'A' Award Grants

Eligibility

Applicant institutions must be based in the United States or Canada. Applicants need not be United States citizens. Funds must be granted to nonprofit institutions or organizations.

Applicants must have an MD, PhD or MD/PhD (DO, MBBS or equivalent) and be within five years of their first faculty appointment as an Assistant Professor at the time that their application is submitted as well as: 

o MD and MD/PhD must be within 10 years of their terminal research degree or end of post-graduate clinical training (whichever date is later). 

o PhD must be within 10 years of their terminal research degree.

More senior Assistant Professors, as well as Associate and Full Professors, are ineligible. If still at the Instructor level, the applicant must have a firm commitment from the Department Chair/Division Chief at the time of grant submission for an Assistant Professor position within one year of receiving the award.

A minimum of 75% of the applicant’s time during the ‘A’ Award period must be allocated as non-clinical protected time for all research activities. This percentage of time includes both ‘A’ Award activities and the applicant’s other research responsibilities.

Applicants cannot be the Principal Investigator (PI) of a K99/R00 or other independent, nationally competitive award (e.g., R01 or equivalent, P or U award) that has been funded or recommended for funding (i.e., will be funded) any time before the ‘A’ Award grant start date. o Please review ALSF’s R01 equivalency policy on the grant recipients page of our website. If the applicant has an award not listed on the equivalency policy, contact ALSF at least four weeks before the application due date to determine eligibility.

Summary

The purpose of the ‘A’ Award Grant is to advance ALSF’s mission to find cures and better treatments for childhood cancers by providing support to early career scientists who want to establish a career in pediatric oncology research. The ideal applicant has an original project that is not currently being funded. Demonstration of a future commitment to pediatric cancer investigation as well as institutional support for the career development of the investigator are critical components of a successful application. A mentor is required, and a career development plan must be included.

Proposals must fall within the scope of Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation’s mission, focused on childhood cancers. Proposals with a sole/primary focus on patients >19 years of age will not be considered.

Grant recipients are expected to share unique resources developed under this funding award, and as part of the application, applicants are required to submit a Resource Sharing Plan using ALSF’s Resource Sharing Form. Applicants should describe their track record of generating resources that are broadly re-used, the specific resources that will be generated in this proposed project, and the mechanisms by which those resources will be shared. To demonstrate a commitment to sharing that will be actualized, applicants should provide information in their sharing plan that clearly states the type of resource that will be shared, the method, characterization and timing of such sharing and the anticipated resources (budget, personnel, etc.) required by the applicant and the resource user. Reviewers will consider the extent to which the dissemination of resources produced under the award will enhance or diminish the impact of the proposed work. For a full description and an example, see the Resource Sharing Form. For the full Resource Sharing Policy visit our Resources for Grant Applicants page.

Restrictions: 

• ALSF does not fund proposals for research utilizing human embryonic stem cells or non human primates. Research with human induced pluripotent stem cells is permissible. 

• Projects focused on epidemiological aspects of pediatric cancer and/or cancer control are not eligible for the ‘A’ Award. 

• Proposals focused on social determinants of health with an emphasis on oncologic outcomes (rather than psychosocial outcomes) are permitted.

Overhead

0% - Agency Restriction

Application deadlines

RSO final internal review deadline

Program application deadline

NOTE: Consult your Faculty Associate Dean (Research) (ADR) regarding Faculty-specific deadlines and submission processes.

Principal Investigators: Complete a Research Management System (RMS) record, including a copy of your complete application, and submit this for approvals in RMS.

Postdocs, students, and trainees: For fellowships and externally-sponsored research training awards or opportunities, you must complete the Research Funding Application Approval (RFAA) Trainee PDF form, and submit it, along with a complete copy of the application, to Research Services at rsotrainee@ucalgary.ca. Trainees should not use RMS at this time.

Approvals: The University of Calgary requires that all funding applications be approved prior to submission. Approval requires signatures via either RMS or the RFAA Trainee form, in the following order:

• Principal Investigator
• Department Head
• Faculty ADR/Dean
• Research Services (on behalf of the Vice-President Research)

Read the Meaning of Grant Signatures policy to understand what your approval means. Please see the agency guidelines for details about which signatures are required on your application, as it may differ from internal requirements.

Late submissions: Late submissions will only be accepted in cases of medical or family emergencies, or other exceptional circumstances. If you submit your RMS record to Research Services after the internal deadline has passed, you must secure additional approvals. Please read: Late Applications Process.

RESOURCES

Reminder: The sooner the researcher engages with Research Services, the more help we can be!

Contact the following Research Service units for support with:

Projects Involving Indigenous Research:

Support with incorporating wise practices in Indigenous research, community engagement, and Indigenous data management is available through the Indigenous Research Support Team (IRST).

Applicants can reach out by email to IRST at IRST@ucalgary.ca in advance of the RSO internal deadline. For more information about IRST, please visit the IRST webpage.

Knowledge Mobilization, Research Impact Assessment, DORA:

Support for knowledge mobilization/engagement/translation, community partnerships, research impact, responsible research assessment (DORA), and open science, is available through the Knowledge to Impact team.

Applicants can reach out by email to the KI team at knowledge.impact@ucalgary.ca.

For more information and access to resource archives, please visit the KI team webpage.

Research Data Management:

For information on research data management plans, processes, or best practices for your research program, please contact research.data@ucalgary.ca.

EDI in Research:

RSO can provide resources and support to research teams on the integration of equitable and inclusive practices in research design and research practice.

Contact edi.rso@ucalgary.ca for more information.

Research Security:

The Research Security Division is available to ensure researchers adhere to research security guidelines and policies, including the National Security Guidelines for Research Partnerships (NSGRP) and the policy on Sensitive Technology Research and Affiliations of Concern (STRAC).

Visit the Research Security website to learn more or contact researchsecurity@ucalgary.ca.

Pre-Award Submissions:
RMS: Creating a Pre-Award Application