Intramural Funding Opportunities

MUSC Hollings Cancer Center offers a number of intramural support opportunities for students, postdoctoral trainees, and faculty conducting cancer-related research and clinical services. These funding opportunities foster and facilitate interdisciplinary collaboration, innovative thinking, translational research, and the highest level of academic medicine.

All awarded researchers are encouraged to participate as a registered rider in the annual LOWVELO bike ride event.

For questions about funding opportunities, please contact Renee Steffen (steffenr@musc.edu).

Current RFAs

Pre-Clinical Concepts Award

Applications for this award are received and reviewed on a rolling basis. There is no set deadline.

Pilot Funding Mechanisms

Purpose: As a recipient of the American Cancer Society Institutional Research Grant (ACS IRG), Hollings provides small pilot research funding to beginning investigators who have not yet achieved independent funding at the national level. The intent is to support these junior faculty in initiating cancer research projects so they can obtain preliminary results that will enable them to compete successfully for national research grants.

Budget: Up to $50,000; 12 months

ACS IRG AwardACS IRG Awardees

Purpose: To foster new and successful partnerships between members of the Cancer Control research program and both the Cancer Biology & Immunology and Developmental Cancer Therapeutics research programs.

Budget: Up to $50,000; 12 months

Bridge to Population Science Award

Purpose: To facilitate innovative, meaningful community-engaged cancer research that promotes an interactive and collaborative research culture between Hollings researchers and community members in South Carolina.

Budget: Up to $25,000; 12 months

COE Pilot Research Projects

Purpose: To stimulate cancer discoveries that have high potential for commercial development and translation to positively impact the lives of cancer patients.

Budget: Up to $50,000; 12 months

Entrepreneurial Sciences in Cancer Award | Entrepreneurial Sciences in Cancer Awardees

Purpose: To stimulate the development of high-quality, innovative cancer research projects that will move forward to extramurally-funded grant awards. Idea awards provide early funding support for high-risk, high-payoff research for which external grants are difficult to obtain. Priority will be given to junior investigators.

Budget: Up to $50,000; 12 months

Idea AwardIdea Awardees

Purpose: To provide pilot funding for projects that would be used to add preliminary or supportive data for the direct development of a grant submission, grant resubmission, or funded clinical trial. This mechanism is designed for the practical review and rapid funding of proposals.

Budget: Between $5,000-$25,000; 12 months; rolling deadline

Pre-Clinical & Clinical Concepts AwardPre-Clinical & Clinical Concepts Awardees

Purpose: To stimulate the development of high-quality, multi-investigator (minimum of three) program project grants that will develop into extramurally-funded grant awards. Projects with translational potential are encouraged, but not mandatory. Inter-programmatic and inter-institutional teams are highly encouraged.

Budget: Up to $150,000 per year for up to two years

Team Science AwardTeam Science Awardees

Background: Mrs. Judith Green generously established the Mark R. Green, M.D., Young Investigator Award in honor of her late husband Dr. Mark Green, former director of MUSC Hollings Cancer Center. Dr. Green was an important figure in the development of medical oncology and played a pivotal role in the history of Hollings Cancer Center and Moores Cancer Center at the University of California San Diego.

Dr. Green was recognized as a preeminent clinical investigator, clinician, teacher and mentor. A highly respected leader in the field of oncology, he contributed significantly to the understanding and treatment of solid tumors. Dr. Green’s research focused on clinical trials of new therapies for treating lung and pancreatic cancer. He was widely published and his impactful research improved cancer treatments, which made a difference in the lives of thousands of cancer patients worldwide.

In 1996, Dr. Green joined MUSC as the director of Hollings Cancer Center and the Mary M. Gilbreth Professor of Oncology. He served as director until 2000, and during this period, he made important contributions to the development of the cancer center in its early stages. He retired from the full-time MUSC faculty as a Professor Emeritus in 2004. In 2011, the Mark R. Green, M.D., Distinguished Endowed Visiting Professorship in Thoracic Oncology was established in honor of his contributions to Hollings and the field of thoracic oncology.

Purpose: To provide support for young investigators working in a cancer field to pursue advanced research opportunities through participation in supplemental learning experiences, such as research-focused workshops, retreats, or symposia, where they can receive feedback on their research discoveries. The projected outcomes from this support are to enhance the career development of the junior investigators and gain insights about their research from national and international leaders. These outcomes will, in turn, lead to additional research innovations and funding opportunities, further enhancing their career development.

Budget: Up to $15,000; 12 months

Young Investigator AwardYoung Investigator Awardees

Hollings Support Request

Hollings considers requests for support from members and other MUSC faculty. The request could be for funding, space, a new initiative, etc. To submit a request, use the link below. Strong preference is given to requests that will help the cancer center achieve comprehensive status.

These requests will be reviewed quarterly by Hollings leadership.

Hollings Support Request

Extramural Funding

A number of extramural funding opportunities are available for those interested in cancer-related research. A sampling of external funding agencies can be found below.

NIH Grants and Funding

NCI Research Funding Opportunities

NIH Institutional Training Grants 

American Cancer Society Grants