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   WaveMakers Translational Cancer Research Award
Request for Applications (RFA)

Due: Monday, June 29, 2026, at 11:59pm

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


VI. Proposal Submission Information 
Submit your application here

Paper copies or emails of the application or any other accompanying documentation will not be accepted. 

All application materials must be submitted no later than 11:59pm on June 29, 2026.
 

PART 1: The Application and Supporting Documents

  • Online form:
    • Project title
    • Investigator 1: full name, email, position/rank, primary Tulane school/department/division of appointment
    • Investigator 2: full name, email, position/rank, primary Tulane school/department/division of appointment
       
  • Technical Abstract: Please limit response to 1-page, single space, .5” margins - addressing the following: (to be uploaded as a PDF)
    • Background: Present the ideas and reasoning behind the proposed work. 
    • Overarching Challenge(s): State the overarching challenge(s) that will be addressed and briefly state how the project will address the challenge in a way that can lead to or make a breakthrough and have a major impact. Simply identifying an overarching challenge is not sufficient. 
    • Objective/Hypothesis: State the objective to be reached/hypothesis to be tested. Provide evidence or rationale that supports the objective/hypothesis. 
    • Specific Aims: State the specific aims of the study. 
    • Study Design: Briefly describe the study design, including appropriate controls. 
    • Impact: Briefly describe how the proposed project will lead to a major impact for the overarching challenge(s). Explain how the research meets the requirement for high potential to lead to or make a breakthrough and accelerate progress toward ending cancer. 
       
  • Impact, Partnership & Statement of Work: Please address the following questions, limiting the entire response to 2 pages, single space, .5” margins: (to be uploaded as a PDF)
    DO NOT restate the research strategy as part of the Impact Statement.
    • What is the scientific significance of your proposal?
    • What are your predicted results and what would be their clinical or scientific impact?
    • Describe potential funding mechanisms to support the next phase of this research.
    • Describe the partnership and combined expertise of the Co-PIs that are critical for the research strategy and completion of the SOW.  Explain how the partnership will better address the research question and impact, and why the work should be done by these two PIs together rather than through separate individual efforts.  It is expected that both PIs will have equal intellectual input into the design of the project and will devote similar and appropriate levels of effort to the conduct of the project.  Explain how effort and funding will be balanced between both PIs, and if they are not equally balanced, provide appropriate justification.  
    • The Statement Of Work (SOW) should indicate a feasible plan and timeline to conduct the research.  The SOW must include specific research milestones to be accomplished by the end of each year in the period of performance.  Meaningful progress towards completion of outlined milestones, in addition to submitting a mid-award progress report, will be considered prior to the release of the second half of funding.
       
  • Supporting documents:
    • Current NIH BioSketch from each Investigator (to be uploaded as a PDF).
      • BioSketch is preferred, but if unavailable, CV will be accepted.
    • Budget (to be uploaded as a PDF):

      • Applicants must use this WaveMakers Research Award Excel budget template: 

      • If this budget form is not used, the application will not be considered for review.   
      • Budget is expected to span from September 1, 2026 - August 31, 2027.  The budget should be tied to the proposed research strategy and milestones.


PART 2: Confirmation 
All application materials can be reopened and resubmitted before the deadline.
Successful submissions will result in an automated email response sent to the applicant.


VII. Preparing Your Budget

Allowable Costs
Funds may be used for expenses that are necessary to complete the proposed project and are consistent with Tulane University and Tulane Cancer Center policies. Allowable costs may include:
•    Research supplies and laboratory consumables 
•    Core facility or shared resource usage fees 
•    Small equipment essential to the proposed project 
•    Patient sample collection, specimen processing, and related research costs 
•    Data analysis, biostatistical support, and research-related informatics services 
•    Research personnel support, including technicians, research assistants, or other project-specific staff effort 
•    Co-PI salary support
•    Participant-related research costs directly tied to the approved project 
•    Preclinical study costs necessary to advance translational aims 
•    Regulatory, protocol development, or other research support activities required to move the project toward clinical translation 
All proposed expenses must be well justified and directly related to the scientific aims of the project.

Non-Allowable Costs
Funds may not be used for:
•    Indirect costs or facilities and administrative costs 
•    General office supplies or administrative expenses not directly related to the project 
•    Faculty salary support for more than two co-PIs, unless explicitly approved 
•    Travel, except where specifically justified as essential to project execution 
•    Equipment or infrastructure that is not directly required for the proposed research 
•    Clinical care costs not associated with research activities


VIII. Review Processes and Criteria
Completed applications submitted by 11:59pm on June 29, 2026, will be put forward for review by a Scientific Review Committee that will provide merit scores for each application.

Reviewers will evaluate the proposals on the following considerations:

  • Factor 1 - Overall Impact: Should it be done?
    • Scientific significance of the proposal to lead to an advance in the management of cancer (Note: Notwithstanding the significance of the overarching clinical challenge, this alone is insufficient to create impact.  The impact must be derived from the proposed research.)
    • Strength of rationale and any included preliminary data
    • Potential clinical or scientific impact of the results
    • Likelihood of leading to follow-on funding, IIT development, or clinical impact 
       
  • Factor 2 - Feasbility/Approach: Can it be done and done well?
    • Potential to produce unbiased, reproducible, robust data that address the hypothesis and will create impact
       
  • Factor 3 - Is the team appropriate to execute the plan? 
    • Investigators have demonstrated background, training, and expertise, as appropriate for their career stage, to conduct the proposed work
    • Strong MPI leadership plan, including a balance of intellectual contributions and effort

Applicants will be notified of funding decisions via email, which will be the primary mode of communication.
 

IX. Contact Information 
Inquires related to budget questions should be directed to Tammy Vaccaro (tbordes@tulane.edu). 

All inquiries related to the application process, eligibility, and/or scientific research areas should be directed to Seanne Falconer (sfalconer@tulane.edu).
 

X. Reporting Expectations
Awardees will be expected to provide progress updates on a semi-annual basis and a final report summarizing outcomes, including but not limited to:
•    Preliminary data generated 
•    Abstracts, presentations, or publications 
•    Subsequent grant submissions 
•    Development of clinical trial concepts or protocols 
•    Other translational milestones achieved as a result of the award
•    Citing the Tulane Cancer Center’s support in papers, posters, and presentations

The second half of the project’s funding release to the investigator will be contingent upon the successful completion of the first six months of milestones and the submission of the progress report.

Awardees may be asked to present their work at the LCRC Symposium following the conclusion of this award.

*If none of the proposals is deemed sufficiently meritorious, no projects will be funded.