Apply for the CRI Technology Impact Award Supporting High-Risk Cancer Immunotherapy Technologies
Organisation Name:
Cancer Research Institute (CRI)
Application Deadline:
16 November 2026
About Organisation
The Cancer Research Institute (CRI) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to advancing cancer immunotherapy research and accelerating the development of innovative approaches to cancer treatment. CRI supports researchers working across cancer immunology, technology development, translational research and clinical applications. Through competitive funding programmes, the organization invests in scientists developing new ways to understand, detect and treat cancer by harnessing the immune system. Its Technology Impact Award focuses specifically on high-risk, high-reward technological innovation that could overcome important barriers in cancer immunotherapy. CRI aims to accelerate discoveries that can generate new biological insights, enable better therapeutic development and ultimately contribute to improved outcomes for cancer patients.
About the Grant
The CRI Technology Impact Award provides seed funding for early-stage, pre-development technological concepts that have the potential to transform cancer immunotherapy. The programme is specifically designed for ideas that have not yet been built or tested and therefore involve significant technical uncertainty. Awards provide up to $600,000 over two to four years, with eligible institutions receiving up to an additional 10% for indirect costs. CRI encourages collaboration between technology developers and clinical cancer immunologists to connect technological innovation with real-world cancer research and treatment needs. Supported technologies may include advanced profiling systems, computational approaches, visualization platforms, multicellular models and novel therapeutic technologies.
Who can Apply?
Applicants must hold a tenure-track position at a not-for-profit research centre or institution. The programme encourages interdisciplinary collaboration between technology developers, cancer immunologists, clinical cancer researchers, computational scientists, engineers and biomedical researchers. Co-principal investigators are eligible and encouraged to participate. The proposed technology must be at an early, pre-development stage and should represent a substantial technological advance rather than an incremental improvement or simple application of an existing technology. Projects should have clear relevance to cancer immunotherapy and potential for transformative impact. Applicants should also demonstrate why current technologies cannot adequately address the identified problem and explain how the proposed technology could eventually contribute to advances in cancer research or treatment.
How to Apply?
Applicants should first develop a clear technology concept addressing an important challenge in cancer immunotherapy. Prepare the Letter of Intent (LOI) according to CRI requirements and submit it through the online application system. Explain the technology’s novelty, technical risks, potential impact and development pathway. If invited by CRI, submit the full proposal by 12 March 2027. Applications must be submitted electronically through the official CRI application system.
Application Deadline
The application deadline is 16 November 2026
Last Date To Apply
For more information, please visit the grant website here.
