Tulane Cancer Center WaveMakers Translational Cancer Research Award Request for Applications (RFA)

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I. Key Dates 

RFA Announcement:  April 27, 2026

Applications Due:  June 29, 2026 (11:59pm) 

Funding Decisions Announced:   August 3, 2026

Funding Commences:  September 1, 2026

II. Award Amount

One award of $75,000 will be made through this funding opportunity*. The award will be given for a 12-month project period and distributed in two installments of $37,500. Applicants are encouraged to propose focused, milestone-driven projects that can generate meaningful preliminary data and strong translational momentum during the award period. There is potential for add-on funding in a subsequent year.

III. Overview and Goals

This funding mechanism is intended to catalyze high-impact translational research by supporting projects that bridge laboratory discovery with clinical or population-focused applications. The goal of the WaveMakers Grant is to support translational cancer research projects that align with the Tulane Cancer Center Strategic Plan goals and priorities. Applications should propose bold, feasible, and collaborative studies with strong potential to advance the prevention, detection, treatment or survivorship of cancer, particularly in areas of importance to the TCC research portfolio and catchment area.

Projects should focus on one or more of the following priority cancers:

  • Breast cancer 
  • Lung cancer
  • Hematologic malignancies 
  • Genitourinary cancers including prostate, bladder, and kidney
  • Gastrointestinal cancers 

Preference will be given to projects that:

  1. Drive the translation of laboratory discoveries into investigator-initiated clinical trials (IITs) for targeted cancer treatment 
  2. Lead to interventional therapeutic clinical trials in humans using currently FDA approved or unapproved compounds or devices 
  3. Develop strategies for early detection or other interventions for high-burden cancers in the TCC catchment area to improve outcomes and reduce mortality

IV. Selected Approaches 

Examples of appropriate projects may include, but are not limited to:

  • Preclinical studies designed to support a pathway to an investigator-initiated therapeutic trial 
  • Biomarker development or validation with a feasible path to clinical application 
  • Translational studies evaluating mechanisms of response or resistance relevant to therapeutic development 
  • Early detection or screening approaches tailored to high-burden cancers in the catchment area 
  • Feasibility-generating studies that directly enable submission of an IIT, external grant, or translational protocol

Additional consideration will be given to proposals that present a compelling and realistic plan for moving discoveries toward human intervention, early detection, or targeted therapeutic translation.

V. Eligibility 

Applications must include two Principal Investigators (co-PIs) who are both Tulane University faculty

To be eligible:

  • One co-PI must be a bench-based researcher
  • Application with a second co-PI (clinician or a population scientist are strongly preferred)
  • Both co-PIs must be TCC Full or Associate members at the time of award. 

Applications that do not meet these eligibility requirements will not be considered. TCC membership applications, criteria, and benefits are available here: (https://medicine.tulane.edu/tulane-cancer-center/membership-application).

Budget template: WaveMakers-Translational-Cancer-Research-Award-Pilot-Budget-Template-FINAL.xlsx

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