The Elsa U. Pardee Foundation Grants

The Elsa U. Pardee Foundation offers grant funding to support innovative cancer research conducted at non-profit institutions across the United States. This private foundation has a long-standing commitment to advancing the discovery of treatments and potential cures for cancer. The Foundation prioritizes projects that focus on cancer detection, treatment, or cure, and has structured its grants to catalyze early-stage research that could lead to future funding from government agencies. As such, the program is well-suited for both new researchers seeking to establish their capabilities and for established investigators exploring new approaches in cancer research. Grants from the Elsa U. Pardee Foundation are awarded for a one-year project period. The Foundation does not impose a cap on the amount that can be requested, but emphasizes that funding requests must be reasonable and directly supported by the project scope. The allowable overhead is limited to 5%, and essential equipment purchases are capped at $5,000. The funding is primarily intended to cover direct research costs including personnel, supplies, and justifiable project-specific expenses. A budget justification is required, and applications exceeding overhead guidelines are typically not considered. Eligibility is limited to Principal Investigators affiliated with United States non-profit institutions. There are no specific restrictions regarding discipline beyond the requirement that the research be focused on cancer. Applications must include detailed project summaries outlining the hypothesis, goals, and methods, along with descriptions of personnel, budget, and a list of current and pending grants. Verification of the institution’s non-profit status and all applicable human subject or animal research approvals must be submitted upon award approval but not at the time of application. The Foundation operates three application cycles per year, with deadlines on December 1, April 30, and August 31. Applications must be submitted through the Foundation's online portal, which allows users to begin, save, and complete proposals over time. Once submitted, the application is locked and cannot be edited. No email or other confirmation is sent beyond the system-generated receipt. Grant decisions are communicated directly to the Principal Investigator via email. Feedback from reviewers is not provided. The evaluation process is conducted internally by the Foundation, culminating in final decisions made several months after each cycle closes. Specifically, applications submitted by December 1 are reviewed with final decisions issued in May; those submitted by April 30 receive decisions in September; and August 31 submissions are reviewed with final decisions in December. For awarded grants, a final report is due one year after funding and must include both scientific and financial summaries within a single six-page PDF. In summary, the Elsa U. Pardee Foundation provides flexible, early-stage research funding with a focus on impactful cancer research. The straightforward application process and open-ended funding limits offer a valuable opportunity for non-profit-affiliated investigators across the U.S. to explore novel cancer research ideas, with clear expectations around budget discipline, research relevance, and reporting.