Scientific Research Grants

Our Research Program is an essential driving force for achieving the mission of ending breast cancer forever. As the global leader in the fight against breast cancer, we strive to identify and support the best science around the world. However, the scientific focus areas of our grant mechanisms can vary from year to year and are determined in part through discussion with our Scientific Advisory Board.

Our Research Focus

Our research focus has evolved over the years. In the beginning, we focused on understanding the basic biology of breast cancer. As we learn more about the factors that make cancer cells grow and spread, we have been able to invest more in the translation of this knowledge into treatment, early detection and prevention.

Our current research focus is to understand and develop new methods to treat breast cancers that do not currently respond well to standard of care therapies, particularly metastatic breast cancer of all types.

How We Fund Research

We utilize a multi-step approach to grant application and review that first requires submission of a Letter of Intent and upon invitation only, submission of an Application.

Step 1: Letter of Intent Stage

Applicants/PIs will submit a Letter of Intent that clearly describes the research question, specific aims, and impact of their proposed work.

Only Applicants/PIs with a Letter of Intent deemed appropriately aligned with Komen’s annual research focus areas and who meet the eligibility criteria will be invited to submit an Application.

Step 2: Applications Stage (by invitation only)

Each qualified Application is reviewed by a Patient Advocate who is a member of our Advocates in Science program and three scientists with breast cancer or other expertise as appropriate.

The top scoring Applications are selected for further discussion by the review committee. Following these discussions, the Scientific Advisory Board reviews the results of peer review and issues a recommendation for funding.

Our Grant Funding Mechanisms

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.