TheoryLab Collaborative (TLC) Grant
Purpose
The TheoryLab Collaborative (TLC) Grant mechanism is intended to provide pilot grant support for collaborative cancer research projects between two members of the American Cancer Society (ACS) research ecosystem, including current and former grantees and ACS intramural scientists. Our goal is to invest in our ACS scientific community to enable the formation of new and interdisciplinary collaborations and test out a new idea or concept. The proposed project can focus anywhere along the cancer research continuum but must be collaborative and interdisciplinary.
We highly encourage investigators to form new collaborations; current or former collaborators may apply for a TLC Grant, but their proposed project must be different from their previous collaborative project(s). In addition, co-PI's may be at the same institution but must be in a different department/discipline.
Grantees will give a virtual presentation at an informal, virtual retreat ~6 months after the grant ends, detailing the outcomes, challenges, and future work of the project.
Budget and Term
The total award is $61,200 for a 1-year period. Both PIs receive $600 for travel, and the remaining $60,000 can be split between the co-PIs at their discretion. Indirect costs are not allowed.
Travel Award: The purpose is for the two PIs to meet face-to-face to generate ideas and advance their collaboration. If the co-PIs are at the same institution, these funds can go toward attending a conference, workshop, etc., by the PIs or a member of the team working on the project.
If a co-PI is an ACS scientist in the Surveillance and Health Equity Science or Population Science departments, they cannot receive salary support from an ACS grant. If a scientist is at a federal agency, or in industry, they cannot receive grant funds or salary support. In the latter instance, the total budget allowed is $40,600 which is restricted to the co-PI at an academic or eligible non-profit institution.
Have an idea but need a collaborator?
We do require that BOTH co-PIs on the project be part of the ACS scientific ecosystem. Most of the time both co-PIs are current or former ACS grantees (see eligibility details below). If you have an idea for a project, but you don't have an eligible co-PI to work with, we can help!
- Search our ACS Research Grants Database
- Reach out to us and we will try to help find a co-PI for the project
Who is eligible to be a co-PI?
- Independent scientists at any career stage. Applicants must hold a doctorate degree (e.g., MD, PhD, or equivalent) and have a full-time faculty position at an eligible institution.
- Current TLC grantees are ineligible, but a former TLC grantee is eligible to submit a proposal, if they meet all other criteria.
In addition to the above criteria, BOTH co-PIs must meet at least one of the following criteria:
- Have held or currently hold an ACS research grant for independent investigators, a MRSG or CSDG award, or IRG or IDG sub-awards. Current or former PIs of an ACS institutional block grant may also be a co-PI. Grantees who have received Pfizer-ACS grants are also eligible.
- Past recipients of the following grants are eligible provided they have a full-time faculty position: Postdoctoral Fellowships and ACS Training Grants and Scholarships.
- ACS scientists in the Surveillance and Health Equity Science or Population Science departments.
Note: A Co-PI pair may submit multiple projects, as long as the project scopes do not overlap, but can only accept funding for one project should multiple submissions receive fundable scores.
Eligible Institutions: Applications may be submitted by a college, university, medical school, or other not-for-profit research organization within the United States, its territories, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico provided that they have a research track record, infrastructure for financial and grant management, and research subject’s protection oversight.
How to Apply?
Applicants are due June 2, 2025, in ProposalCentral. For each collaborative project, both co-PIs must submit an application. See the application instructions for more information.
Note: A post in TheoryLab as the initial step in the application process is no longer a requirement.
Timeline:
- June 2, 2025: Application submission deadline
- August: Peer review of submitted proposals
- December: Final funding decisions and awarding communication.
- April 1, 2026: TLC Grants start.
Program Contact: Kathy Goss, PhD, at kathleen.goss@cancer.org, and Nicole Lopanik, PhD, at nicole.lopanik@cancer.org
