American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant

The American Cancer Society Institutional Research (ACS IRG) Grant is an Institutional grant awarded by the American Cancer Society to increase the base of cancer-relevant research at the University of New Mexico (UNM). Junior faculty members within six years of their first independent faculty appointment in any School and College at UNM are eligible to receive research support through the ACS IRG. Applicants from groups under-represented in STEM careers are particularly encouraged to apply. Applicants must be eligible to apply for independent national competitive research grants but may not currently hold an NIH R01 or equivalent grant (defined by ACS as an award of more than $100K in direct costs annually for more than three years). Cancer relevance does not impact eligibility. Support of senior investigators or postdoctoral fellows is not permitted. Eligibility is not affected by prior internal or regional research awards. Recipients of IRG pilot project grants must be, at the time of the application, United States citizens, noncitizen nationals, or permanent residents of the United States.

The ACS IRG offers three categories in which applicants may apply. 

Research Awards for Early Career Faculty

Awards of up to $30,000 for one year are allocated to excellent basic, translational, clinical, and/or population-based research proposals that have the potential to advance our understanding, diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of cancer and also to advance the career of the recipient. A total of $60,000 is available each year for all areas of cancer research.

Special Interest Awards for Early Career Faculty

One award of $30,000 is set aside each year specifically for behavioral, psychosocial, and/or interventional research proposals that particularly address the special needs of New Mexico's populations in areas of cancer control, prevention, support and management.

Research Awards to Increase Diversity in Cancer Research

Awards of up to $40,000 for one year are allocated to excellent basic, translational, clinical, and/or population-based research proposals that have the potential to advance our understanding, diagnosis, prevention and treatment of cancer and also to advance the career of the recipient.  These awards are specifically for early-career faculty from racial and ethnic groups that are under-represented at many career stages in health-related sciences: African American (or Black), American Indian and Alaska Native, Hispanic (or Latin/Latinx), Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islanders.