Proposals for canine hemangiosarcoma research

The mission of the Morris Animal Foundation is to bridge science and resources to advance the health of animals.

To that end, the foundation invites proposals for efforts to catalyze the development of new tools to prevent, detect, and treat canine hemangiosarcoma. This proposal request is part of the Foundation’s Hemangiosarcoma Initiative, a multiyear commitment to dedicate funding, people, and resources to advance the prevention, detection, and treatment of, and potential cures for, this deadly cancer of dogs. 

Hemangiosarcoma is one of the deadliest forms of canine cancer, which tends to favor areas of abundant blood supply, such as the heart and spleen, making sudden rupture and severe hemorrhage a common, life-threatening complication. The average survival time for dogs diagnosed with hemangiosarcoma, even with treatment, is four to six months. Few dogs survive longer than one year, and even fewer are cured.

Grant applications that propose using Golden Retriever Lifetime Study specimens and data are strongly encouraged, though proposals leveraging other samples and data may be submitted. Academic and industry collaborative projects are encouraged to accelerate the translation of results to practice. The proposed use of laboratory animals in research studies will not be accepted under this RFP.  

Two categories of awards are available: 

Seed Awards: Grants of up to $25,000 will be awarded to support proof-of-concept studies, high-risk-high reward projects, or where additional data is required for a larger proposal. These are 12-month projects, and when completed, may be competitive for additional funding from the 2024 Hemangiosarcoma RFP.

Innovation Awards: Grants of up to $200,000 will be awarded to proposals supported by preliminary data and evaluation, including additional weighting for the strength of the project team. These are 12-month or 24-month projects, and when completed, may be competitive for additional funding from a future Hemangiosarcoma RFP.

To be eligible, applicants must convince the scientific and animal welfare reviewers that they clearly understand the health problem, have sufficient expertise to conduct the study, use a scientifically sound approach, and have considered the overall environmental impact of their research. A maximum of one application as principal investigator (PI)/co-investigator (CI) in response to this RFP is permitted.

For complete program guidelines and application instructions, see the Morris Animal Foundation website.