Pilot Project Program

The University of New Mexico Comprehensive Cancer Center (UNMCCC) provides funds to its members through multiple pilot grant award mechanisms with the purpose of supporting the acquisition of cancer relevant preliminary data that will lead to external grant funding and published work by Cancer Center members. Priority for these awards is given to innovative cancer-focused research that advances the goals of the UNMCCC Research Programs and Clinical Working Groups. These pilot projects cover clinical, basic, and population science research and span in size and complexity from post-doctoral and graduate student matching, to mid-range project development, to large scale collaborative efforts between multiple labs. Below please find an outline of each funding mechanism, associated deadlines, contact information and a link to the RFA for each award.

Please contact UNMCC-PilotProgram@salud.unm.edu for any general questions. Contacts for each pilot program are listed below for more technical question. We look forward to hearing about your novel ideas in your research proposals!

Internal Competition

V Foundation's Translational Cancer Research Grant

The V Foundation seeks to support translational research projects within the scope of adult cancer research. Translational projects should move a novel strategy from the laboratory into a human clinical trial or use specimens from a clinical trial to develop biomarkers or mechanisms. The research should apply in some direct way to human beings within the time frame of less than 3 years.

American Cancer Society — Institutional Research Grant

The University of New Mexico (UNM) has been issued an Institutional Research Grant (IRG) by the American Cancer Society (ACS) for the period of January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2024. The purpose of this grant is to increase the base of cancer-related research at UNM through pilot awards to junior faculty members campus-wide.
Junior faculty members with appointments in all Schools and Colleges of UNM are eligible for research support through the ACS IRG.

Applications are due twice per year:
February 1 and August 1, 2023

Belinda Quesada
baquesada@salud.unm.edu