Idea Grants
Ohio State University's Idea Grants support innovative, high-risk, collaborative cancer research projects to generate preliminary data and strengthen future external grant applications.
Funder: Ohio State University
Due Dates: January 30, 2026 | August 28, 2026 | August 31, 2026 (Pelotonia-specific) | January 29, 2027
Funding Amounts: Up to $150,000 total ($75,000/year for up to 2 years); no indirect costs permitted.
Summary: Supports high-risk, collaborative cancer research at Ohio State to generate preliminary data and enhance future grant competitiveness.
Key Information: Requires at least two PIs from different disciplines and PI participation in Pelotonia fundraising.
Description
The Idea Grants program, part of the OSUCCC – James Intramural Research Program (IRP), provides seed funding for high-risk, high-reward cancer research projects at The Ohio State University. The goal is to catalyze new multidisciplinary collaborations, generate essential preliminary data, and position research teams for success in securing larger, external grants (such as NIH/NCI "R" level awards). Projects must directly address cancer research, including treatment, prevention, or understanding, and align with the OSUCCC – James mission.
Key features include:
- Support for innovative, early-stage, or high-risk projects unlikely to receive external funding at this stage.
- Mandatory collaboration between at least two principal investigators (PIs) from different scientific disciplines.
- Emphasis on generating data that will strengthen future external grant applications.
