Apply for Grant Funding

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?

Beginning in 2025, FCF will transition to an annual grant submission cycle. Below are the 2025 key dates and requirements:

January 3: Letter of Intent (LOI) submissions open.
March 12: LOI submissions close. IMPORTANT: LOIs will not be accepted beyond March 12 for 2025.
April 16: full proposal invites sent to investigators.
June 23: full proposal submissions due.
October 31: project start date.

Application Process

Letter of Intent (LOI):
Investigators must submit an LOI using the designated form available here. LOIs must outline clear specific aims and relevance to FCF’s research priorities. All investigators mush adhere to the strict guidelines provided in the LOI template to be considered. Investigators collaborating across institutions and new investigators are encouraged to apply. Please refer to our Instructions for Scientific Reviewers for information on evaluation criteria.
Full Proposal Invitations:
Selected investigators will receive invitations to submit full proposals by April 16. Detailed instructions, including criteria for scientific review, will be provided at that time.
Full Proposal Submission:
Full proposals are due by June 23 and must include milestone-based budgets.
Review and Selection:
Full proposals undergo external peer review, followed by evaluation by a selection committee that includes expert scientists and FA community representatives. The committee will recommend top proposals to FCF’s Board of Directors for final approval.

Additional Information

Investigators are welcome to collaborate and submit multiple LOIs.
The budget range for this cycle is $25,000 – $250,000 per proposal.
Funding decisions will be communicated approximately 4 months after the full proposal submission deadline.

Please prepare your LOI using the official template. Please email us at grants@fanconi.org with any questions.

LOI Submission Form

Frequently Asked Questions

FCF funds high-impact projects that have significant capacity to shift the current paradigms of our understanding of FA and clinical care for people with FA. FCF funds projects that typically would not be funded by the NIH or other federal agencies.

There will be an annual submission process for 2025. Letters of intent are due by March 12 and must be submitted via the link on our website.

Please use this form: https://fagroupeval.formstack.com/forms/research_grant_letter_of_intent

The letter of intent review process is approximately one month. The full proposal review process is approximately four months.

No.

Investigators will be notified regarding the status of their LOI; however, detailed feedback will not be provided for LOIs that are not selected for a full proposal.

No, but you will have a higher likelihood of receiving funding if preliminary data is included in your full proposal.

1-2 years using a milestone-based approach.

Investigators will be expected to organize their projects in a series of achievable milestones. These milestones must be coordinated with a specific budget. FCF will fund the project in installments based on whether pre-determined milestones are reached.

All funded investigators will be required to submit 6-month progress reports throughout the study period. FCF scientific staff will also perform routine follow up as needed.

$25,000 – $250,000.

Yes.

No.

RGAs can be used for both preclinical and clinical studies.

No.