Breast Cancer Alliance invites clinical doctors and research scientists at any stage of their careers, including post docs, whose current proposal is focused on breast cancer, to apply for an Exceptional Project Grant.
This award recognizes creative, unique and innovative research related to breast cancer.
The term of the Exceptional Project Grant is one year, beginning on March 1,2026. The grant provides salary support and project costs for a total of $100,000, distributed over a one-year period.
Indirect costs, which are included in the $100,000 award, must be limited to 8% of total direct costs.
Researchers should coordinate with their institutions, as BCA will accept a maximum of ONLY TWO LOIs PER INSTITUTION (YIG or XP).
Qualifications
- This grant is open to applicants at institutions in the contiguous United States.
- No for-profit institutions may apply.
Application Process
Prior to submission of a formal grant proposal, BCA requires a Letter of Intent (LOI); an a separate CV that must be completed using the online form.
The LOI must contain:
- The applicant’s name
- Job title and institution
- Contact information
- Project title and hypothesis
- Outline the research aim(s) and methods
- Include a brief discussion of the project’s potential impact
- The CV should be in the current NIH biosketch format
- References for the LOI are not required
- All applications must be submitted by midnight on March 31, 2025
LOI forms and information can be found here.
Applicants will be informed by mid-May 2025 whether they have been invited to proceed with a formal application.
Full Application Process (By Invitation Only)
Full applications for the Exceptional Project Grant are due on or before midnight EDT on July 19, 2025; are by invitation only; and can be accessed here. (link will be live once we have reviewed LOIs)
- An Independent External Review Committee confidentially reviews and evaluates the applications. Their deliberations are confidential and will not be shared.
- Based on their results, and subsequent review by the Grants Committee, recommendations will be made to the BCA Board for final approval.
- Applicants will be notified by mid-February 2026 of the decision regarding their proposals.
Grant Awardees
- Grant Awardees will receive a contract to execute and return before the beginning of the grant term. Contract term modifications will not be accepted.
- Winners must submit an informal midterm report by August 31, 2026 and a final report within 60 days of February 28, 2027. Failure to submit the midterm report will result in forfeiture of any remaining grant funds.
- A virtual, informal site visit with BCA staff and supporters is also required.
For general questions concerning anything NOT covered in our FAQ's below, email: researchgrants@breastcanceralliance.org
**You may only submit an LOI for each proposal for either an Exceptional Project Grant or a Young Investigator Grant. It is your choice as to which application best suits your experience.