The Yosemite-American Cancer Society Award supports innovative research to develop methodologies, establish feasibility, or pilot high risk/high reward projects to advance the prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of cancer as outlined in topic #1 or #2. Preliminary data are not required. Priority will be given to projects that are highly innovative, feasible within a two-year maximum timeframe, and are poised to make an impact on cancer prevention, treatment, and healthcare delivery.
Topic 1: AI has the potential to revolutionize biotechnology and healthcare delivery. Technologies are revolutionizing how we can predict protein folding, gene expression, how patients are diagnosed at the point of care, and more. Broadly accessible tools like these have the ability to transform drug discovery and development, diagnostics and prognostics, clinical care delivery, and healthcare administration. The Yosemite-American Cancer Society Award supports projects pioneering the application of transformative AI models to make novel discoveries with the potential to impact how we care for cancer patients. We believe AI will continue to accelerate the pace of innovation in healthcare and broaden the reach into communities to reduce health inequities. Many of these discoveries will come from top researchers thinking deeply about how new tools in the space may unlock insights in their own work.
Project proposals should fit into one of two broad categories:
• Advancing the AI technology stack for biotechnology and healthcare delivery
• Applications of AI tools in ways that can impact cancer patients
Topic 2: We have seen an incredible pace of innovation in immuno-oncology and various cell therapy approaches, all of which would benefit from innovation in tumor microenvironment modulation, including:
• Removing the immunosuppressive microenvironment
• Removing deleterious cell types in the TME
• Bolstering helpful cell phenotypes
• Novel TIL approaches
• Targeting angiogenesis
Applications must be submitted via https://proposalcentral.com/. To request application link and instructions, please contact Yosemite@cancer.org .
Deadline: May 10, 2024
Investigators at any career stage with a faculty appointment or full-time employment position at one of the Invited Institutions are eligible to apply. Duke is an invited institution.
Yosemite-American Cancer Society Award grantees are funded at up to $300,000 direct costs for one or two year projects. Indirect cost of 10% are included with a maximum allowable budget of $330,000 total costs for a two-year project period. These grants are not renewable or transferable to a different institution.