Our Grant Process
Our research goal is simple — find answers that help save lives.
Our strategy for funding research is just as straightforward — fund the best science — and that's what our extensive scientific peer-review process ensures.
This strategy and process has helped support numerous important discoveries and some of the brightest researchers, including 50 Nobel Prize winners to date.
Deciding to Apply
Get answers to questions you have about grants from the American Cancer Society (ACS).
Learning About ACS Grants
ACS has a variety of research grant mechanisms to fund science across the cancer continuum.
Learn the Details About a Specific Grant
Preparing a Grant Application
Potential grantees fill out applications in ProposalCentral.
Make sure to include contact information for yourself, the institution official, technology transfer officer, and the department head.
How Applications Are Reviewed
The Scientific Directors distribute applications to the most appropriate peer review committee and then assign each application to at least 2 committee members for independent and confidential review.
Peer Review Committees
Each has 12 to 25 members who are leaders in their areas of expertise, plus up to 3 other stakeholders.
Committees discuss and vote to prioritize the most competitive applications and give their recommendations, along with critiques of the applications and fundable scores, to the Council for Extramural Research.
Council for Extramural Research
The Council determines which grants will be funded during each cycle.
Award Notifications
About 1 month after submitting an application, applicants will receive an email with an application number and names of their Scientific Director and Peer Review Committee.
About 2 months after submitting, applications will have been reviewed and applicants will receive preliminary emails about their project's status
In March and September, final funding decisions are made.
Resubmission Process
Applications that are not funded may be revised and resubmitted 2 times.
Exception: Postdoctoral fellowships may only be resubmitted once.
See Grant Instructions and Grant Policies documents, info under your grant type explains how to resubmit applications.
Contact the Scientific Director for support and tips.
Grant Reporting or Changes
Grantees use Altum ProposalCentral to upload:
- All requests for grant changes, with the required, related documents
- Required reports (deliverables)
This site houses all reports, requests, and correspondence pertaining to a grant and is accessible to both ACS program staff and grantees.