The Office of Foundation Relations is pleased to share this open call for Letter of Intent from the Mark Foundation for Cancer Research.
- UCSC Contact: Sarah Carle | FR | sacarle@ucsc.edu
- Funder: Samuel Waxman Institute for Aging and Cancer, Mark Foundation for Cancer Research
- Opportunity: Aging and Cancer
- Deadline: LOI due June 15, 2026, 2pm PT
Overview
Research supported by this program will advance our understanding of the rising incidence of cancer due to aging, with a special emphasis on the role of inflammaging and immunosenescence as common drivers of aging and cancer. Example topics include but are not limited to:
- Identifying actionable biomarkers (inflammatory molecules, immune cells, etc.) that link aging and cancer risk, including in younger individuals with early onset cancers and those with genetic predispositions, and underlying mechanisms.
- Dissecting the effects of the aging tumor microenvironment (e.g., inflammation, immune system, senescent cells) on tumorigenesis, progression, and treatment response.
- Investigating how progression of age-related clonal hematopoiesis, myeloid skewing, or emergency myelopoiesis promotes hematological malignancies (including chronic myelomonocytic leukemia) or solid tumors, and/or causes therapeutic resistance.
- Establishing the effects of tumors and cancer therapies in organismal aging, including the identification of biomarkers and therapeutic strategies to minimize or prevent cancer-induced aging.
- Providing preclinical and mechanistic validation for aging-specific, anticancer therapeutic approaches based on strategies targeting inflammation or senescence, or nominated from clinical trial data segregated by age.
- Supporting exploratory clinical trials to treat or prevent cancer in older or high-risk individuals, including correlative analyses from clinical samples derived from relevant trials. We encourage collaborations with biopharma or other funding sources to accelerate the proposed work.
Award Amount & Terms
- Up to $500,000 to a team of two investigators for a term of three years
- Ideally, the distribution should be even between the two investigators
- The host institution will receive the grant funds
- Budget limits are inclusive of both direct and indirect costs, with indirect costs up to 10%
Eligibility
- Proposals must be submitted by a team of two: one Principal Investigator (at the host institution) and one co-PI from a different institution.
- Both the PI and co-PI must lead established laboratories with current independent, multi-year funding.
- Open to investigators at non-profit academic and research institutions worldwide; there is no requirement for a US-based partner.
See here for a list of previous award recipients.
- Timeline
- June 15, 2026, 2pm PT Letter of intent submission deadline
- August 2026 Notification
- September 15, 2026 Full applications due
- October 2026 Notification
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 send a request to the Office of Research Development, resdev@ucsc.edu.
Call Sent: May 11, 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.