Fanconi Cancer Foundation-AACR NextGen Grant for Transformative Cancer Research

The American Association for Cancer Research invites applications for the Fanconi Cancer Foundation-AACR NextGen Grant for Transformative Cancer Research, which represents the AACR’s flagship funding initiative to stimulate highly innovative research from young investigators. The grant mechanism is intended to promote and support creative, paradigm-shifting cancer research that may not be funded through conventional channels. It is expected that this grant will catalyze significant scientific discoveries and help talented young investigators gain scientific independence.

Fanconi anemia (FA) is a rare genetic disease caused by loss-of-function mutations in any one of 22 FA genes, which are integral to the FA/BRCA DNA repair pathway and include the breast cancer susceptibility genes BRCA1 and BRCA2. The disease is marked by congenital abnormalities, bone marrow failure, and a high risk of solid tumors and leukemia. Individuals with FA have a hundreds- to thousands-fold increased risk of developing squamous cell cancers of the head and neck, esophagus, and anogenital regions, in addition to an elevated risk for other solid tumors. FA is now recognized as a cancer predisposition syndrome, with mortality from cancer emerging as a primary cause of death for young adults with FA. This is due to the challenges inherent in treating tumors in a population with underlying defects in the FA/BRCA DNA repair pathway. The study of the FA/BRCA DNA repair pathway and its link to FA-associated cancers will not only yield critical insights into the disease itself, but also enhance understanding of the intricate interplay between DNA repair mechanisms and cancer.

Applications are invited from researchers currently working in the FA field as well as investigators with experience in other areas of cancer or biomedical research with an interest in studying FA-associated cancers.

The grant provides $450,000 over three years for expenses related to the research project, which may include salary and benefits of the grant recipient, postdoctoral or clinical research fellows, graduate students (including tuition costs), research assistants, research/laboratory supplies, equipment, travel applicable to the research project, publication charges for manuscripts that pertain directly to the funded project, and other research expenses. Indirect costs are not allowable expenses.

To be eligible, applicants must have a doctoral degree (PhD, MD, MD/PhD, or equivalent) in a related field and not currently be a candidate for a further doctoral degree, and at the start of the grant term on December 1, 2024, applicants must hold a tenure-eligible appointment (or equivalent, if institution does not follow a tenure system) at the rank of assistant professor; have held a tenure-eligible assistant professor appointment for no more than three years (i.e., cannot have held a tenure-eligible appointment prior to December 1, 2021); and work at an academic, medical, or research institution anywhere in the world.

Letters of intent are due July 9, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. ET. Upon review, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full application, due October 2, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. ET.

For complete program guidelines and application instructions, see the American Association for Cancer Research website.