Idea Grants
The OSUCCC – James Idea Grants fund high-risk, multidisciplinary cancer research at Ohio State to generate preliminary data and foster future external grant competitiveness.
Funder: Ohio State University
Due Dates: January 30, 2026 (Spring 2026 IRP applications due) | August 28, 2026 (Fall 2026 IRP applications due)
Funding Amounts: Up to $150,000 total ($75,000/year for up to 2 years); no indirect costs allowed.
Summary: Seed funding for high-risk, collaborative, multidisciplinary cancer research projects at OSUCCC – James to generate preliminary data and foster future external grant competitiveness.
Key Information: Requires at least two PIs from different disciplines and PI participation in Pelotonia fundraising.
Description
Idea Grants are a core funding opportunity within the OSUCCC – James Intramural Research Program (IRP), aimed at supporting high-risk, high-reward cancer research projects that are challenging to fund through external sources. These grants are designed to catalyze new multidisciplinary collaborations, generate critical preliminary data, and position research teams to be competitive for larger, external grants (such as NCI “R” level awards). All projects must be cancer-focused and align with the mission of the OSUCCC – James.
Key features include:
- Support for innovative, early-stage, or high-risk research with the potential for significant impact on cancer treatment, prevention, or understanding.
- Mandatory collaboration between at least two principal investigators (PIs) from different scientific disciplines.
- Emphasis on projects that will lead to new discoveries and external funding.
