[American Cancer Society](https://www.cancer.org)

June 1, 2026 | December 1, 2026

Up to $75,000 total costs for a 1-year project; no indirect costs allowed.

Supports commercialization-focused cancer research by funding key experiments and providing entrepreneurial resources.

Applicants must be independent investigators at eligible US non-profit institutions; commercialization plan required.

--- ## Description The Extramural Discovery Science (EDS) Accelerator Award from the American Cancer Society is designed to advance the commercialization of ongoing cancer research projects by supporting key experiments that validate and de-risk technologies. This award specifically targets projects with a clear plan for licensing technology to a company or start-up if successful. The program is not intended for new or exploratory research, but rather for projects that need critical data to move toward commercialization and do not fit within traditional grant mechanisms. Awardees also join an entrepreneurial collaborative learning community and receive support from the ACS BrightEdge team. --- ## Due Dates - June 1, 2026: Annual submission deadline for applications to be reviewed in July (grant start date typically September). - December 1, 2026: Annual submission deadline for applications to be reviewed in December (grant start date typically April). All dates are projected based on the annual cycle; check the program page for updates. --- ## Funding Amount - Maximum award: $75,000 total costs for a one-year project. - Indirect costs are not permitted. - No-cost extension of up to 6 months may be requested (without additional funds). --- ## Eligibility - **Principal Investigator:** Must be an independent investigator with a full-time faculty appointment (or equivalent) at a non-profit US institution. All career stages are eligible. - **Institution:** Must be a non-profit institution physically located in the US or its territories, with appropriate research infrastructure and compliance capabilities. - **Commercialization Focus:** Applicants must have a plan to commercialize the technology (e.g., licensing to a company or start-up). - **Concurrent Funding:** May not hold more than one EDS Accelerator Award at a time. Award can be held concurrently with other ACS funding if projects do not overlap in aims or budget. - **Other Restrictions:** For-profit institutions, federal agencies, and organizations supported entirely by the federal government are ineligible. --- ## Application Process - **Submission Platform:** All materials must be submitted via [ProposalCentral](https://proposalcentral.com/). - **Submission Window:** Applications may be started at any time, but must be submitted within 1 month of initiation on ProposalCentral. - **Required Materials:** - Research plan (3 pages max) - Budget and justification (up to $75,000; 1-year) - Biosketch (NIH format, up to 5 pages) - Letter of institutional support - Key personnel documents (if applicable) - Compliance statements (IRB/IACUC, as needed) - **Review:** Applications submitted by June 1 are reviewed in July (for September start); by December 1 are reviewed in December (for April start). - **Commercialization Plan:** A clear plan for technology licensing or commercialization is required. - **Contact:** Program contact is Doug Hurst, PhD ([doug.hurst@cancer.org](mailto:doug.hurst@cancer.org)). --- ## Additional Information - **Intellectual Property:** Awardees must report annually on inventions; ACS may claim a share of licensing income above $500,000, up to 4x the award amount. - **Progress Reporting:** Final report due within 60 days of grant end, including commercialization status. - **No indirect costs** are allowed; funds may not be used for administrative salaries, tuition, office equipment, or non-research-related expenses. - **No co-principal investigators** are permitted; one PI per application. --- ## External Links - [Program Page: EDS Accelerator Award](https://www.cancer.org/research/we-fund-cancer-research/apply-research-grant/grant-types/extramural-discovery-science-accelerator-award.html) - [Application Portal (ProposalCentral)](https://proposalcentral.com/) - [ACS Grant Policies (PDF)](https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/extramural-grants-documents/grant-policies/eds-accelerator-award-policies.pdf) - [Application Instructions (PDF)](https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/extramural-grants-documents/grant-instructions/eds-accelerator-award-application-instructions.pdf) - [ACS Extramural Grants Staff Contacts](https://www.cancer.org/research/we-fund-cancer-research/apply-research-grant/extramural-grants-staff-contacts.html) - [FAQs: ACS Extramural Discovery Science](https://www.cancer.org/research/we-fund-cancer-research/apply-research-grant/faqs-program-changes-and-application-submission.html) --- ## Contact Information | Name/Role | Email | Phone | |-----------------------------------|------------------------------------|--------------------| | Doug Hurst, PhD (Program Contact) | [doug.hurst@cancer.org](mailto:doug.hurst@cancer.org) | | | Grants Department | [grants@cancer.org](mailto:grants@cancer.org) | +1 800-227-2345 | | ProposalCentral Support | pcsupport@altum.com | 1-800-875-2562 |

RFA: Extramural Discovery Science Accelerator Award

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