← Back to US Funders Directory

Alliance For Clinical Trials In Oncology Foundation

Annual Giving
$10.3M
Grant Range
$15K - $0.2M
Decision Time
3mo

Alliance For Clinical Trials In Oncology Foundation

Quick Stats

  • Annual Giving: $10,308,272 (2023)
  • Number of Awards: 86 grants (2023)
  • Grant Range: $15,000 - $200,000+ per award
  • Geographic Focus: United States and Canada (Alliance member institutions only)
  • Application Method: Nomination-based and invitation-only (varies by program)
  • EIN: 02-0464400

Contact Details

Website: https://www.allianceforclinicaltrialsinoncology.org/main/public/standard.xhtml?path=/Public/Foundation

Phone: (773) 702-9171

Fax: (312) 345-0117

Address: 125 S. Wacker Drive, Suite 1600, Chicago, IL 60606

Grant Inquiries: Awards@AllianceNCTN.org

Financial Contacts:

Overview

Since 1993, the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Foundation has served as a nonprofit, tax-exempt foundation raising funds to support the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology in conducting large-scale clinical trials. The foundation distributed $10,308,272 across 86 awards in 2023, maintaining total assets of approximately $112.8 million. The foundation's mission focuses on supporting research in new chemotherapy treatments for breast, prostate, lung, and colorectal cancer; surgical techniques for breast and colon cancer; genetic studies of breast cancer risk; molecular determinants of cancer therapy response; and research improving cancer patients' quality of life. The foundation operates through a network of nearly 10,000 cancer specialists at hospitals, medical centers, and community clinics across the United States and Canada.

Funding Priorities

Grant Programs

Alliance Scholar Awards

  • Amount: $40,000 direct costs per year + 10% indirect costs
  • Duration: Two years, non-renewable
  • Total Award: Up to $88,000 over two years
  • Application: Call issued in spring, applications due in August
  • Eligibility: Oncology junior faculty (below Associate Professor rank) at Alliance member institutions, within 5 years of training, who have completed training in an oncology clinical specialty
  • Notification: Announced at Alliance Fall Group Meeting in Chicago (November), funding begins January

Daniel J. Sargent, PhD Memorial Fellowship in Innovative Clinical Trial Design and Methods

  • Amount: $15,000 salary support
  • Duration: One year, non-renewable
  • Eligibility: Faculty or master's level statisticians (working with senior faculty) within the Alliance Statistics and Data Management Center (SDMC)
  • Focus: Study design and/or data analysis approaches addressing innovation in cancer clinical trial design, prognostic and predictive biomarkers, endpoints including patient-reported outcomes, trial conduct and monitoring, and analytical methods
  • Expected Outcome: Direct path to peer-reviewed publication or preliminary data for grant proposal
  • Contact: Sumithra Mandrekar, PhD at mandrekar.sumithra@mayo.edu

Richard L. Schilsky CALGB Achievement Award

  • Purpose: Recognizes "unsung heroes" who have made significant contributions to cooperative group research
  • Eligibility: All Alliance members can submit nominations; nominees should NOT be current major leadership members (e.g., Committee Chairs, Program Directors)
  • Presentation: Annually at Alliance Fall Group Meeting in November
  • Contact: Awards@AllianceNCTN.org

Alliance Foundation Special Projects Allocation

  • Amount: Up to $200,000 per proposal (maximum 15% indirect costs)
  • Total Pool: $1,000,000 available
  • Purpose: Supports discrete research projects addressing high-priority research areas defined every two years at the Alliance Scientific Strategic Retreat
  • Focus: Challenges researchers to develop innovative approaches, engage new disciplines or technologies, and improve clinical trial design and implementation

Cancer Care Delivery Research (CCDR) Pilot Project Award

  • Recent Example: 2024 recipient Brian T. Halbert, MD, MPH received funding for "Implementation of a Home Health Monitoring Program to Improve Cancer Treatment Adherence among Men with Advanced Prostate Cancer"

Priority Areas

  • New chemotherapy treatments for breast, prostate, lung, and colorectal cancer
  • Innovative surgical techniques for breast and colon cancer
  • Genetic studies of breast cancer risk and hereditary cancer syndromes
  • Molecular determinants of response to cancer therapy
  • Patient-reported outcomes and quality of life research for cancer patients and caregivers
  • Cancer clinical trial design innovation and methodology
  • Cancer care delivery research and implementation science

What They Don't Fund

The foundation exclusively supports research aligned with the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology research agenda and conducted through Alliance member institutions. Researchers at non-member institutions are not eligible to apply for most awards. Projects not directly related to cancer clinical trials research or not supported by Alliance Scientific Committee Chairs are outside the foundation's scope.

Governance and Leadership

Foundation Leadership:

  • Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD - President, Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Foundation; Chief of the Division of Surgical Oncology at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School
  • Suzanne George, MD - Vice President and Group Vice-Chair; Clinical Director at the Center for Sarcoma and Bone Oncology at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School
  • Olwen Hahn, MD - Chief Scientific Officer; Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Chicago

Key Staff:

  • Selina Chow - Executive Officer
  • Dhruva Gollerkeri - Treasurer/CFO
  • Carter W. Dufrane - Director of Clinical Trial Operations
  • Lisa Renee Pitler - Senior Director, Compliance & HR

Alliance Mission Statement: "The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology seeks to reduce the impact of cancer on people by uniting a broad community of scientists and clinicians from many disciplines, committed to discovering, validating and disseminating effective strategies for the prevention and treatment of cancer."

Three-Fold Mission:

  1. To conduct high quality multidisciplinary cancer control, prevention, and treatment trials that engage a comprehensive research network
  2. To further understanding of the biological basis of the cancer process and its treatment, from discovery to validation to clinical practice
  3. To provide a scientific and operational infrastructure for innovative clinical and translational research in academic and community settings

Application Process & Timeline

How to Apply

The Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Foundation does not have a public, open application process. All grant programs require either nomination by Alliance leadership or are restricted to researchers at Alliance member institutions working in collaboration with Alliance Scientific Committee Chairs.

For Alliance Scholar Awards:

  1. Applicants must be affiliated with an Alliance member institution (nearly 10,000 cancer specialists at hospitals, medical centers, and community clinics across the United States and Canada)
  2. Must work with the relevant Alliance Scientific Committee Chair prior to submission to ensure endorsement
  3. Proposals must be nominated by an Alliance Scientific Committee Chair
  4. Must include a letter of support from the relevant Alliance Scientific Committee Chair with application materials
  5. Proposals must be closely tied to the Alliance research agenda
  6. Applications are reviewed by an independent scientific review committee
  7. Call for applications issued in spring; applications due in August

For Other Awards:

  • Sargent Memorial Fellowship: Restricted to statisticians within the Alliance Statistics and Data Management Center (SDMC)
  • Schilsky Achievement Award: Nomination-based; all Alliance members can submit nominations
  • Special Projects Allocation: Invitation to submit proposals aligned with Alliance strategic priorities

Getting on Their Radar

Becoming an Alliance Member Institution: The foundation supports researchers at Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology member institutions. To access most funding opportunities, your institution must be a member in good standing of the Alliance network. Major member institutions include Dana-Farber/Partners CancerCare, Mayo Clinic, Washington University - Siteman Cancer Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and dozens of other leading cancer centers across the US and Canada.

Building Relationships with Alliance Scientific Committees: For junior faculty interested in the Scholar Awards, the critical step is establishing a relationship with the relevant Alliance Scientific Committee Chair in your disease area. These committees drive the research agenda of the Alliance, and Chair endorsement is mandatory for Scholar Award applications. Engagement with Alliance research protocols and committee activities at your institution can create opportunities for mentorship and eventual nomination.

Alliance Network Engagement: Researchers interested in Alliance funding should participate in Alliance-sponsored trials at their institutions, attend Alliance meetings (including the Fall Group Meeting in Chicago each November), and collaborate with Alliance investigators on research projects. The foundation specifically aims to support researchers already contributing to the Alliance's cooperative group research mission.

Decision Timeline

Alliance Scholar Awards:

  • Spring: Call for applications issued
  • August: Applications due
  • Fall: Review by independent scientific review committee
  • November: Successful applicants notified prior to and acknowledged during the Alliance Fall Group Meeting Plenary Session in Chicago
  • January (following year): Funding begins

Sargent Memorial Fellowship:

Schilsky Achievement Award:

  • Rolling nominations accepted
  • Recipients announced annually at Fall Group Meeting in November

Success Rates

Specific success rate statistics are not publicly disclosed. The foundation made 86 awards in 2023, 103 awards in 2022, and 85 awards in 2021. Given the nomination-based and invitation-only nature of most programs, the applicant pool is pre-selected through the endorsement process.

Reapplication Policy

Reapplication policies are not publicly documented. Researchers should contact Awards@AllianceNCTN.org for guidance on reapplication after an unsuccessful submission.

Application Success Factors

Critical Requirements:

  1. Institutional Affiliation: You must be at an Alliance member institution in good standing. This is non-negotiable for most awards.

  2. Alliance Research Alignment: Proposals must be "closely tied to the research agenda of the Alliance." Review Alliance strategic priorities defined at their biennial Scientific Strategic Retreat and align your proposal with current focus areas.

  3. Scientific Committee Chair Endorsement: For Scholar Awards, the endorsement of your relevant Alliance Scientific Committee Chair is mandatory. This is not a formality—work closely with the Chair to ensure your proposal advances committee priorities.

  4. Career Stage Verification: Scholar Awards are exclusively for junior faculty within 5 years of training and below Associate Professor rank. Ensure you meet these strict eligibility criteria before investing time in an application.

  5. Alliance Network Engagement: The foundation explicitly supports "innovative Alliance researchers"—those already contributing to Alliance research activities. Demonstrate your engagement with Alliance trials, committees, or collaborative research.

For Statistical Methods Research (Sargent Fellowship): Focus proposals on innovative approaches to current challenges in cancer clinical trials, including trial design, biomarker development, patient-reported outcomes, trial monitoring, and analytical methods. Proposals should lead to peer-reviewed publications or generate preliminary data for larger grant applications.

For Achievement Awards (Schilsky Award): The award recognizes "unsung heroes"—individuals who have strengthened the Alliance through sustained contributions rather than high-profile leadership roles. Nominations should highlight consistent, impactful service to cooperative group research.

Recent Funded Project Example: Brian T. Halbert, MD, MPH (2024 CCDR Pilot Award): "Implementation of a Home Health Monitoring Program to Improve Cancer Treatment Adherence among Men with Advanced Prostate Cancer" demonstrates the foundation's interest in cancer care delivery research and implementation science addressing real-world treatment challenges.

Key Takeaways for Grant Writers

  • Institutional membership is the gateway: If your institution is not an Alliance member, you cannot access most funding opportunities. Verify membership status before pursuing applications.

  • Build relationships with Scientific Committee Chairs early: The nomination requirement means you need established relationships within Alliance leadership well before application deadlines. Start networking at Alliance meetings and participating in Alliance trials.

  • Align tightly with Alliance research agenda: This is not a funder supporting independent research directions. Your work must advance Alliance strategic priorities as defined by their Scientific Committees.

  • Scholar Awards target early-career researchers: If you're a junior oncology faculty member within 5 years of training, the $88,000 over two years can provide crucial bridge funding, but the competition is among a pre-selected pool of nominated candidates.

  • Statisticians have a dedicated pathway: The Sargent Fellowship specifically supports statisticians working on clinical trial methodology within the Alliance SDMC—a niche but important funding opportunity.

  • The foundation values collaborative, mission-aligned research: Success requires demonstrating how your work contributes to the Alliance's cooperative group research model and advances their mission to reduce cancer's impact through large-scale clinical trials.

  • Plan for the annual cycle: With applications due in August and funding beginning the following January, timing is crucial for those needing funding to start at specific points in their academic calendar.

References

  1. Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Foundation official website - Foundation page: https://www.allianceforclinicaltrialsinoncology.org/main/public/standard.xhtml?path=/Public/Foundation (accessed January 2026)

  2. Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Foundation official website - Scholar Award page: https://www.allianceforclinicaltrialsinoncology.org/main/public/standard.xhtml?path=/Public/Scholar-Award (accessed January 2026)

  3. Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Foundation official website - RLS CALGB Achievement Award page: https://www.allianceforclinicaltrialsinoncology.org/main/public/standard.xhtml?path=/Public/RLS-CALGB-Achievement-Award (accessed January 2026)

  4. Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Foundation official website - DJS Memorial Fellowship page: https://www.allianceforclinicaltrialsinoncology.org/main/public/standard.xhtml?path=/Public/DJS-Memorial-Fellowship (accessed January 2026)

  5. Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Foundation official website - Special Projects page: https://www.allianceforclinicaltrialsinoncology.org/main/public/standard.xhtml?path=/Public/Special-Projects (accessed January 2026)

  6. ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer - Alliance For Clinical Trials In Oncology Foundation (EIN: 02-0464400): https://projects.propublica.org/nonprofits/organizations/20464400 (accessed January 2026)

  7. GuideStar Profile - Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Foundation: https://www.guidestar.org/profile/02-0464400 (accessed January 2026)

  8. Cause IQ - Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Foundation financial data: https://www.causeiq.com/organizations/alliance-for-clinical-trials-in-oncology-foundatio,020464400/ (accessed January 2026)

  9. Weill Cornell Medicine Research Funding Opportunities - Alliance Scholar Award: https://research.weill.cornell.edu/funding/funding-opportunities/alliance-clinical-trials-oncology-foundation-alliance-scholar-award (accessed January 2026)

  10. Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology Foundation official website - What We Do: https://www.allianceforclinicaltrialsinoncology.org/main/public/standard.xhtml?path=/Public/About (accessed January 2026)

← Back to US Funders Directory