Current Funding Opportunities

Each year, we release Request for Applications or Letter of Intent (LOI) Announcements to communicate which grant mechanisms and scientific focus areas are available for funding. The types of mechanisms and the scientific focus areas may vary from year to year.

2019-20 (FY20) Letter of Intent Announcement

LOI Announcement Release Date: June 7, 2019
LOI Submission system open date: June 7, 2019
LOI Submission deadline: July 10, 2019
Invitation to submit an Application: July 29, 2019

$450,000 combined direct and indirect costs; ($150,000 per year for up to 3 years)

Early Career breast cancer researchers anywhere in the world are invited to apply for our Career Catalyst Research Grants.

These Komen Training and Career Development awards seek to bridge the funding gap faced by faculty as they start their careers in breast cancer research. Grants funded by Komen provide the preparation necessary to compete for independent funding as an established and successful breast cancer researcher.

CCR Grants provide unique opportunities for scientists who have held faculty positions for no more than eight years by the Application due date (September 25, 2019). CCR grants provide support for hypothesis-driven research projects that will lead to a reduction in breast cancer deaths by 2026.

The topic area for the FY20 Career Catalyst Research Award is Redefining Metastatic Breast Cancer through Liquid Biopsy. The goal of this focus area is to support outstanding research seeking to use liquid biopsy techniques to improve treatment, detection, and understanding of metastatic breast cancer which will lead to a reduction in breast cancer deaths by 2026.

Komen requests Letters of Intent for research projects that address one of the following focus areas:

Refining treatment of metastatic breast cancer
Early detection of metastatic breast cancer

Applications that fit the focus areas as detailed in the LOI Announcement and include studies that address metastatic breast cancer disparities, or leverage data science to better understand and treat metastatic breast cancer are highly encouraged.

Download the current Career Catalyst Research Grants LOI Announcement (PDF)

CCR Program Announcement: Redefining Metastatic Breast Cancer through Liquid Biopsy

2019-20 (FY20) TREND RFA Announcement

RFA Release Date: August 26, 2019
Application system open date: August 26, 2019
Application Submission deadline: October 17, 2019

$405,000 direct costs only; $135,000 per year for up to 3 years

Disparities researchers anywhere in the world are invited to apply for our Training Researchers to Eliminate Disparities Grants.

TREND Grants are intended to establish and/or to sustain an innovative training program for graduate students who are seeking careers dedicated to understanding and eliminating disparities in breast cancer outcomes across population groups.

The research training program should be designed to meet the following goals:

• Attract graduate students, specifically those from populations affected by disparities in breast cancer outcomes, into research careers.

• Develop novel and creative methods to empower these students with the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively explore the causes of differential breast cancer outcomes and develop interventions to reduce and eliminate such disparities.

Download the current Training Researchers to Eliminate Disparities Grant RFA (PDF)

TREND Program Announcement

Letter of Intent Release Date: August 26, 2019
Letter of Intent system open date: August 26, 2019
Letter of Intent Submission deadline: September 25, 2019

$200,000 combined direct and indirect costs for up to two years

The Komen Tissue Bank Challenge is open to all faculty.

Komen is excited to announce a new funding opportunity for researchers to use a truly unique resource: The Susan G. Komen® Tissue Bank at the IU Simon Cancer Center (Komen Tissue Bank, or KTB), the first and only biorepository in the world containing breast tissue and blood products from donors that show no evidence of breast cancer at the time of donation. Since 2007, over 8,000 women have donated their blood and/or tissue to help the research community. To leverage this valuable resource, we are seeking the best ideas in innovative research proposals to move the field of breast cancer forward. To learn more about the Komen Tissue Bank, visit: https://komentissuebank.iu.edu/.

Komen is asking researchers to submit Letters of Intent to describe their innovative research projects that will use KTB resources. The top applicants will have the unique opportunity to pitch their idea in-person! For more information, please see the Komen Tissue Bank Challenge Program Announcement and Letter of Intent Instructions below.

Download the Komen Tissue Bank Challenge Program Announcement

Download the Komen Tissue Bank Challenge Letter of Intent Instructions

Komen Review Process

Susan G. Komen® utilizes a multi-step approach to grant application and review that first requires submission of a Letter of Intent and upon invitation only, submission of an Application.

Applicants/PIs will be notified of Letter of Intent review decisions via email. Applicants/PIs invited to submit an Application will then be granted access to the Application site in proposalCENTRAL.

All institutions and industry partners must agree to adhere to Komen’s Policies and Procedures for Research and Training Grants.