We are pleased to announce the launch of Breast Cancer Alliance: Exceptional Project Grants & Young Investigator Grants 2026.
- Internal Submission Deadline: Wednesday, February 25, 2026
- Cycle: 2026
- Discipline/Subject Area: Breast Cancer Research
- Funding Levels: Exceptional Project Grants: $100K; Young investigator Grants: $125K
- Description:
A joint announcement from the Offices of Research and Foundation Relations
The Offices of Research and of Foundations Relations are pleased to share two open calls for funding from the Breast Cancer Alliance: Exceptional Research Grants and Young Investigator Grants. Please forward the calls to interested faculty and post-doctoral researchers in your departments and divisions.
Funder: Breast Cancer Alliance
Program: Exceptional Research Grants and Young Investigator Grant
UCSC Contact:
Caroline Rodriguez | FR | caroline@ucsc.edu
Molly McCarthy | OR | moamccar@ucsc.edu
Internal Submissions Due: February 25, 2026- You may only submit an LOI for each proposal for either an Exceptional Project Grant or a Young Investigator Grant.
- It is your choice as to which application best suits your experience.
- Breast Cancer Alliance will accept a maximum of ONLY TWO LOIs PER INSTITUTION (XP or YIG)
- (1) EXCEPTIONAL PROJECT GRANTS (XP)
Breast Cancer Alliance invites clinical doctors and research scientists at any stage of their careers, including post docs, whose current proposal is focused on breast cancer, to apply for an Exceptional Project Grant. This award recognizes creative, unique and innovative research and is open to applicants at institutions throughout the contiguous United States. - Award Amount & Terms
- $100,000 (over one year)
- Indirect costs, included in the $100,000 award, are limited to 8% of total direct costs.
- Eligibility
- Research scientists at any stage of their careers, including postdocs
- This award recognizes creative, unique and innovative research related to breast cancer.
- If you are submitting an LOI for an Exceptional Project Grant, you may not apply for a Young Investigator Grant for the same project.
- (2) YOUNG INVESTIGATOR GRANTS (YIG)
Breast Cancer Alliance 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. The research project must be directly related to the field of breast cancer. - Award Amount & Terms
- Salary support and project costs for a total of $125,000 (distributed over the two-year period).
- Indirect costs, which are included in the $125,000 award, must be limited to 8% of total direct costs.
- Eligibility
- Must not have held a tenure track faculty or tenure track research position for more than four years following completion of their training, as of March 1, 2027
- Must not have been or are not a principal investigator on an NIH R01 or equivalent national/international non-mentored award as of March 1, 2027
- Must dedicate at least 50% of their work effort to research
- Must be at an institution located in the contiguous United States.
- Must not be a for-profit institution.
- This grant is intended to help advance the careers of young researchers who do not yet have their own major grant support.
- If you are submitting an LOI for an Exceptional Project Grant, you may not apply for a Young Investigator Grant for the same project.
- Please find a list of past research grantees.
TO APPLY
To be considered for nomination for either opportunity, materials should be submitted to the internal campus competition via InfoReady. Select “Apply” from the menu on the right-hand side, and upload the following documents:- One-page Letter of Intent (LOI): The document should state the opportunity for which you are applying, describe the project, state the objective/hypothesis, outline the research aim(s) and methods, and include a brief discussion of the project’s potential impact. (max 1250 words total)
- CV: the CV should be in the current NIH biosketch format.
- TIMELINE
February 25, 2026 Internal submission due
Mid-March, 2026: Campus candidates informed of selection
March 31, 2026: LOI and CV due at the Breast Cancer Alliance (All submissions must be made by your institution’s grant manager directly.)
Mid-May 2026: Notification if invited to submit proposal
July 30, 2026: Full applications due
Mid-February 2027: Notification of awards
Special Requirements:
For support developing your LOI, please contact the Research Development team at resdev@ucsc.edu.
Call Sent: February 10, 2026
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Office of Foundation Relations is a unit of University Advancement. The FR team creates and maintains mutually beneficial, long-term relationships with private organizations, matching grant initiatives with educational and research programs and centers. FR supports faculty and staff to identify and approach these and other private foundations for funding, to assist in strategic positioning of the grant application, and to facilitate funder campus visits. For a list of recent funding opportunities, please visit the FR website: FR Calls for Funding.