Over the past 30 years, Komen has provided a full spectrum of grants that are available or have been available to researchers at every stage of their career. Below are brief descriptions of grant funding mechanisms that have recently been offered by our Research Program.
Please refer to the Funding Opportunities webpage to find out which grant funding mechanisms are currently being offered. The RFAs available for each grant funding mechanism provide specific details and requirements for submission of an application.

Graduate Training in Disparities Research (GTDR)
GTDR Grants (formerly Post-Baccalaureate Training in Disparities Research Grants, PBTDR) are intended to establish and/or to sustain a training program for students who are seeking careers dedicated to understanding and eliminating disparities in breast cancer outcomes across population groups. GTDR Grants are awarded to a single Mentor/Principal Investigator or a Mentor/PI and Co-Mentor/Co-Principal Investigator to support a minimum of three graduate students/trainees (those in a masters and/or doctoral program) per year. The PI and Co-PIs must serve as the primary mentors for the trainees, but additional mentors may be specified in the application.
Direct costs of $135,000 per year are provided for up to three years.
Postdoctoral Fellowship (PDF)
PDF Grants seek to attract and support promising scientists embarking on careers dedicated to breast cancer research who have no more than three years post-completion of their most recent clinical fellowship, five years post-completion of their most recent residency (for physicians), or five years post-completion of their most recent Ph.D. By providing funding to outstanding postdoctoral/postgraduate fellows under the guidance of a mentor, Komen seeks to ensure that a diverse pool of highly trained scientists will emerge as the next generation of leaders in the field of breast cancer research. This award mechanism supports hypothesis-driven research projects in either basic/translational or clinical research.
Direct costs of $60,000 per year are provided for two or three years.
Career Catalyst Research (CCR)
CCR Grants are intended to foster promising breast cancer researchers who are in the early stages of their faculty careers by providing support up to three years of “protected” time for research career development under the guidance of a mentor committee. It is expected that awardees will launch independent research careers and successfully compete for subsequent research project funding in breast cancer following the successful completion of a CCR Grant. This award mechanism supports hypothesis-driven research projects in either basic/translational or clinical research.
Direct and indirect costs for up to $150,000 per year are provided for two or three years.
Investigator-Initiated Research (IIR)
IIR Grants provides funding for established independent investigators who seek to explore important issues and novel approaches that will lead to reductions in breast cancer incidence and/or mortality within the next decade. The research focus area for the IIR grant mechanism is determined by the Scientific Advisory Board and changes year to year.
Direct and indirect costs for up to $1,000,000 are provided for three or four years.
Promise Grants
The Promise Grant mechanism has provided substantial funding for multidisciplinary teams of clinical and laboratory investigators to conduct a set of related studies that address an overarching issue of critical importance in breast cancer. The research focus area for the Promise Grant mechanism is determined by the Scientific Advisory Board and changes year to year.
Direct and indirect costs up to $7,500,000 are provided for three to five years.