RFA: Pilot Project Program

The University of Illinois Cancer Center is seeking applications for its 2025 Pilot Project Program. The Cancer Center expects to fund two pilot projects not to exceed $50,000 each.

The program offers funding for projects proposed by Cancer Center members to encourage new collaborative cancer research projects. These pilot project grants were created to stimulate new inter-programmatic research initiatives that lead to competitive grant applications to external peer-reviewed funding organizations, specifically organizations on the National Cancer Institute (NCI) peer review list.

Important Dates

Friday, March 14, 2025 – Letter of Intent (LOI) Due

Monday, April 28, 2025 – Full Application (by invitation) Due

Pilot Project Details

The pilot project submitted for consideration for this Request for Applications (RFA) are required to be focused on project development for a new multi-Principal Investigator (PI) grant submission to NCI.

The most highly desirable topics for the 2025 RFA include:

  • Early onset cancers
  • Research focusing on medically underserved populations
  • Projects relevant to the Cancer Center catchment area (catchment area link)
  • Translational projects, pre-clinical therapeutic targets and interventions
  • Five priority cancers (breast, colorectal, liver/hepatocellular, lung, prostate)
  • Women’s Cancers
  • Projects that leverage shared resources capabilities at the Cancer Center

Pilot Projects Next Steps

For more information, please contact Karissa Cerda at [email protected].

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