Apply for CRI Clinical Innovator Program

Deadline: 01-Dec-2026

The Cancer Research Institute (CRI) Clinical Innovator Program supports academic clinician-scientists conducting innovative, investigator-initiated clinical trials in cancer immunotherapy. Awards of up to $1 million per trial, plus up to 10% indirect costs, support Phase I/II or Phase II studies designed to develop novel immunotherapy treatments, understand immune mechanisms, and identify or validate predictive biomarkers. What Is the CRI Clinical Innovator Program? The CRI Clinical Innovator Program is a research funding opportunity for investigators developing innovative clinical trials that could advance cancer immunotherapy and improve treatment options for patients. The programme focuses on studies that combine clinical investigation with a deeper understanding of how the immune system responds to cancer treatment. The programme is particularly interested in trials that can: Test novel immunotherapy approaches. Address significant unmet needs in cancer treatment. Generate mechanistic insights into treatment response. Identify predictive biomarkers. Validate biomarkers that can help determine which patients are most likely to benefit. Produce evidence that can advance future cancer immunotherapy research. Why the CRI Clinical Innovator Program Matters Cancer immunotherapy has transformed treatment for some cancers, but many patients do not respond to existing therapies or eventually develop resistance. Investigator-initiated clinical trials can help address these challenges by allowing clinician-scientists to investigate new therapeutic strategies and unanswered biological questions. The Clinical Innovator Program therefore supports research that connects: Other eligible costs associated with the clinical trial. Payments are structured around milestones, helping ensure that the study progresses according to its approved objectives and reaches completion. What Is the Role of Biomarkers? Biomarker research is an important component of the programme. A predictive biomarker is a measurable biological characteristic that can help identify patients who are more likely to respond to a particular treatment. Clinical Innovator projects may therefore investigate biomarkers that can: Predict treatment response. Explain why some patients respond while others do not. Help identify mechanisms of resistance. Improve patient selection for immunotherapy. Support development of personalized cancer treatments. Mechanistic Research and Immune Response The programme is not limited to determining whether an immunotherapy works. Applicants are encouraged to investigate why a treatment produces a particular clinical response. Proposing a study that is not sufficiently focused on immunotherapy. Presenting a clinical trial without a strong scientific rationale. Failing to explain what makes the treatment approach novel. Providing insufficient detail about mechanistic investigations. Treating biomarker research as an unrelated secondary activity. Underestimating patient recruitment requirements. Using unrealistic clinical milestones. Failing to explain how trial findings could influence future research or patient care. Applying through an ineligible for-profit institution. Tips for Applicants A strong proposal should make the clinical and scientific importance immediately clear. Applicants should emphasize three connected questions: What important cancer problem does the trial address? Why is the proposed immunotherapy approach different or better positioned to address it? What will researchers learn about cancer immunity from the trial? The strongest applications should demonstrate both clinical potential and scientific discovery value. Key Information at a Glance

Programme: CRI Clinical Innovator Program

Funder: Cancer Research Institute

Research area: Cancer immunotherapy

Trial types: Phase I/II and Phase II

Maximum award: $1,000,000 per trial

Indirect costs: Up to 10% in addition to the award

Eligible costs: Investigator salary, patient costs, supplies, correlative assays, data analysis, and other eligible trial expenses

Payment structure: Milestone-based

Citizenship restrictions: None

Eligible research locations: United States and international locations

Eligible institutions: Medical schools and research centers

Ineligible institutions: For-profit organizations

Special opportunity: Chordoma-focused proposals may receive co-funding through the Chordoma Foundation partnership

Data sharing: Encouraged, including through CRI iATLAS

Frequently Asked Questions What is the CRI Clinical Innovator Program? The CRI Clinical Innovator Program is a Cancer Research Institute funding programme supporting investigator-initiated clinical trials in cancer immunotherapy. It focuses on innovative treatments, immune mechanisms, and predictive biomarkers. How much funding can researchers receive? Researchers can receive up to $1 million per clinical trial, with up to 10% additional indirect costs. What types of clinical studies are eligible? The programme supports innovative Phase I/II and Phase II clinical trials involving cancer immunotherapy. Can international researchers apply? Yes. There are no citizenship restrictions, and research may be conducted at eligible medical schools or research centers outside the United States. Can a for-profit company or institution apply? No. The programme supports research conducted at eligible medical schools and research centers, but for-profit institutions are not eligible for funding. Does the programme support biomarker research? Yes. The programme encourages the discovery and validation of predictive biomarkers that can help explain or predict clinical responses to cancer immunotherapy. Are chordoma research proposals eligible? Yes. Through a partnership with the Chordoma Foundation, proposals focused on chordoma may be eligible for co-funding and access to specialized chordoma models and tumor samples. Conclusion The CRI Clinical Innovator Program provides sub