New Investigator Research Grant Program

Eligibility

Eligible

• Applicants must be independent investigators affiliated with a non-profit academic institution at the time funding commences and for the duration of the award.
• New investigators are defined as applicants within seven years after the start date of their first independent faculty-level appointment. Years as a resident physician, fellow physician, or post-doctoral fellow are considered to be training years and are not included in the seven-year guideline.
• A researcher must be in an independent faculty-level position at the time the application is submitted. An independent position is a scientist who has dedicated laboratory space, directly hires and supervises laboratory personnel, and makes all decisions concerning research activities and use of the grant funds.
• Adjustments for career interruptions can be made. These could include but are not limited to family leave, military service, major illness, or injury. It is the responsibility of the applicant to point out and document such interruptions.
• Applicants are not required to be US citizens. Research projects from outside the US are eligible.
• Applicants with a KO8, R00, or R99 grant are eligible. The total grant amount will not be applied toward the $175K per year threshold on total direct costs.
• DOE, DOD, NSF, R21, or other grants with less than $175K per year in total direct costs are permitted.
• Only one LOI may be submitted from the same applicant (Principal Investigator).

Summary

The Leukemia Research Foundation provides grants of up to $150k over a 2-year period for new investigator research projects that will have an impact on leukemia. MDS proposals will also be accepted.

• The maximum funding request is $150k over a two year period.
• The Leukemia Research Foundation does not provide funds for capital equipment (i.e., equipment purchases above $7,500). Any request for an exception to this policy must detail the specific need of the capital equipment for the proposed research project.
• Salary support for the principal investigator is not provided.
• Using funds for research travel is permitted but should not exceed $3K. The funds are intended only to enhance the study.
• All other support for the project must be detailed, including all sources for the requested and related projects. Any funding overlap must be clearly indicated.
• Indirect cost recovery or institutional overhead costs are not provided.

Letter of intent

A letter of intent (LOI) allows the Leukemia Research Foundation to assess if there is a good match between our goals and the project. If it appears to be a good match and you are eligible to apply, we will invite you to submit a full application. Please plan to submit your LOI in advance of the deadline in case there are technical issues.

Letters of intent and the full application are submitted via ProposalCentral, a research grant management system. A ProposalCentral account is required to submit materials. For assistance with login or technical questions, please contact ProposalCentral customer support at pcsupport@altum.com or 800.875.2562.

Full application

After the LOI review, the researchers selected to submit a full application will receive an email with instructions and a link to the full application.

Overhead

Indirect cost recovery or institutional overhead costs are not provided.

Pre-application deadlines

RSO internal deadline

Pre-application program deadline

Application deadlines

RSO detailed review deadline

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.

TIMELINE FOR SUBMISSION

Below is a timeline of the application process.

• Friday, December 5, 2025: Letter of intent opens and link to ProposalCentral is posted
• Friday, February 6, 2026: Letter of intent due by 12pm CT (noon). Submit via ProposalCentral.
• Friday, March 13, 2026: Notification if invited to submit a full application
• Monday, April 13, 2026: Full application due (if invited to submit) by 12pm CT (noon)
• By June 30, 2026: Grant recipients notified of award

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 LOI
RMS: Creating a Pre-Award Application