About the ACS IRG
The American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grants (ACS IRG) is awarded to junior faculty to pursue basic, pre-clinical, clinical and cancer-control research studies. These funds are intended for new investigators who are within six years of their first academic appointment, and to provide new investigators with necessary resources to more rapidly develop their research, generate pilot data and publish their results, all of which enhances their ability to compete for national-level funding.
Award details
- Awards of up to $50,000/year are provided for up to three junior faculty each year
- Awardees must have an established mentor/mentoring team in place
- A Massey investigator may only hold one active pilot research award at a time
Application requirements
- Applicants are required to consult with a biostatistician as part of the proposal to assist with design and statistical methods if applicable. For biostatistical support, please contact Massey's Biostatistics Shared Resource.
- Applicants are also encouraged to engage a Community Champion in the project. Please contact Dr. Maria Thomson at cancerchamps@vcu.edu to set an appointment for your consultation.
To complete the application and learn more about application guidelines, please click here.
Upcoming deadlines and award dates
2025 (cycle 2) applications are now being accepted! Please find the details for the application process below:
- Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) releases are due February 14, 2025
- Letter of intents are due March 7, 2025
- Full applications due by April 7, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. (EST).
- The earliest start date will be no later than June 1, 2025.
If you have questions about the ACS IRG, please contact Alex Haynes at haynesa4@vcu.edu or (305) 915-4200.
Previous ACS IRG awardees
| Awardees | Project |
|---|---|
| Sarah Braun, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Neurology |
C-SMART for Patients with Primary Brain Tumors: A Feasibility and Acceptability Pilot of a Novel Neuropsychological Rehabilitation Intervention and Neurobiological Research Procedures |
| Adam Khader, M.D., Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Surgery |
Role of FXIIIa in Colorectal Cancer Peritoneal Metastasis |
| Emily Kinsey, M.D. Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine |
A Pilot Study to Evaluate the Efficacy and Safety of the Addition of Ciprofloxacin, Metronidazole and Aspirin in Addition to Chemotherapy in Patients Undergoing First Line Therapy for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer |
| Carrie Miller, Ph.D., M.P.H. Assistant Professor, Family Medicine & Population Health |
Enhancing Diversity in Multi-Cancer Early Detection (MCED) Trials |
| Awardees | Project |
|---|---|
| Elizabeth Krieger, M.D. Assistant Professor, Pediatrics |
Understanding Donor Lymphocyte Infusion Response: A Longitudinal Molecular Examination of T cell Receptor Diversity and Activation |
| Jiong Li, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Medicinal Chemistry |
KDM5 is a Novel Therapeutic Target for Colorectal Cancer |
| Autumn Lanoye, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine |
Feasibility and Acceptability of an Anti-Inflammatory Lifestyle Intervention for Emerging Adult Cancer Survivors |
| Lathika Mohanraj, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Adult Health & Nursing Systems |
Investigation of Psychosocial Biomarkers and Transplant Outcomes in Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Recipients |
| Awardees | Project |
|---|---|
| Wook Jin (Eddie) Chae, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Microbiology & Immunology |
Regulation of Innate Lymphoid Cell Mediated Anti-tumor Immunity by the Wnt System |
| Elizabeth Krieger, M.D. Assistant Professor, Pediatric Hematology & Oncology |
Understanding Donor Lymphocyte Infusion Response: A Longitudinal Molecular Examination of T-cell Receptor Diversity and Activation |
| Georgia Thomas, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Internal Medicine |
Orthostatic Intolerance Syndromes Following Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation |
| Katherine Tossas, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Health Behavior and Policy |
Role of the Vaginal Microbiome on Human Papilloma Virus Carcinogenicity - Implications for Racial Disparities |
| Teresa Salgado, MPharm, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Pharmacotherapy & Outcomes Science |
Preferences for Chemotherapy Discontinuation due to Chemotherapy Induced Peripheral Neuropathy Among Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer |
| Awardees | Project |
|---|---|
| Richard "Inho" Joh, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Physics |
Heterochromatin-mediated Mechanosensing for Tumor Dormancy |
| Jie Shen, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Epidemiology |
The Role of Allostatic Load and Biological Aging in the Association of Neighborhood Disadvantage with Breast Cancer Outcomes and Racial Disparity |
| Katherine Tossas, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Health Behavior and Policy |
Role of the Vaginal Microbiome on Human Papilloma Virus Carcinogenicity - Implications for Racial Disparities |
| Xuewei Wang, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Chemistry |
Potassium Ionophore-based Lipid Nanoparticles for Treatment of Solid Tumors with Necrosis |
| Chunqing Guo, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Human & Molecular Genetics |
Blockade of Scavenger Receptor a to Enhance Cancer Immunotherapy and Radiotherapy |
| Rebecca Martin, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Microbiology & Immunology |
ADAM17 and Membrane TNF on Macrophages Regulates ST2+ T Regulatory Cells that Limit Obesity-induced Inflammation in Mice |
| Sun Jung "Sunny" Kim, Ph.D. Assistant Professor, Health Behavior & Policy |
Cannabis Use and Acceptance among Cancer Survivors and Care Providers |