The Office of Foundation Relations is pleased to share this open call for funding from the Mark Foundation for Cancer Research.
UCSC Contact: Sarah Carle | FR | sacarle@ucsc.edu
Funder: Mark Foundation for Cancer Research
Opportunity: Drug Discovery Award
Deadline: November 11, 2024
Overview
The Mark Foundation’s Drug Discovery Award program is designed to accelerate the translation of academic discoveries into new cancer therapies. The Award supports investigators working to discover and progress a new therapeutic agent into preclinical development, providing not only resources to support post-target validation through early lead development but also the expertise of seasoned biopharma R&D scientists who will advise on activities on the critical path to developing a new therapeutic agent.
Award Amount & Terms
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Up to $1,000,000 for a period of 12-36 months; indirect costs not to exceed 10% of the direct costs
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The budget and duration requested for the grant must match a realistic estimate of the cost and timeline for the proposed work.
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The proposed work must carry the project forward to a well-defined milestone/value inflection point (e.g., identification of a potent and selective lead or demonstration of in vivo efficacy)
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Some or all of the proposed work may be carried out at approved contract research organizations (CROs)
Eligibility
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Letters of intent will be accepted from non-profit research institutions only; for-profit companies are not eligible to apply. The award is open to institutions worldwide.
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Principal investigators must hold an MD, PhD, or equivalent and be independent researchers at their respective institutions.
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Individuals are limited to one application as principal investigator but may be co-investigators on other proposals without limitation.
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Eligible therapeutic modalities:
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Large molecules / biologics
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Small molecules (including heterobifunctionals)
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Peptides
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Conjugates (ADC, radioconjugates)
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Nucleic acids (ASO, RNA)
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Eligible project stages:
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Lead discovery – generate and credential new leads against a validated target
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Optimization – assess and enhance efficacy, safety, and DMPK of existing leads
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The following project topics are ineligible for this award:
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Drug delivery technologies or optimizations
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Drug repurposing
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Preclinical development (IND-enabling studies)
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Cell therapies, gene therapies, viral therapies, and vaccines
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See here for a list of previous award recipients.
Timeline
- November 11, 2024: Letter of intent submission deadline
- January 2025: Invitations for full applications
- July 2025: Anticipated award start date
Special Instructions
Please notify the Office of Foundation Relations if you are interested in applying to this opportunity (fr@ucsc.edu). For support developing your proposal, please contact the Research Development Specialist assigned to your unit or send a request to resdev@ucsc.edu.
Call Sent: October 14, 2024
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