Institutional Research Grants

Institutional Research Grants are block grants averaging $90,000 per year for three years given to institutions as "seed money" for the initiation of projects by promising junior investigators.

Application Deadline: April 1

1. Overview Of The Extramural Research And Training Grants Program Of The American Cancer Society

With a primary focus on beginning investigators, the American Cancer Society’s Extramural Grants Program seeks to support innovative cancer research across a wide range of disciplines to meet critically important needs in the control of cancer.

Each year, the Society receives approximately 2,000 requests for support of cancer research and for training of health care professionals. All proposals are subjected to multiple levels of rigorous and independent peer review to identify the most meritorious projects for funding.

The Society offers extramural support for research and training via the programs described below. For program specific information, please see Section 19.

Grant Mechanisms

Research Grants For Independent Investigators

Institutional Research Grants

warded to institutions as block grants to provide seed money for newly independent investigators to initiate research projects. Grants are made for one to three years, and average $120,000 per year. These grants are renewable.

PreDoctoral Training

Doctoral Training Grants in Oncology Social Work

Awards to doctoral students to conduct research related to oncology social work. Initial 2-year grants providing a stipend of $20,000 per year with possibility of a 2-year competitive renewal.

Master’s Training Grants in Clinical Oncology Social Work

Awards to institutions to support the training of second-year master’s degree students to provide psychosocial services to persons with cancer and their families. The grant term is two years with annual funding of $12,000 (trainee award of $10,000 and $2,000 for faculty professional development). These grants are renewable.

Doctoral Degree Scholarships in Cancer Nursing

Provide support for study in a doctoral degree program in nursing or a related area, and prepare the graduate for a career as a cancer nurse scientist. The initial award is for two years and provides a stipend of $15,000 per year. Scholarships may be renewed for an additional two years based on satisfactory progress. Graduate Scholarships in Cancer Nursing Practice—Support for graduate students pursuing a master’s degree in cancer nursing or doctorate of nursing practice (DNP). Awards may be for up to two years with stipend of $10,000 per year.

American Cancer Society Professor Awards

Research Professor Awards

Awarded to outstanding mid-career investigators who have made seminal contributions that have changed the direction of cancer research. In general, applicants will recently have attained the rank of full professor. The awards are for 5 years in the total amount of $400,000, and may be renewed once.

Clinical Research Professor Awards

Awarded to outstanding mid-career investigators who have made seminal contributions that have changed the direction of clinical, psychosocial, behavioral, health policy or epidemiologic cancer research. In general, applicants will recently have attained the rank of full professor. The awards are for 5 years in the total amount of $400,000, and may be renewed once.

International Program

Audrey Meyer Mars International Fellowships in Clinical Oncology

Support for one year of advanced training in clinical oncology at participating US cancer centers to qualified physicians and surgeons from other countries, particularly countries where advanced training is not readily available. This program is limited to non-US citizens and provides up to US$65,000 for one year. Annual application deadline is February 1.

Special Initiative

Priority Focus On Health Equity Research In The Cancer Control And Prevention Research Grants Program

Despite the steady overall decline in cancer incidence and mortality rates in the United States, not all population groups have benefited equally. Differences exist in rates of incidence, prevalence, mortality and related adverse health conditions in subgroups of the US population. If application of the existing knowledge about cancer prevention, early detection and treatment were delivered equally, disparities in cancer could be substantially reduced or eliminated. Achieving health equity by establishing inclusive health and social systems whereby all people are treated equitably creates conditions for improving health outcomes.

The American Cancer Society (ACS) has a longstanding history of advocacy, education, community outreach and research in the area of cancer disparities and continues to recognize the importance of research in the area. As highlighted in reports by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality and the Institute of Medicine, inequitable differences or health disparities are linked to various determinants of health. The determinants of health are interrelated risk factors that extend across the life span to impact health (Braveman, 2014). Environmental conditions—the conditions in which people are born, live, play, thrive, work and worship—and the available systems supporting health comprise the social determinants of health. Integral to these influences are the economic, political and social policies that exist in and shape communities. Besides sociopolitical influences, biology, genetics/genomics and individual behaviors are also determinants of health. Inequity and health disparities may be further characterized by age, gender, disability status, ethnicity/race, geography, income, language, social class, or sexual orientation. The National Stakeholder Strategy for Achieving Health Equity, supported by the US Department of Health and Human Services Office of Minority Health, presents an action-oriented blueprint to move the nation towards achieving health equity by combating health disparities with a comprehensive, community-driven approach. The ACS has overlapping goals and is committed to addressing cancer health equity through research, education, advocacy and service.

Requests For Applications (RFAs)

Pilot and Exploratory Projects in Palliative Care of Cancer Patients and their Families

Supports investigators performing pilot and exploratory research studies that test interventions, develop research methodologies, and explore novel areas of research in palliative care of cancer patients and their families. Applications will be accepted via the Pilot and Exploratory Grants Mechanism. The maximum award is for 2 years and up to $60,000 per year (direct costs) plus 20% indirect costs. Annual Deadlines: April 1 and October 15.

Research Scholar Grant in the Role of Health Policy and Healthcare Insurance in

Improving Access to Care and Performance in Cancer Prevention, Early Detection, and Treatment Services

This RFA is a call for research that evaluates the impact of the many changes now occurring in the health care system with a particular focus on cancer prevention, control, and treatment. Efforts focusing on improving access to care may also impact inequities that contribute to health disparities. New health public policy initiatives, for example the new federal and state marketplaces that have expanded insurance coverage, as well as Medicaid expansion in some states, create natural experiments ripe for evaluation. Research to be funded by this RFA should focus on the changes in national, state, and/or local policy and the response to these changes by health care systems, insurers, payers, communities, practices, and patients.

Applications will be accepted via the Research Scholar Grant in Cancer Control and Prevention Program. Award length and budget limits vary; please see the Research Scholar Grant policies and instructions for a detailed description of this RFA. Annual Deadlines: April 1 and October 15.

2. Authority For Making Grants

All American Cancer Society grants and awards are made by the Chief Executive Officer on behalf of the Society’s Board of Directors.

3. Source of Funds

The American Cancer Society obtains its funds principally from public donations collected annually by our many dedicated volunteers. In order to disseminate information about the Society’s Extramural Research and Training Grants Program to our volunteers and to the public, grantees may occasionally be asked to give brief presentations to professional and lay audiences.

4. Who May apply

Applicants for Mentored Research Scholar Grants, Postdoctoral Fellowships, and Cancer Control Career Development Awards for Primary Care Physicians must at the time of application be United States citizens or permanent residents of the United States. There are no US citizenship requirements for all other grants.

Although applicants may apply for multiple awards, a grantee may not be the principal investigator on more than one ACS Grant at any time. Exceptions are made for recipients of grants that are in response to RFAs and for PIs of Institutional Research Grants.

5. Collaborations With ACS Intramural Scientists (if needed)

• If an Extramural scientist is planning a collaboration with an ACS Intramural Scientist, they may be eligible to submit an application if they meet all other requirement of eligibility. Such collaborations are not required.
• In most cases, the use of ACS research resources will require that at least one ACS intramural scientist is included as a collaborator on a grant application. Therefore prior to submission of an application, the collaboration between extramural scientists and intramural scientists must be established according to the policies and procedures established by ACS Intramural Research.
• Intramural scientists and their staff may participate in grants and contracts in a number of ways, including:
  • Serving as unpaid consultants, collaborator, co-investigator or mentor. Intramural scientists may not serve as a principal investigator on an ACS grant or contract.
  • Contributing to the conceptualization, design, execution, or interpretation of a research study.
  • Having primary responsibility for a Specific Aim within a standard research project grant (e.g. RSG).
  • Developing/contributing data for an extramural collaboration.
  • Participating in a multi-institutional collaborative arrangement with extramural researchers for clinical, prevention, or epidemiological studies.
• ACS Intramural scientists may not receive salary support, travel expenses, or other funds from ACS-funded grants or contracts.
• The intramural scientist or extramural scientist may have access to reagents, probes, laboratory equipment or access to data and to conduct the extramurally funded portion of the research, as established in their collaborative agreement.
• While intramural scientists may write a description of the work to be performed by the intramural department, they may not write an applicant’s grant application or contract proposal. However, collaborating intramural scientist should review and approve the appropriate sections.
• ACS intramural scientist participation must comply with the policies and procedures related to conflict of interest, non-disclosure and disclosure regulations and conflict of interest.
• ACS intramural scientists must file annual and final research reports related to their activities associate with any grant or contract awarded through the Extramural Grants Department.

6. Eligible Institutions and Institutional Responsibilities

The Society’s grants and awards are made to not-for-profit institutions located within the United States, its territories, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico. A not-for-profit institution is one that –IF REQUESTED- can provide:

• A current letter from the Internal Revenue Service conferring 501(c)(3) status,
• Documentation of an active cancer research program

Unsolicited grant applications will not be accepted from, nor will grants be made for, the support of research conducted at for-profit institutions, federal government agencies (including the National Laboratories), or organizations supported entirely by the federal government (with the exception of postdoctoral fellowship applications) or organizations, such as Foundations operated by, and for the benefit of, Veteran Affairs Medical Centers, whose primary beneficiaries are federal government entities. Applications may be submitted by qualified academic institutions on behalf of Veteran Affairs Medical Centers, provided that a Dean’s Committee Memorandum of Affiliation is in effect between the two institutions.

The American Cancer Society does not assume responsibility for the conduct of the activities that the grant supports or the acts of the grant recipient as both are under the direction and control of the grantee institution and subject to the institution's medical and scientific policies. Grantee institutions must safeguard the rights and welfare of individuals who participate as subjects in research activities by reviewing proposed activities through an Institutional Review Board (IRB), as specified by the National Institutes of Health Office for Human Research Protections, US Department of Health and Human Services. Furthermore, grantee institutions must adhere to DHHS guidelines as well as ACS guidelines regarding conflicts of interest, recombinant DNA, scientific misconduct, and all other ACS policies and procedures applicable to the grant application and grant. These policies apply to applicants and applicant institutions as well.

To signify agreement by the institution to all ACS policies and procedures, an application for a grant must bear the signature of the official authorized to sign for the institution. Signature of the department head is also required. Additional signatures are at the discretion of the institution.

The institution is responsible for verifying that all documentation related to the application and/or grant, including all representations made by any named researcher (e.g. position or title), is correct. Further, it is the responsibility of the institution to verify that the applicant is either a US citizen or permanent resident with a Resident Alien Card or “Green Card,” where applicable. If the award does not require US citizenship or permanent residency as an eligibility requirement, the institution is responsible for documenting that the applicant is legally eligible to work in the US for the duration of the award. For postdoctoral fellowships, if the terminal degree is granted after submission of the application, the institution must verify that the degree has been awarded prior to grant activation.

It is the responsibility of the institution to immediately report to ACS any finding that any information presented to ACS in connection with the application and/or grant was false. It is also the responsibility of the institution to immediately report to ACS any action including recertification, loss of certification, breach of conflict, or misconduct, or any change in a named researcher’s employment status with the institution, including administrative leave, which may occur during the term of any award that is pertinent related to the work described in the grant application. Failure to abide by the terms above, or any other ACS policies and procedures in connection with the application and/or grant, may result in ACS suspending grant funding, or canceling the grant, to be decided by ACS in its sole discretion.

By accepting an American Cancer Society award, you agree to the Guidelines for Maintaining Research and Peer Review Integrity that can be found in the appendix of these policies.

7. Tobacco-Industry Funding Policy

Scientific investigators or health professionals who are funded by the tobacco industry for any project, or whose named mentors in the case of mentored grants are funded by the tobacco industry for any project, may not apply and will not be eligible for American Cancer Society research and training grants. Scientific investigators, health professionals, or named mentors who accept funding from the tobacco industry for any project during the tenure of an American Cancer Society research or training grant must inform the Society of such funding, whereupon the American Cancer Society grant will immediately be terminated. Tobacco industry funding includes: funds from a company that is engaged in, or has affiliates engaged in the manufacture of tobacco produced for human use; funds in the name of a tobacco brand, whether or not the brand name is used solely for tobacco goods; funds from a body set up by the tobacco industry or by one or more companies engaged in the manufacture of tobacco goods.

The following do not constitute tobacco industry funding for the purposes of this policy:

• Legacies from tobacco industry investments (unless the names of a tobacco company or cigarette brand are associated with them);
• Funding from a trust or foundation established with assets related to the tobacco industry but no longer having any connection with the tobacco industry even though it may bear a name that (for historical reasons) is associated with the tobacco industry.

Tobacco industry funding is defined for purposes of Society grants and awards applicants and recipients as money provided or used for all or any of the costs of the research, including personnel, consumables, equipment, buildings, travel, meetings, and conferences, running (operating) costs for laboratories and offices, but not meetings or conferences unrelated to a particular research project.

8. Peer Review of Applications

The Society's Scientific Program Directors distribute the applications to the most appropriate Peer Review Committee and then assign each application to at least two committee members for independent and confidential review. Each committee generally has between 12 and 25 members who are leaders in their areas of expertise, plus up to three “stakeholders.” A stakeholder is an individual usually without formal training as a scientist or health professional who has a strong personal interest in advancing the effort to control and prevent cancer through research and training. This interest could stem from a personal experience with the disease, such as survivorship, a family cancer experience, or being a caregiver.

Depending on the grant applied for (see specific sections), the committees evaluate applications based on some or all of the following criteria: (a) the scientific merit, originality, and feasibility of the application; (b) the qualifications, experience and productivity of the applicant, and the members of the investigative team; (c) the facilities and resources available; and (d) the promise of the research or training as related to the control of cancer or to the benefit to be gained by persons with cancer. At the Peer Review Committee meeting, the most competitive applications are discussed and a priority score is voted. Written evaluations of each application are provided to the Council for Extramural Grants (the Council). The Council is a multidisciplinary panel of senior scientists, many having previously served on a Peer Review Committee, up to three stakeholders, and the Chair of the Society’s Research and Medical Affairs Committee serving as an ex officio, non-voting member. After considering the relative merit of the applications, the amount of available funds and the Society’s objectives, the Council establishes the pay line to determine which grants will be funded during each cycle. No voting member of a Peer Review Committee or of the Council may be a member of the ACS staff or serve concurrently on the Board of Directors of the American Cancer Society.

In general, applications that are not funded may be revised and resubmitted twice; postdoctoral fellowship applications may only be resubmitted once. Resubmitted applications will be reviewed in the same detail and compete on an equal basis with all other new applications. (See Instructions for additional information on resubmission of applications.)

9. Application Deadlines

Applications for grants and awards must be submitted as paper and electronic copies via proposalCENTRAL. Access is available using links provided in the American Cancer Society web site www.cancer.org (see Instructions). The electronic applications must be submitted at the proposalCENTRAL website by close of business (5:00 PM EST) on the specified deadline date. For the convenience of the applicant, a paper copy is due one day after submission of the electronic copy. If the deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, applications will be accepted the following business day.

10. Notification Of Application Receipt And Review

Approximately one month after receipt of the application, applicants will receive an email acknowledgment providing an application number, the assigned Peer Review Committee, and the name and telephone number of their Scientific Program Director. This email will be sent to the address in the Professional Profile supplied at the time of submission in proposalCENTRAL. It is important that the address listed in the Professional Profile is a viable mailing address as it will be used to notify you throughout the review and award process.

Preliminary Notification.

Following review, preliminary information regarding the status of an application will be emailed along with instructions to download copies of the reviewers’ critiques. The notification will also indicate the likelihood of funding as described by one of the following phrases: experience suggests that (a) your application has been recommended for funding, (b) we cannot predict the likelihood of funding at this time or (c) your application is not likely to be funded. Please note that all final funding decisions are made by the Council for Extramural Grants which typically meets in March and September.

Applicants may call the Extramural Grants Department at anytime during the review cycle. The Program Director and Program Coordinator will shepherd your application through the entire process. Following receipt and careful consideration of the critiques, applicants are encouraged to contact their Program Director to discuss their review. For those applicants considering resubmission, it is strongly encouraged that they contact their Program Director well in advance of the next deadline.

11. Grant Management And Payments

New grantees will receive a packet of information which includes instructions for activation of the award. The activation form as well as other important information about the grant can be found at https://proposalcentral.altum.com. Select the Award tab to see the Post Award Management Site.

Grant payments will be made at the end of each month, except for nursing scholarships and social work grants, which are made once yearly at the beginning of the year. The American Cancer Society requires that all payments are made to the sponsoring institution and are mailed to the address indicated on the grant activation form. Acknowledgment of payment by the sponsoring institution is not required. Continued funding by ACS throughout the grant period is contingent upon institution complying with all of the terms related to the grant; and failure to comply with all of the grant terms may result in a suspension of grant funding, or cancellation of the grant, to be determined by ACS in its sole discretion.

Personnel compensated in whole or in part with funds from the American Cancer Society are not considered employees of the Society. Institutions are responsible for issuing the appropriate IRS tax filings for all individuals receiving compensation from American Cancer Society grants and are responsible for withholding and paying all required federal, state, and local payroll taxes with regard to such compensation. Any tax consequences are the responsibility of the individual recipient and the sponsoring institution. We advise all grant and award recipients to consult a tax advisor regarding the status of their awards.

12. Annual And Final Progress Reports

The following policies apply to Research Scholar Grants, Mentored Research Scholar Grants, and Postdoctoral Fellowships. For all other grants, see the appropriate "Required Progress Reports" sections. Annual and final reports represent a critical part of responsible stewardship of the donated dollars. We greatly appreciate your efforts to assist us in fulfilling this important commitment to our donors.

• Both nontechnical and scientific progress reports are to be submitted each year within 60 days after the first and subsequent anniversaries of the start date of the grant, and final reports are due within sixty days after the grant has terminated. To access the necessary forms for annual and final progress reports, please go to https://proposalcentral.altum.com.
• The final report should cover the entire grant period. In the event a grant has been extended without additional funds, the final report is not due until the official termination date of the grant. If the grant is terminated early, a final report must still be completed within 60 days of the termination date.
• Reports are to be submitted in a timely manner. If this is not possible, a written request to extend the reporting deadline must be made. Otherwise, noncompliance may result in the withholding of payment on all grants in effect at the recipient institution until reports are received.
• Please note that up to date annual reports are required when requesting any grant modifications including transfers or no cost extensions.

13. Publications And Other Research Communications

Publications resulting from research or training activities supported by the American Cancer Society must contain the following acknowledgment: "Supported by (insert name of grant and number) from the American Cancer Society.” In the event that there are multiple sources of support, the acknowledgment should read "Supported in part by (insert name of grant and number) from the American Cancer Society” along with references to other funding sources. The Society’s support should also be acknowledged by the grantee and by the institution in all public communication of work resulting from this grant, including scientific abstracts (where permitted), posters at scientific meetings, press releases or other media communications, and Internet-based communications.

Although there is no formal approval process for publications by Society grantees, it is helpful if investigators notify their Program Directors when manuscripts have been accepted for future publication. This will allow ample time to consider and coordinate any additional public or Society-wide notifications. If your institution decides to send out a press release involving any of your Society-supported research, please notify your local ACS Division office (phone number on your award letter) or your Program Director in advance.

ACS grants to you a limited, revocable, non-transferable license to use the ACS logo (as shown below) in connection with your funded work. We encourage you to use the following ACS logo on any scientific poster, in a Power Point presentation, or any other visual presentation about your funded work where the ACS is noted as a funding source. In turn you agree to provide any materials featuring the ACS logo to ACS upon our request. Permission to use the logo is limited to the uses outlined in the above paragraph.

FAQ's

• I am a new assistant professor without any grant support from a national agency. Can I apply to the American Cancer Society National Office for an IRG?

• NO! Only the institution may apply. If there is an IRG in effect at your institution, you may apply to the local IRG Committee for support. If you don't know whether your institution holds an American Cancer Society IRG, contact the Society's Extramural Grants Department at 404-329-7558 or grants@cancer.org.

• I am an assistant professor, and my initial nationally peer reviewed research grant was not renewed. Can I apply to my institution for an IRG?

• Yes. Individuals whose initial grant was not renewed and who are still at the level of assistant professor may apply for an individual IRG--provided they are within the first six years of their independent faculty (or equivalent) appointment and have not received funds from the IRG before.

• What about personnel grants that are primarily intended for the junior investigator's salary, such as the NIH K series?

• As long as the applicant meets all other criteria, holders of personnel awards are eligible to receive pilot project money from the IRG. However, this does not apply to investigators with the K99/R00. These individuals already are receiving funding to help support an application for an independent research grant. Thus, an IRG pilot project grant would be more beneficial if awarded to an applicant who has no external support.

• I have a small grant from the local Division of the American Cancer Society, or a small foundation grant. Am I eligible for an individual IRG award?

• As long as the grant is not the result of a national peer-reviewed competition and is for support of a different project, you may still apply for an IRG award.

• I am an assistant professor with an RO1 award, but want to initiate a project in a totally different area. May I apply for an individual IRG Award?

• No. The IRG is intended for new investigators without an active (i.e., NIH, NSF, ACS) national competitive research grant, no matter what the topic.

• Is an individual eligible for more than one pilot project grant?

• An individual grantee may receive a second year of funding for the same pilot project only. The award is contingent upon the local IRG committee’s review and approval of a progress report. An individual may NOT receive a second grant to initiate a different pilot project.

• Who is on the local IRG Review Committee?

• The local IRG Review Committee should be composed of representatives from all the health science schools and colleges of the institution. The chair of the Committee is the principal investigator of the IRG. Institutional Research Grants Policies

• How many people should serve on the local IRG Review Committee?

• That depends on the number of applications to be reviewed and the expertise required. A broad representation from departments with investigators doing cancer research should be included.

• Should the Committee be composed only of senior researchers?

• Preferably not, although the principal investigator of the IRG is usually a senior investigator. Junior researchers who are not eligible to receive a pilot project grants from the IRG because they have funding from a national agency are also recommended. Former IRG recipients may also become Committee members.

• How long should a Committee member serve?

• We suggest that committee members serve four or five year staggered terms, similar to our National peer review committees.

• The INSTRUCTIONS state that the local IRG Review Committee should include representatives from the local Division of the American Cancer Society. Why is this?

• The Society wishes to increase awareness among our volunteers and staff about the importance of our Research Program. It is only because of the hard work of the volunteers in soliciting contributions that we are able to award money for research. When staff or volunteers serve on the local IRG Review Committee, they develop identification with both research and researchers and their understanding of and enthusiasm for research increases. This interaction is a very important criterion for judging the success of renewal applications.

• How do we identify these ACS representatives?

• If you do not know your contact in the local American Cancer Society office, the IRG Program Director, Virginia Krawiec, can obtain the name of a contact for you.

• Can you give some other examples of successful Division-institution interactions?

• Hosting an event for the local ACS staff and volunteers where they can meet and hear presentations from the individual IRG awardees or other ACS grantees.

• Arranging visits of groups of ACS volunteers and staff to the institution to see the labs and investigators on an informal basis.

• Collaborating on advocacy efforts through the ACS Cancer Action Network.

• How does the pilot project grant review process occur?

• The timing and operations of the review process are determined by the institution, but should follow the guidelines in the POLICIES.

• What is a good way to publicize the availability of funds?

• Campus-wide publicity via E-mail or letters to all eligible junior faculty, not just to department chairs, is the best way. Notices on bulletin boards and in campus newsletters also work well. One institution put posters and a box of individual application forms at the entrances of all science buildings and received a record number of applications.

• What should we do if the recipient of a pilot project grant receives a national competitive grant on the same topic before any of the IRG award is spent?

• If the Institutional Research Grant is still in effect, the unspent funds may be awarded to the next approved applicant; otherwise, the money must be returned to the Society.

• Why is so much documentation required?

• The present forms were designed with the advice of the members of the National Peer Review Committee for Institutional Research Grants. The Tables present the relevant information in a clear and consistent fashion, facilitating the evaluation process and enabling comparison of institutions with very diverse characteristics.

• How do we determine the number of junior investigators doing cancer research at our institution?

• One way is to survey department chairs for the number of newly hired faculty and the number of recruitments planned for the next three years. Another approach is to request letters of intent from all prospective beginning investigators in the institution to assess their numbers and level of interest in applying for a pilot project grant.

• We have no idea what has happened to our awardees from previous years. What do we do?

• The requirement for a five-year track record has been in effect since 1989, so five years of documentation should be available for inclusion in all renewal applications. The track record of awardees in obtaining publications and grants is the most important criterion on which renewals are evaluated.

• Please explain the American Cancer Society policy on indirect costs for IRGs.

• The Society wants as much money as possible to be used for the beginning investigators' projects. At the December 1993 meeting, the Board of Directors voted to eliminate indirect costs for the IRGs, beginning with new and renewal grants initiated on or after July 1, 1994.

• How does an institution's business office handle IRG accounts?

• The institution must set up a separate, master account for the grant to the institution. Most institutions then create subaccounts for each individual pilot project grant. The term of the pilot project grant is usually for one year following the notification date to the individual, not from the start date of the institution’s IRG. The master account will be empty when all the pilot project grants have been made. Individuals with pilot project grant have one year from the time of receipt of their award to spend their allocations, even if this extends past the end date of the entire IRG.

• What about awards made to other institutions as part of a consortium agreement?

• These can usually be handled as subcontracts to the other institution.

• Our institution didn't award all of its pilot project grants until April, and the IRG grant year terminates December 31. Can the individual investigators spend their funds after December

• without violating the Society's policy of not allowing carryover of unexpended funds from one grant period to the next?

• Yes. Because of the special nature of the IRGs, the Society considers the funds to have been expended once they have been allocated to, but not necessarily spent by, an individual investigator. Therefore, it is important to award all of the pilot project grants by December

• May unspent funds be carried over from an existing IRG to a new grant?

• No, if the institution has received a renewal, IRG-16-111-04, any money from IRG-13-003- 01 not allocated as pilot project grants by December 31, 2015, must be returned to the Society and cannot be applied to allocations made after that date. All allocations made from January 1, 2012, through the end of the grant, must come from the IRG-13-003-01 award. If the institution's renewal application is not successful, then, and only then, can an extension in time be granted, if so requested by the institution.

• One of our individual grantees received a pilot project grant in November, before the grant year ended that December 31. He has had a hard time getting started and has money left over after a year. Can we extend him for an additional year?

• That is up to the local IRG review committee. Once the pilot project grant was awarded to the individual, the Society considers the funds expended. The committee can decide internally to extend the term of the individual's pilot project grant, or to return the leftover funds to the Society. Since the report of expenditures on an IRG ending December 31, 2018, will be due March 2020, it might be necessary for the principal investigator of the IRG in this example to request a delay in filing the report of expenditures.

• One of our awardees from a previous IRG has left the institution and has money remaining in her account. Can we apply that money to one of the new pilot project grant applicants?

• Only if the parent IRG grant is still in effect. Otherwise, that money must be returned to the Society.

• I am an IRG pilot project grant recipient with a graduate student working in my lab. Can I use part of my $30,000 allocation to pay this student's tuition or stipend?

• Stipend, yes; direct payment of tuition is not an allowable expense. Institutional Research Grants Policies

• What is a Special Interest Award and how does the National Peer Review Committee decide who gets one?

• A Special Interest Award is a $30,000 pilot project grant targeted for a project in an area of special interest to the Society, such as psychosocial and behavioral research, health policy or services research, cancer in the poor and underserved, and childhood cancer. Since applications in these areas do not often compete well for limited funds, an institution may request up to $30,000 to be allocated for a project in one of these areas in addition to the funds requested for other research projects. If the National peer review committee believes that the institution has a good environment for and a sufficient number of applicants in the special interest area, it will recommend approval of the request for a Special Interest Award. This portion of the award cannot be used for any other purpose. If no suitable applicant is found, the money must be returned to the Society and may not be used to support projects in other disciplines.

• Our institution was not recommended for a Special Interest Award. Does that mean we cannot accept applications in those areas?

• You may review applications in those areas in competition with applications in all other areas.

• How does the local IRG Committee review the applications for a Special Interest Award?

• Some institutions set up a separate subcommittee to review applications in the special interest area. The subcommittee is chaired by a voting member of the local IRG Committee, who presents the recommendations of the subcommittee to the full group.

• What are the most common reasons for the disapproval of an IRG application?

• For new applications, the most common reasons for disapproval or failure to make the cutoff are (1) an apparent bias in the composition of the local IRG Committee and the procedure for the allocation of funds toward one school or department, (2) failure to document an adequate pool size of junior investigators, or (3) insufficient ongoing cancer research at the institution.

For renewals, the most common reasons are (1) lack of productivity of past awardees, (2) inaccuracy of and inconsistency between application tables, (3) insufficient interaction with the local Division of the American Cancer Society, and (4) giving pilot project grants to inappropriate individuals (i.e., fellows or other non-independent investigators, senior investigators, investigators with national grants, etc.).

• How should an institution document a consortium agreement with another institution?

• A description of the arrangement should be provided in the IRG application. The PI should include information about the relationship between the institutions, the status of cancer research at the second site, the expected growth in the IRG applicant pool, the inclusion of faculty from the other institution on the IRG review committee [along with name(s) and biographical sketches], and the opportunities for their beginning investigators to access mentoring resources. A memorandum of agreement or similar document also may be included in the application appendix.