Limited submission opportunity: 2020 Breast Cancer Alliance Young Investigator Grant

This is a joint competition for VU and VUMC investigators. All investigators should follow these instructions.

Vanderbilt (VU and VUMC, collaboratively) may submit four applications (two VU and two VUMC) for the Breast Cancer Alliance (BCA) Young Investigator Grants. The mission of the BCA is to improve survival rates and quality of life for those impacted by breast cancer through better prevention, early detection, treatment and cure. To encourage a commitment to breast cancer research, the BCA invites clinical doctors and research scientists whose primary focus is breast cancer research, and who are in the early stages of their career, to apply for funding for the Young Investigator Grant. This two-year grant for a total of $125,000 is intended to help advance the careers of young researchers in breast cancer who do not yet have their own major grant support.

Eligibility Criteria:

• Applicant must have held a faculty position for no more than four years following the completion of their training, as of Feb. 1, 2020;
• Applicant must not have been a principal investigator on an NIH R01 or equivalent national/international non-mentored award;
• Applicant must dedicate at least 50 percent of their work effort to research;
• Research project must be directly related to the field of breast cancer. Areas of relevant research may include but are not limited to: diagnosis, etiology, immunology, genetics, therapies, prevention and clinical studies.
• Current postdoctoral fellows who do not yet hold a faculty position are eligible to apply, provided they meet all the other stated criteria for Young Investigators (e.g., current postdocs who will be in a faculty position as of Feb. 1, 2020).

Note: If you have already submitted an LOI for an Exceptional Project Grant but were not asked to submit a full proposal, you are ineligible to submit the same proposal for Young Investigator Grant.

Internal Application Process:

Anyone interested in being considered as one of Vanderbilt’s nominees must submit the following (in a single PDF) to LSO@vanderbilt.edu by 5 p.m. on June 13, 2019.

1. Non-technical, lay project summary (250 word maximum);
2. Brief research plan including summary budget (two page maximum);
3. Letter of support from department chair/center director;
4. NIH Biosketch

Submissions should reference the Breast Cancer Alliance in the subject line of the email.

Please contact us at LSO@vanderbilt.edu if you have any questions about the program, foundation, or internal review process.