The Lung Cancer Research Foundation (LCRF) has announced the 2025 LCRF Leading Edge Research Grant Program to support innovative and high-impact lung cancer research. Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer deaths globally, yet it continues to be one of the most underfunded cancer types. This grant program seeks to advance research across a broad range of scientific disciplines, including basic, translational, clinical, epidemiological, health services, and research focused on early detection, disparities, and social determinants of health. The grant aims to catalyze developments in understanding lung cancer and improving patient outcomes.

The program will provide $150,000 in total funding over two years, with annual disbursements of $75,000. Funded projects may cover a wide array of topics, such as lung cancer biology, biomarker discovery, machine learning applications in pathology, and novel therapies including targeted and immunotherapies. Other eligible research areas include gene-environment interactions, disparities in outcomes, antibody-drug conjugate mechanisms, bioengineering solutions such as nanotechnology or gene therapy, and supportive care innovations including palliative care and telemedicine. Funding may be used for salary support, travel, publications, and limited equipment, but cannot cover indirect institutional costs or direct patient care costs reimbursed by other sources.

Eligible applicants must be affiliated with a non-profit academic or research institution and be post-doctoral researchers, clinical fellows, or early- to mid-career investigators with less than ten years since their initial faculty appointment. International applicants and those of any residency status may apply. Investigators who have received LCRF funding in the past four years or are applying to more than one LCRF program in the same cycle are not eligible. Exceptions for more senior researchers with a background in other disease areas may be considered on a case-by-case basis, if requested prior to the submission deadline.

Applications are submitted through a two-stage process via Proposal Central. Applicants must first submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) by March 3, 2025. Successful LOIs will be invited to submit a full proposal by June 2, 2025. Notification of awards will be made in November 2025, with project start dates set for December 1, 2025. Required application materials include a one-page Specific Aims section, NIH biosketches, and a lay summary at the LOI stage. Full proposals must include a six-page narrative, budget, letters of support, and additional documentation. All proposal text must adhere to specific formatting guidelines, including font size and margin requirements.

Applications will be reviewed through a rigorous multi-phase evaluation by LCRF’s Scientific Advisory Board and patient advocates. Reviewers will assess feasibility, innovation, scientific rationale, and potential impact, with evaluations culminating in an NIH-style impact score. All grantees are required to submit interim and final scientific progress reports, as well as lay audience updates every six months. Additionally, grantees must comply with LCRF’s open-access and data sharing policy, including making peer-reviewed publications available in PubMed Central within 12 months of publication.

Questions about eligibility, application preparation, or submission should be directed to grants@lcrf.org. Technical support for the Proposal Central portal is available via phone at 800-875-2562 (US/Canada) or +1-703-964-5840 (international).