Grantee Archive

Research Funding Impact

Since 1993, the AACR has awarded more than $542 million in grants to fund meritorious research projects across the spectrum of cancer science, including basic, translational, and clinical research. See how the AACR grants program has contributed to the AACR's mission.

Hijacking the Body’s Clock: How Breast Cancer Disrupts Brain-Regulated Rhythms

Research led by Dr. Jeremy C. Borniger at Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, a recipient of the Breast Cancer Research Foundation-AACR NextGen Grant for Transformative Cancer Research, has revealed that breast cancer hijacks the brain’s internal clock to fuel its own progression. In a recent publication in Neuron, the study found that tumors distally reprogram host circadian rhythms, blunting the daily surges of glucocorticoid hormones that are essential for energy and immune function.

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AACR Grantees Highlight Research Progress at the AACR Annual Meeting 2026

The AACR Annual Meeting 2026 will convene the global cancer research community at the San Diego Convention Center in San Diego, California, from April 17–22. AACR grantees will showcase the scientific advances made possible through AACR and its funding partners, presenting their work in oral and poster sessions that span the full spectrum of cancer research. Together, these presentations highlight the meaningful progress driven by AACR-supported investigators and the collective impact of this investment on advancing cancer science.

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One-of-a-Kind Opportunity to Meet the Research Grant Reviewers at the AACR Annual Meeting 2026

Attendees at the 2026 AACR Annual Meeting are invited to attend an interactive session on Monday, April 20, 2026, featuring AACR research grant reviewers Greg Delgoffe, PhD, and Rulla Tamimi, ScD. Meet the Research Grant Reviewers will offer attendees the opportunity to ask grant-related questions to seasoned reviewers. Continue reading to learn more about the event speakers and what to expect from this session.

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Age: More than a Demographic in Breast Cancer

Many people accept illness as an inevitable part of aging. But in breast cancer, the relationship between age and tumor biology is more complex than it may seem. Supported by one of the inaugural 2023 Victoria’s Secret Global Fund for Women’s Cancers Rising Innovator Grants, in Partnership with Pelotonia and AACR, Dr. Sandra McAllister is investigating how aging shapes breast cancer at the molecular level.

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Armored for Victory: Reprogramming CAR T Cells Against Neuroblastoma

Transforming outcomes for children with high-risk cancers demands innovation. In 2023, Kristopher Bosse, MD, a physician-scientist at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, received the AACR-AstraZeneca Career Development Award for Physician-Scientists, a grant designed to empower early-career investigators to bridge the gap between laboratory discoveries and clinical breakthroughs. His AACR-supported research, published in Molecular Therapy, explores promising new directions in immunotherapy for children with neuroblastoma.

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AACR Grantees Share Their Findings: Recent Advances in Cancer Research

AACR-supported investigators are contributing to advances in cancer research through studies spanning immunotherapy, tumor biology, genomics, and patient-centered care. Their accomplishments have been made possible, thanks to the support of the AACR and its funding partners.

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RNA to the Rescue: A New DNA Repair Pathway for Double-Strand Breaks

2020 AACR Swim Across America Fellowship recipient Manisha Jalan, DPhil, reveals a novel DNA repair mechanism in human cells where RNA transcripts, once thought to be passive messengers, actively guide the repair of double-strand breaks. Mediated by the DNA polymerase ζ complex, this RNA-templated repair pathway introduces a new dimension to genome maintenance and challenges long-held biological dogma.

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AACR Grantee Summit: Support Goes Beyond Grant Funding

AACR is committed to supporting researchers beyond grant funding. To create opportunities for grantees to share their work, learn from leaders and peers, and build meaningful connections, AACR hosted its second annual Grantee Summit.

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Cholesterol: A Fork in the Road for Pancreatic Cancer

Pancreatic cancer outcomes can differ depending on where the disease metastasizes, with lung involvement generally associated with better prognosis than liver involvement. Supported by a 2022 AACR-MPM Oncology Charitable Foundation Transformative Cancer Research Grant, Rushika Perera, PhD and her team at UCSF uncovered a key insight: a protein player in cholesterol metabolism, PCSK9, predicts whether pancreatic cancer cells colonize the liver or lungs. This discovery provides new understanding of metastatic behavior and potential therapeutic strategies.

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By Africans, for Africans: Advancing Breast Cancer Screening in Ghana

As breast cancer awareness month approaches, we spotlight the work of Adwoa Bemah Boamah Mensah, PhD, a 2022 recipient of the Beginning Investigator Grant for Catalytic Research (BIG Cat). Dr. Mensah is developing Mbreastcheck, a culturally tailored mobile health app designed to promote early detection and improve cancer care uptake among women in Ghana.

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