Grants Program Overview
The mission of the Breast Cancer Alliance, (BCA) is to fund innovative breast cancer research and to promote breast health through education and outreach. To that end, three types of grants are offered annually: Exceptional Project Grants, Young Investigator Grants and Education and Outreach Grants. We invite clinical doctors and research scientists whose primary focus is breast cancer research to apply for either the Exceptional Project or Young Investigator Grant. We invite Directors of programs that are directly related to breast cancer to apply for the Education and Outreach Grant. One of the distinguishing features of the Breast Cancer Alliance is the commitment of its members to conduct site visits to grant recipients during the grant period.
How to Apply:
Exceptional Project Grants: The Breast Cancer Alliance invites clinical doctors and research scientists at any stage of their careers whose primary focus is breast cancer to apply for an Exceptional Project Grant. This award recognizes creative, unique and innovative research and is open to applicants at institutions within a 200 mile radius of Greenwich, Connecticut (an area that includes cities such as Boston, Philadelphia, New York City, Hartford, Connecticut and Albany, New York).
Prior to submission of a formal grant proposal, the BCA requires a one-page Letter of Intent (LOI) and a separate CV. For the 2010-2011 grants cycle, those letters will be due on Friday, April 2, 2010. The LOI must include the applicant's name, job title and institution, and the applicant's contact information. The document should state the project title and hypothsesis, outline the research aim(s) and methods, and include a brief discussion of the project's potential impact. The CV can be in the NIH biosketch format. An Independent External Review Committee will evaluate the LOI. Applicants will be informed by May 1, 2010 whether to proceed with a formal application. Researchers should coordinate with their institutions as the BCA will accept a maximum of three LOIs per institution. [click here to view grant application]
Grant applications will be available on the BCA website May 1, 2010 and are due on or before July 31, 2010. An Independent External Review Committee will review and evaluate the applications. Based on their results and subsequent review by the Grants Committee, recommendations are made to the BCA Board for final approval. Applicants are notified in December of the decision regarding their proposal. This is a one year grant.
Young Investigator Grants: To encourage a commitment to breast cancer research, the Breast Cancer Alliance invites clinical doctors and research scientists whose primary focus is breast cancer who have been appointed to a position equivalent to Assistant Professor within three years following the appointment, to apply for funding for the Young Investigator Grant. This grant is open to applicants at institutions within a 200 miles radius of Greenwich, Connecticut (an area that includes cities such as Boston, Philadelphia, New York City, Hartford, Connecticut and Albany, New York).
The term of the Young Investigator Grant is two years. Applicants for the 2010-2011 cycle must have been appointed to a position equivalent to Assistant Professor anytime after January 1, 2008. Grant applications for the 2010-2011 cycle will be available on the BCA website May 1, 2010 and are due on or before July 31, 2010. An Independent External Review Committee will review and evaluate the applications. Based on their results and subsequent review by the Grants Committee, recommendations are made to the BCA Board for final approval. Applicants are notified in December of the decision regarding their proposal. [click here to view grant application]
Education and Outreach Grants: The Breast Cancer Alliance offers grants to support programs directly related to outreach and case managerial breast cancer services, including education, counseling and mammograms for the uninsured/underserved. The programs must be located in mid to southern Connecticut and/or Westchester County, New York.
For the 2010-2011 cycle, grant applications are available on the BCA website May 1, 2010 and are due on or before July 31, 2010. The Grants Committee of the Breast Cancer Alliance reviews and evaluates each grant proposal. The results of the Grants Committee’s evaluations and subsequent recommendations are presented to the BCA Board for approval. Applicants are notified in December of the decision regarding their proposal. This is a one year grant.
Site Visits: The goal of the BCA is to meet every individual, institution and/or organization that is a BCA fund recipient. The primary purpose of the BCA site visit is to meet the grant recipient and learn about the progress of the research project or education and outreach program. A tour of the program facility or research lab is also of great interest. Should the institution hosting the visit wish to include presentations by other professionals involved in the field of breast cancer research and services, the BCA is amenable. Site visit presentations are to be given in layman terms and should not exceed two hours.
Site visits are scheduled approximately midway through the grant period. In the case of the one year Education and Outreach Grants and the Exceptional Project Grants, a site visit will occur in May or June of the award year. For the two year Young Investigator Grant recipients, the visit is scheduled for January or early February of the second year of the grant. [click here to view grant application]
