing, and collaboration across centers. Small-molecule projects are preferred, while qualifying biologics targeting the tumor or immunosuppressive microenvironment are also encouraged.
