The Fanconi Cancer Foundation (FCF) seeks to fund interdisciplinary and translational research efforts that will lead to rapid discovery and development of therapies or strategies that treat, control, or cure Fanconi anemia (FA). Research proposals must address one or more of our research priorities:

Top Priority: To define the pathogenesis of Fanconi associated cancers, and to develop strategies for prevention, early detection, treatment, and cure.

Other Priorities:

• Novel Therapies: To develop ex vivo and in vivo gene therapy and gene editing technologies for FA.
• Bone Marrow Failure: To identify factors predictive of bone marrow failure, myelodysplastic syndrome, and leukemia, and associated treatment for high-risk populations.
• Manifestations of FA: To understand, prevent, and treat systemic, inflammatory, and aging manifestations of FA, including but not limited to: Fanconi Anemia Neurological Syndrome (FANS), endocrine and fertility issues.
• Quality of Life: To identify practical and proactive management strategies that families and persons with FA can use to develop and maintain a high quality of life.
• Data Analytics: To use data analytics to identify biomarkers, hypotheses, risk predictions, and treatment for FA.
• Resource Sharing: To develop shared research resources and systems for allocation (i.e., tissue samples, cell lines, model systems, and data).

What Funding Opportunities are Available?

Investigators can apply for Research Grant Awards (RGA) which range from $25,000 – $250,000 for one- to two-year projects that address our research priorities. Projects may be pre-clinical or clinical in nature. Preliminary data is not required but is preferred. FCF seeks to fund innovative project ideas that have the potential to make significant impact on our understanding of the disease and clinical care for people with FA.

Am I Eligible To Apply?

Researchers who hold a PhD, MD, or equivalent degree from both US and international academic, nonprofit, or for-profit institutions are invited to apply. Researchers previously funded by FCF, or those new to the FA field, including assistant, associate, and full professors, are all encouraged to apply.

FCF encourages early stage investigators – defined as an individual who has not received a FCF grant as a principal investigator OR is within their first five years of their first academic appointment at the level of Assistant Professor or the equivalent – to apply. FCF encourages early stage investigators to collaborate with senior investigators who have demonstrated scientific productivity either in the Fanconi anemia field or in fields of particular relevance to Fanconi anemia pathology and molecular pathogenesis.

How Do I Apply?

FCF is pleased to announce that we now have rolling submission for letters of intent (LOI) for the RGA program.

The new FCF RGA grant process will occur as follows:

1. Investigators can submit an LOI on a project idea relevant to FCF’s research priorities at any time.
2. Investigators will be notified within one month as to whether they have been selected to submit a full proposal.
3. FCF now requires that all full proposal budgets be milestone based. What does a milestone-based funding approach mean? It means that funding throughout the life of the grant will be contingent on successful completion and review of milestones outlined in the proposed aims. Please see the LOI template for more information.
4. Investigators selected to submit full proposals will be emailed a full proposal application at that time.
5. Full proposals must be submitted within two months of the LOI acceptance date.
6. The review process of full proposals is as follows:

• Full proposals will undergo external peer-review using the criteria outlined in the Instructions for Scientific Review.
• After external peer review, a selection committee comprised of FCF staff, expert scientists, and FA family members will select top proposals to recommend to the FCF board of directors.
• How long will this process take? Investigators can expect to receive funding decisions within 2-4 months of their full proposal submission date.

Investigators who fit the requirements outlined above are invited to submit an LOI at any time. There is no limit to the number of LOI an investigator is allowed to submit. Collaborative projects between multiple investigators and institutions are highly encouraged. New investigators to the FA field are encouraged to collaborate with established FA researchers.

Please use the following template to prepare your LOI. Email all completed LOI in a PDF format to grants@fanconi.org. Please note: LOI that do not follow the strict guidelines outlined in the template will not be considered.