Research and Funding

Below are some of the funding opportunities and awards available for research support, as well as symposiums for fellows and additional resources. If you’d like assistance with writing or editing proposals and applications, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Tyler Rice.

Grants & Awards

Selective Targeting of Pancreatic (SToP) Cancer SPORE Programs

Developmental Research Program (DRP): Click to view RFA

The SToP Cancer SPORE DRP supports innovative projects in pancreatic cancer that have promising translational impact. Projects do not need to have a clinical endpoint, but they must have translational relevance for pancreatic cancer that could be developed into proposals for extramural funding.

Award Amount: Up to $100,000 for 1 year
Application Deadline: October 1, 2025
Email application to Tyler Rice (tyrice@ad.unc.edu)

Career Enhancement Program (CEP): Click to view RFA

The SToP Cancer SPORE CEP funds junior faculty committed to pancreatic cancer research or established investigators new to pancreatic cancer research. Awardees will be assigned a mentoring committee led by SToP Cancer SPORE members that will be convened quarterly. Awardees will be expected to participate in and present at SPORE meetings and collaborate with other SPORE members.

Award Amount: Up to $100,000 for 1 year
Application Deadline: October 1, 2025
Email application to Tyler Rice (tyrice@ad.unc.edu)

Other Grants and Awards

• AACR-Novocure Career Development Award for Cancer Research: 3 years, $300,000. Application deadline: June 30, 2025, at 1:00 pm ET. Grant term starts December 1, 2025.

• Drug Discovery Targets and Pathways: Faculty Starter Grant: 1 year, $100,000. Deadline has passed for 2025, dates for next application window will be updated when released.

• Pancreatic Cancer Action Network Career Development Award: 2 years, $250,000. Deadline has passed, dates for next application window will be updated when released.

• National Pancreas Foundation Research Grant: 1 year, up to $50,000. Deadline has passed for 2025, dates for next application window will be updated when released.

• Robert L. Fine Cancer Research Foundation: 2 years, $250,000. Deadline has passed for 2025, dates for next application window will be updated when released.

• American Association for Cancer Research:

  • AACR Gertrude B. Elion Cancer Research Award: 1 year, $225,000. LOI deadline: June 3, 2024. Application deadline: September 15, 2025. Grant term starts November 1, 2025.

  • Lustgarten Foundation-Swim Across America-AACR Pancreatic Cancer Early Detection Research Grant: 3 years, $300,000. Deadline for 2025 has passed, dates for next application window will be updated when released.

  • Lustgarten Foundation-AACR Career Development Award for Pancreatic Cancer Research, in Honor of John Robert Lewis: 3 years, $300,000. Deadline for 2025 has passed, dates for next application window will be updated when released.

  • Lustgarten Foundation-AACR Career Development Award for Pancreatic Cancer Research, in honor of Ruth Bader Ginsburg: 3 years, $300,000. Deadline for 2025 has passed, dates for next application window will be updated when released.

For Fellows and Pre- and Post-doctoral Students

• National Pancreas Foundation Fellows Symposium: Open to physicians and PhD-level scientists who are fellows, residents, and first or second year faculty. March 26-28, 2026 in Tempe, AZ. Applications are due December 1, 2025.