Seed Grant Program

The 2026 Seed Grant Program, offered by the Cancer Center at Illinois (CCIL), supports interdisciplinary faculty-led research in cancer science through a two-year funding initiative designed to stimulate new collaborations and strengthen existing ones across diverse academic departments. As part of its broader mission, the CCIL promotes novel, team-based research that aligns with the center's strategic themes and research programs, which include Cancer Technology & Data Science and Cancer Engineering & Biological Systems. The grant encourages exploratory and hypothesis-driven research that seeks to identify new therapeutic targets, develop innovative diagnostic or imaging methods, and integrate cutting-edge data science with cancer biology to address urgent challenges in oncology. This grant program provides up to $200,000 per team over two years, disbursed in two phases of up to $100,000 each year. Funding may support consumable supplies, personnel (e.g., postdocs, graduate assistants), equipment, and research-related travel. It cannot be used for faculty salaries, indirect costs, or administrative support. A unique feature of this program is its catalytic intent—the expectation that seed-funded projects will progress toward major external multi-PI proposals, ideally to the National Cancer Institute or similar bodies. Year 2 funding is contingent upon successful achievement of Year 1 milestones, which must include a significant collaborative grant submission, preferably an R01-level proposal. To be eligible, the principal investigator must be a CCIL member at the time of submission, and each team must include at least two current CCIL members from different disciplines. Priority will be given to new applicants and projects that have not previously received CCIL seed grant funding. Teams must incorporate a CCIL-affiliated student trainee into the project, ensuring meaningful mentorship and training opportunities. These students are not required to be financially supported through the seed grant, but their integration and roles must be clearly defined in the application. The application process requires a seven-page proposal, including abstract, narrative, milestones, references, and budget justification. A lay-language project summary is mandatory for public dissemination, and teams must submit required administrative details and mentorship documentation. Application submission is conducted online, and the deadline for completed proposals is March 11, 2026, at 11:59 PM. Award notifications will be issued by May 13, 2026, with a project start date as early as July 1, 2026. Applications are reviewed based on scientific merit, innovation, feasibility, and team expertise. Review criteria prioritize interdisciplinary collaboration, alignment with CCIL themes, potential for translation to external funding, and rigor of methodology. Progress reporting is required semi-annually throughout the project period and for five years post-award. Additionally, PIs may be asked to present their work at CCIL retreats, and all awardees are expected to participate as ad-hoc reviewers in future cycles. The CCIL website hosts full details on its research programs and membership process, and prospective applicants with questions may contact program administrators directly for guidance.