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

June 1, 2026 (Summer cutoff) | December 1, 2026 (Winter cutoff)

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

Supports cancer researchers in commercializing ongoing projects by funding key experiments and providing access to entrepreneurial resources.

Applicants must have a commercialization plan and be full-time faculty at a nonprofit US institution.

--- ## Description The Extramural Discovery Science (EDS) Accelerator Award is designed to advance the commercialization of ongoing cancer research projects by supporting validation and de-risking of technologies. The award is intended for key experiments that will move findings closer to commercialization but may not fit traditional grant mechanisms. Projects must be commercially driven, with a clear plan for licensing the technology (to an established company or start-up) if successful. Awardees join an entrepreneurial learning community and receive mentorship and educational programming from the ACS BrightEdge team. --- ## Due Dates - June 1, 2026: Summer submission cutoff — applications submitted through June 1 will be reviewed in July; use September start date for submissions through this cutoff - December 1, 2026: Winter submission cutoff — applications submitted by December 1 will be reviewed in December; use April start date for submissions after the June cutoff --- ## Funding Amount - Maximum award: $75,000 (total costs) for a 1-year project period - Indirect costs are not permitted --- ## Eligibility - Applicants must be independent investigators with a full-time faculty appointment (or equivalent) at a nonprofit US institution. - Open to all career stages. - Applicants must be motivated to commercialize their technology and have a commercialization plan. - Projects must be ongoing (not new or exploratory research). - Only one EDS Accelerator Award may be held at a time; no overlapping funding for the same project scope. - The PI’s institution must have appropriate research and administrative infrastructure and be located in the US or its territories. - For-profit institutions, federal agencies, and organizations primarily benefiting the federal government are not eligible. --- ## Application Process - Applications are submitted via [ProposalCentral](https://proposalcentral.com/default.asp). - Rolling submissions are accepted, but applications are reviewed twice yearly based on the cutoff dates. - Applicants have 1 month from starting the application in ProposalCentral to complete submission. - Required materials include: - Research plan (3 pages max) - Budget and justification (up to $75,000; no indirect costs) - NIH biosketch - Letter of institutional support - Information on key personnel, technology transfer officer, and department chair - Compliance statements for human/animal subjects, if applicable - Institutional and regulatory approvals (IRB/IACUC) must be in place before activation if applicable. - Applications must include a plan for commercialization. --- ## Additional Information - Awardees become part of an entrepreneurial collaborative learning community and receive mentorship from the ACS BrightEdge team. - Technology Transfer Officers are required to report intellectual property updates to ACS. - Progress and financial reports are required after the project ends. - The ACS may request a share of licensing income if the technology is commercialized, subject to specific thresholds and limits. --- ## External Links - [Program Page & Full Details](https://www.cancer.org/research/we-fund-cancer-research/apply-research-grant/grant-types/extramural-discovery-science-accelerator-award.html) - [Application Instructions (PDF)](https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/extramural-grants-documents/grant-instructions/eds-accelerator-award-application-instructions.pdf) - [Award Policies (PDF)](https://www.cancer.org/content/dam/cancer-org/research/extramural-grants-documents/grant-policies/eds-accelerator-award-policies.pdf) - [FAQs on Program Changes & Submission](https://www.cancer.org/research/we-fund-cancer-research/apply-research-grant/faqs-program-changes-and-application-submission.html) - [ProposalCentral Submission Portal](https://proposalcentral.com/default.asp) --- ## Contact Information | Contact | Email | Role/Notes | |------------------------------|-----------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------| | Doug Hurst, PhD | [doug.hurst@cancer.org](mailto:doug.hurst@cancer.org) | Program Contact, Biochemistry and Immunology | | Grants Office | [grants@cancer.org](mailto:grants@cancer.org) | General grant inquiries | | ProposalCentral Support | pcsupport@altum.com | Technical/application portal support | | ACS General Info | +1 800-227-2345 | General ACS inquiries | For additional program contacts and staff, see the [ACS Extramural Grants Staff Contacts](https://www.cancer.org/research/we-fund-cancer-research/apply-research-grant/extramural-grants-staff-contacts.html).

RFA: Extramural Discovery Science Accelerator Award

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