The Cancer Research Institute has issued a request for applications for its Technology Impact Award program. This award is designed to support early-stage, pre-development concepts that have not yet been built or tested, but that hold the potential to transform the landscape of cancer immunotherapy. Proposals that fundamentally apply existing technologies without substantial instrumentation, device, or algorithm development will typically be considered non-responsive. Clinical cancer immunologists and technology developers are encouraged to collaborate.
The most competitive applicants will propose innovations that address areas where technological advancement can have the greatest impact on cancer immunotherapy and patient outcomes. Such technologies may include, but are not limited to:
- Computational systems biology approaches to analyze large-scale datasets, develop more accurate models of underlying cellular and molecular networks, with the goal of better explaining and predicting response/resistance to cancer therapy
- Advanced cancer (or molecular) profiling technologies that can be used to identify key barriers to immunotherapy and improve target identification and therapeutic decision-making
- Real-time visualization technologies that allow tracking of molecular and cellular immune responses to treatment in mice or humans
- Complex multicellular culture systems that model interactions between tumor and the immune system and enable therapeutic testing or mechanistic studies
- Novel therapeutic technologies that promise to safely and effectively promote tumor immunity in new ways
Up to $600,000 direct costs, plus up to 10% indirect costs, will be awarded over a 2-year project period.
Eligibility criteria include:
- Hold a tenure-track or equivalent position.
Please see RFP for full criteria.
To Apply:
- This is an open RFP (UCSF may submit an unlimited number of applications).
- Follow application instructions in RFP, conferring with your Grants Officer as needed. Please notify your Grants Officer of your intention to apply as soon as possible to ensure that they will have enough time to support your application.
- LOI deadline is November 15, 2025. If you are invited to submit a full application, the deadline will be March 1, 2026.
For more information and to review complete application instructions and eligibility requirements, please visit https://www.cancerresearch.org/technology-impact-award.