CRI Technology Impact Award

The CRI Technology Impact Award is a Cancer Research Institute funding opportunity focused on bold, early-stage technological innovation in cancer immunotherapy. The program supports pre-development concepts that have not yet been built or tested but have the potential to transform how cancer immunotherapy is studied, developed, and applied. Its objective is to bridge the gap between conceptual technological innovation and real-world clinical application by encouraging collaboration between technology developers and clinical cancer immunologists. CRI seeks technologies capable of generating proof-of-principle data, revealing new biological insights, and ultimately contributing to more effective, personalized, and durable cancer immunotherapies. The award is specifically intended for visionary, high-risk/high-reward ideas rather than continuation or refinement of technologies that already exist. Potential areas include computational systems biology approaches for large-scale datasets and models of cellular and molecular networks; advanced cancer or molecular profiling technologies; real-time visualization technologies for tracking immune responses in mice or humans; complex multicellular culture systems modeling tumor-immune interactions; and novel therapeutic technologies designed to promote tumor immunity. Proposals that primarily apply existing technologies such as single-cell or spatial sequencing without substantial instrumentation, device, or algorithm development will typically be considered non-responsive. Clinical trials are not supported, although samples collected through independently funded clinical trials may be used when appropriate for technology development. Technology Impact Awards provide seed funding of up to $600,000 over a period of two to four years. Institutions may also receive indirect costs of up to 10 percent of the total amount awarded, with those indirect costs provided in addition to the awarded funds. The source does not state a minimum award amount, total program funding, number of awards, or a required cost share or matching contribution. Applicants must hold a tenure-track position at a not-for-profit research center or institution. Collaboration between clinical cancer immunologists and technology developers is encouraged, and Co-PIs are eligible and encouraged to apply. The application process consists of a Letter of Intent followed by an invited full application. The Letter of Intent deadline for the stated cycle is November 16, 2026, and submissions are due by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Candidates will be notified by mid-February as to whether they have been invited to submit a full grant proposal. Invited full proposals are due March 12, 2027, also by 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. If either deadline falls on a weekend, applications are accepted the following Monday. The earliest an award may activate is July 1, and awards activate on the first day of a month. Letters of Intent must be submitted electronically through CRI's online application system. Applicants accessing the system must create a unique user account, while previous CRI applicants should use their existing account. After completing all required fields on the online form, applicants must upload five specified items as individual PDF documents: an initial research concept of no more than three pages containing a succinct research plan with specific aims and timelines and explaining the proposed technology platform's potential to transform cancer immunotherapy; a brief description of the applicant's current research; a curriculum vitae; a bibliography limited to the past five years or publications relevant to the proposed research; and, if applicable, curricula vitae for all group members together with descriptions of their research focus. Applications exceeding stated page limits will be disqualified, and only PDF attachments are accepted. Each attachment must be uploaded individually through the attachments page. Attached documents must be single-spaced and use a font size of 12 points or larger. After uploading all attachments, the applicant must click Submit and should receive both an on-screen confirmation and an automated email confirmation from CRI. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Applicants experiencing attachment-upload problems may email grants@cancerresearch.org and should include the application number assigned during submission. Proposals are evaluated based on novelty, creativity, technical sophistication, and, most importantly, their transformative potential to shape the future of cancer immunotherapy. The strongest proposals are expected to address areas in which technological advancement could substantially affect cancer immunotherapy and patient outcomes and to propose genuinely new technology rather than straightforward application of established tools. The supplied source does not identify an individual program contact or telephone number. It provides grants@cancerresearch.org for attachment-upload problems. No explicit statement establishes that the program recurs annually or on another fixed schedule, so recurrence is not assumed from the supplied information.

Emphasize novelty, creativity, technical sophistication, and transformative potential for cancer immunotherapy. Propose genuinely new technology and substantial instrumentation, device, or algorithm development rather than simply applying existing technologies. Do not propose a clinical trial. Follow the 3-page research concept limit, PDF-only requirement, individual attachment requirement, and formatting rules because applications exceeding page limits are disqualified and incomplete applications are not considered.