Sarcoma Research Grants Initiative

While any researcher affiliated with a 501(c)(3) may submit a letter of intent at any time, grant applications are received by invitation only. Each application is reviewed on its individual scientific merit in as timely a manner as possible. The peer-review process typically takes 2-4 months.

What We Fund

The Alan B. Slifka Foundation funds a wide range of sarcoma research topics, including but not limited to:

understanding the molecular biology of sarcomas;

exploring “molecular targets” for new sarcoma therapies;

studying chromosomal translocations, the oncogenes they generate and their role in sarcoma development;

translational studies; vaccine studies, monoclonal antibodies and small-molecule inhibitors of signal transduction pathways;

the use of nanotechnology in the diagnosis and treatment of sarcomas;

understanding the basis of radiation-induced sarcomas;

modeling of the processes of metastases and drug resistance;

exploring differences in the development of sarcomas in children, adolescents, young adults and adults;

research directed at the early detection and diagnosis of sarcoma; and

pre-clinical studies leading to an IND.

Grants may be used for the development of models; conducting experiments; development of sarcoma tissue registries; and similar activities related to research into the causes, origins, development, metastasis, molecular biology, diagnosis and treatment of sarcomas. Proposals that pursue studies with patients undergoing treatment or who are participating in an investigational study are considered and have been supported. Grant amounts may vary but generally do not exceed $50,000 for one year. Grant duration also varies but typically does not extend beyond two years.

How to Apply

If you would like to apply for a grant, please send a 1-2 page letter of intent (LOI) that briefly describes the topic of the research study, the sub-types of sarcoma under investigation, principal investigator and affiliation, project timeline and overall project cost to sarcomaLOI@slifkafoundation.org. Please also include relevant NIH biosketches. If the LOI is of interest to us, we will respond by sending a grant application to complete.

Open Science and Collaboration

The Alan B. Slifka Foundation encourages the principle of open science. Open science is the timely and public dissemination, availability and use of scientific data as well as the sharing of experimental methodology and observations. We award many individual grants and also encourage applications that involve collaboration between investigators in different departments within, and among institutions. Please note that grants for international programs will be made only through U.S.-based or affiliated 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.

Co-Submission

Applicants who are considering co-submitting their proposed research to another organization for funding, must, in the detailed description of the study and the budget, clearly indicate the nature of the support being requested both from the Alan B. Slifka Foundation and from the other organization. We will not make a decision about funding prior to the other organization's decision unless we are administering the peer-review process for both organizations. If another organization is conducting a peer-review process, their outcome will help guide our funding determination.