EDS: Our Research Programs
Our research goal is simple — find answers that help save lives from cancer. Our strategy
for funding research is just as straightforward — fund the most innovative cancer research.
In fact, we’ve helped make possible many of the major cancer research breakthroughs
since 1946.
New Grant Requirements
All applications must fit into at least 1 of 6 research priority areas.
EDS Program Teams
We Fund All Types of Research
The American Cancer Society (ACS) funds a wide range of investigator-initiated cancer research. We believe that the best science will provide the greatest benefit. That’s why the goal of our Extramural Discovery Sciences program is to fund the most creative, innovative, and promising projects from the grant applications we receive, for any type of cancer and within any part of the research continuum.
Grant applicants may propose projects focused on any of these areas:
- Basic discovery science, where the goal is to uncover fundamental mechanisms of biology, cancer, or behavior
- Development of novel therapeutics
- Translational cancer research, where the goal is to further demonstrate how a discovery can be moved into the clinic
Proposals can focus on:
- The use of diverse preclinical cancer models. This includes in silico/computational, cells, organoids and/or animals).
- Clinical research with people to better understand a disease and to test and refine new treatments and technologies. This includes clinical trials, epidemiologic and behavioral studies, and health services research.
Our portfolio reflects this diverse scope. Each of our Scientific Research Programs accepts applications from most grant mechanisms (exceptions are made for some special initiatives). Follow the links to individual programs in the above boxes or see the PDF EDS Programs Structure and Roles.
Featured Term:
Preclinical Studies
Research that takes place before any testing in humans is done—before clinical trials. Preclinical studies may explore how useful a drug, procedure, or treatment is likely to be.
In the commonly used description about the research continuum, “bench to bedside,” preclinical studies are the bench—meaning they occur in a lab setting. Preclinical studies may be conducted in a test tube, cell culture (in vitro), or in animals, such as mice (in vivo).
NEW Programs, Grant Mechanisms, and RFAs
In addition to our traditional extramural research grants program, our portfolio includes newly launched grant mechanisms:
- TheoryLab grants support new and transdisciplinary collaborations among TheoryLab users (a private social media platform for current and former ACS grantees) to explore high-risk ideas, including Covid-19 research, relevant to cancer or people living with cancer.
And, we have a new request for research applications!
- IMPACT RFA focuses on reducing the mortality of prostate cancer.