The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS), a leading nonprofit organization committed to curing blood cancers and improving patient outcomes, has released its 2025 Request for Proposals (RFP) under the Equity in Access Research Program. LLS has invested nearly $1.8 billion in blood cancer research since 1949 and works to break down barriers to care through policy, education, and support. The Equity in Access initiative specifically targets systemic inequities that prevent underrepresented groups from accessing optimal treatment, including therapeutic cancer clinical trials.
The purpose of this RFP is to fund studies that rigorously implement and evaluate interventions designed to increase therapeutic cancer clinical trial accrual, particularly for underrepresented patient populations. These include racial and ethnic minoritized groups, patients in rural settings, those with Medicaid, individuals aged 70 and older, and adolescents and young adults aged 15–39. The research must quantitatively measure changes in accrual rates over time and focus on modifiable barriers at the structural, institutional, and clinician levels. LLS emphasizes that funded interventions must go beyond patient-level barriers and should preferably involve multilevel strategies.
Eligible proposals must incorporate stakeholder involvement from the outset, including but not limited to patients, oncologists, patient navigators, and clinical research staff. Projects must show that 30% or more of the patient population served at study sites comes from underrepresented groups. Additionally, research must include blood cancer therapeutic trials and can optionally include other cancer types. Projects should be based on prior data, not serve as pilot projects, and must use a robust methodology to assess independent and combined effects of interventions.
Applicants must submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) by September 11, 2025, at 3:00 PM ET via the LLS Research Portal. Selected applicants will be invited to submit full proposals, due January 29, 2026. Funding notifications will be sent by April/May 2026, with a grant start date of July 1, 2026. The maximum funding available is $500,000 per year for up to 5 years, not exceeding $2.5 million total. Indirect costs are capped at 11.1% of direct costs. Matching funds are not required.
Eligible applicants must be affiliated with a U.S.-based public or nonprofit institution and hold a relevant doctoral degree (PhD, MD, DO, ScD, JD). Multidisciplinary teams are encouraged, and early-career investigators must partner with experienced co-investigators. Applications are evaluated based on significance, preliminary data, innovation, methodology, team qualifications, institutional capacity, feasibility, and plans for dissemination to diverse stakeholders.
Contact for questions is researchprograms@lls.org. A webinar for prospective applicants will be held on June 18, 2025. This RFP is not intended for projects focused solely on patient awareness, preferences, or attitudes about trials, nor for studies of physician beliefs about clinical trial referrals. The ultimate goal is to develop actionable, evidence-based strategies that will inform healthcare policy and practice, enabling broader, more equitable access to life-saving cancer treatments.
