Pilot Awards Program
The Medical College of Wisconsin's Pilot Awards Program funds innovative, collaborative cancer research to generate preliminary data for future external grants.
Funder: Medical College of Wisconsin
Due Dates: August 15, 2026 (IIT Concept Submission, Idea Award LOI) | September 1, 2026 (Our Patient Project LOI) | August 27, 2026 (WBCS Innovative Science Pilot Award LOI) | October 1, 2026 (Idea Award & WBCS Pilot full applications) | October 15, 2026 (Clinical Trial Concept Award full application) | January 1, 2027 (Structural Biology Discovery Award final deadline)
Funding Amounts: $25,000–$650,000 depending on mechanism; most pilot awards are $50,000–$150,000 for 1–2 years, OPP up to $650,000 over 4–5 years.
Summary: Supports innovative, multidisciplinary, and collaborative cancer research by MCW faculty, providing seed funding to generate preliminary data for future external grant applications.
Key Information: Multiple award mechanisms with distinct eligibility and deadlines; MCW faculty and MCW Cancer Center membership required for most.
Description
The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) Cancer Center Pilot Awards Program is a suite of competitive internal funding opportunities designed to accelerate innovative cancer research. The program supports MCW faculty in generating the preliminary data and collaborative momentum necessary for successful applications to extramural funding agencies or foundations. Awards are available for a variety of research types, including investigator-initiated clinical trials, high-risk basic and translational studies, cohort-based patient research, and protein structure discovery. Priority is given to projects demonstrating multidisciplinary collaboration, innovation, and the potential to address cancer health disparities, as well as those leveraging MCW Cancer Center Shared Resources.
