Funder: Lustgarten Foundation
Due Dates: November 2, 2026 (LOI) | By January 2027 (TAG presentation invitations) | By March 2027 (Full application invitations) | By July 2027 (Award notifications)
Funding Amounts: Typically $1.5 million–$2 million total over up to 3 years, including translational analyses and indirect costs
Summary: Supports collaborative, science-driven clinical trials that advance novel pancreatic cancer therapies through deep translational analysis.
Key Information: Applicants must hold a qualifying doctoral degree and a faculty or equivalent position at an eligible institution.
Description
The Robert F. Vizza Clinical Accelerator Initiative (CAI), administered by the Lustgarten Foundation, accelerates the translation of research discoveries into clinical trials. It gives academic clinical researchers an opportunity to propose innovative, highly collaborative trial concepts that advance new therapies for pancreatic cancer while deepening understanding of disease biology and treatment mechanisms.
CAI trials use science-driven, efficient designs grounded in strong preclinical and/or clinical evidence. Studies typically enroll 10–20 patients, enabling deep translational analysis of each patient rather than emphasizing trial size. The program uses real-time peer-review feedback to develop concepts, with an emphasis on demonstrating on-target drug mechanisms and testing hypotheses about disease biology. Successful concepts should include plans for continued therapeutic development.
