Victoria’s Secret Global Fund for Women’s Cancers Career Development Award (2026)

$206,000 Career Development Awards for Early-Stage Female Scientists Advancing Breast and Gynecologic Cancer Research

The Victoria’s Secret Global Fund for Women’s Cancers Career Development Award, in partnership with Pelotonia and the American Association for Cancer Research, supports innovative research addressing breast and gynecologic cancers.

The award invests in the next generation of female early-stage scientists conducting basic, translational, clinical, or population-science research. Projects addressing cancer health disparities and advancing equitable outcomes are especially encouraged.

Organizations: Victoria’s Secret Global Fund for Women’s Cancers, Pelotonia, and the American Association for Cancer Research
Support Type: Career development research award
Research Focus: Breast and gynecologic cancers
Geographic Focus: Global
Grant Amount: $206,000
Grant Term: Two years
Application Deadline: September 3, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time

New to corporate grant fundraising?
Read our Corporate Grants for Nonprofits: Ultimate Guide to learn how corporate funding works.

About the Funders

The Victoria’s Secret Global Fund for Women’s Cancers was established to accelerate innovation in cancer research for women while investing in female scientists who represent the diverse populations they serve.

The Fund builds upon Victoria’s Secret’s longstanding commitment to cancer research and education through its partnership with Pelotonia. The American Association for Cancer Research administers the award and manages the application and scientific peer-review process.

Together, the partners seek to improve the prevention, detection, diagnosis, and treatment of women’s cancers while addressing disparities in cancer outcomes.

What This Program Supports

The award supports innovative research projects involving breast or gynecologic cancers.

Proposed projects may involve:

• Basic research
• Translational research
• Clinical research
• Population-science research
• Cancer prevention
• Cancer interception
• Early detection
• Diagnosis
• Treatment development
• Cancer health disparities
• Approaches to achieving equity in cancer outcomes

Projects must have direct applicability and relevance to understanding, preventing, detecting, diagnosing, or treating breast or gynecologic cancer.

Proposals examining the causes of cancer health disparities or developing approaches to improve equity in patient outcomes are especially encouraged.

Eligible Research Expenses

The $206,000 award may support expenses directly related to the proposed research project, including:

• Salary and benefits for the grant recipient
• Salary and benefits for collaborators or consultants
• Postdoctoral or clinical research fellows
• Graduate students
• Graduate-student tuition associated with project-related education and training
• Research assistants
• Research or laboratory supplies
• Equipment
• Publication charges for manuscripts directly related to the funded project
• Other directly related research expenses
• Limited travel associated with required AACR and program events

The percentage of salary requested may not exceed the percentage of effort the individual will devote to the project.

Equipment requests exceeding 10% of the total grant budget must include a detailed justification.

Eligibility & Preferences

At the beginning of the grant term on December 1, 2026, applicants must:

• Hold a PhD, MD, MD/PhD, or equivalent doctoral degree in a related field
• Hold a faculty position as an assistant professor, instructor, research assistant professor, or equivalent
• Have started their first independent faculty position within the previous six years
• Devote at least 75% of their total professional effort to research involving breast or gynecologic cancer
• Have independent laboratory space confirmed by their institution
• Work at an academic, medical, or research institution
• Be positioned to complete the full two-year project and grant term

Exceptions of up to 12 months may be considered for applicants whose eligibility window was affected by parental leave or justified personal or family leave. Applicants who may require an exception should contact AACR before applying.

Applicants relying on a future faculty appointment must have that appointment confirmed when the application is submitted. The position cannot be contingent upon receiving the award.

Geographic and Citizenship Requirements

Researchers working at eligible institutions anywhere in the world may apply.

There are no citizenship or geographic restrictions. Applicants working in a country where they are not a citizen or permanent resident must have appropriate work authorization to complete the proposed research and grant term.

AACR Membership Requirement

Applicants must be AACR Active members in good standing by the September 3, 2026, application deadline.

Nonmembers must apply for AACR membership by the deadline. Applicants whose membership is not in good standing, or who have not submitted a membership application by the deadline, will be considered ineligible.

Applicants should begin the membership process early enough to address any questions before submitting the grant application.

Ineligible Applicants and Restrictions

At the beginning of the grant term, applicants may not:

• Be pursuing another doctoral degree
• Be an employee or subcontractor of a U.S. federal government entity
• Be an employee or subcontractor of a for-profit private company
• Concurrently hold another AACR grant
• Be or have previously been the principal investigator of a substantial independent research award
• Receive research funding from the tobacco industry

For this program, a substantial independent research award generally means a peer-reviewed award providing at least $250,000 in direct funding annually for more than three years, such as an NIH R01, DP2, DP5, MIRA, or equivalent award.

Employees of federal agencies or for-profit companies may participate as collaborators, but award funds cannot support their salaries, benefits, or project expenses.

Co-principal investigators are not permitted.

Additional Funding Restrictions

Grant funds may not be used for:

• Indirect or institutional overhead expenses
• Professional membership dues
• Expenses unrelated to the proposed research project
• Salaries or benefits for employees of U.S. federal government entities
• Salaries or benefits for employees of for-profit companies
• Research expenses incurred by ineligible federal or private-industry collaborators
• Duplicate expenses supported by another overlapping award

Applicants must disclose pending and existing research support. AACR must be notified if an applicant receives potentially overlapping funding before award decisions are announced.

Funding Amount

The program provides $206,000 over two years.

Applicants must submit a project budget totaling $206,000. Indirect expenses are not allowed.

Up to $8,000 during the two-year grant term may be budgeted for eligible registration, travel, lodging, and related expenses associated with required program events.

Timeline & Review

📅 Application Deadline: September 3, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time
📅 Award Decision: November 2026
📅 Grant Term Begins: December 1, 2026
📅 Grant Term: December 1, 2026–November 30, 2028

Applicants should confirm the corresponding deadline in their local time zone.

Application Review Criteria

Applications will be evaluated through scientific peer review. Reviewers will consider:

Applicant Qualifications

• Relevant training and research experience
• Capacity to conduct independent research
• Record of accomplishments in cancer research
• Demonstrated commitment to a cancer-research career

Scientific Project

• Scientific merit
• Importance of the research question
• Originality and innovation
• Clarity of the objectives and hypothesis
• Strength of the research approach
• Appropriateness of the experimental design
• Data-collection and analysis plans
• Feasibility within the proposed timeline and budget
• Potential impact on the field

Institutional Environment

• Institutional commitment to the applicant’s scientific development
• Availability of appropriate facilities and equipment
• Access to the resources required to complete the project

Recipient Participation Requirements

The selected recipient must attend the Annual Grantee Recognition Event during the 2027 AACR Annual Meeting to formally accept the award.

The recipient is also expected to:

• Attend an AACR Grantee Summit during the award period
• Participate in events organized by AACR or the Victoria’s Secret Global Fund for Women’s Cancers
• Participate in applicable public-education, publicity, or marketing activities
• Engage with Pelotonia, Victoria’s Secret, AACR, and other program partners
• Connect with the broader network of Pelotonia-funded investigators and AACR researchers

A portion of the grant budget may be used for eligible participation expenses.

Application / Request Process

Applications must be submitted through ProposalCentral by the deadline.

Applicants should first create or update their ProposalCentral professional profile and then locate the award under American Association for Cancer Research opportunities.

The application includes:

• Research-project title
• Applicant and institutional information
• AACR membership information
• Nominator and institutional contacts
• Lay abstract
• Scientific abstract
• Specific aims
• Detailed project budget
• Budget justification
• Pending and existing research support
• Organizational assurances
• Research Project Proposal
• Project Milestones
• Applicant biographical sketch
• Applicant Checklist
• Collaborator biographical sketch, when applicable

Applicants must use the official templates supplied through ProposalCentral. Altering a required template or failing to follow the formatting requirements may result in the application being rejected without review.

Letter of Reference

Each applicant must obtain a letter of reference from a nominator who is the applicant’s:

• Department chair
• Division head
• Dean

The nominator must upload the reference letter directly through ProposalCentral. Applications cannot be submitted until the required letter has been received.

When the nominator is not an AACR active, emeritus, or honorary member, the applicant must also be endorsed by an eligible AACR member.

Apply / Learn More

➡️ Review the Victoria’s Secret Global Fund Career Development Award

➡️ Download the 2026 Program Guidelines and Application Instructions

➡️ Submit an application through ProposalCentral

Why This Opportunity Is a Good Fit

This opportunity is a strong fit for researchers who:

• Are female early-stage cancer scientists
• Hold an eligible independent faculty position
• Began their first independent faculty appointment within the previous six years
• Study breast or gynecologic cancer
• Can devote at least 75% of their professional effort to relevant research
• Have access to independent laboratory space and institutional support
• Are pursuing innovative basic, translational, clinical, or population-science research
• Are investigating cancer health disparities or approaches to improving equitable outcomes
• Need substantial two-year support to advance an independent research program

The award is particularly valuable for early-stage faculty members who are establishing their independent research careers but have not yet received a large, long-term independent research award.

Corporate Grants Guide Notes

Review Type: Competitive scientific peer review
Application Deadline: September 3, 2026, at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Award Decision: November 2026
Grant Start Date: December 1, 2026
Grant Amount: $206,000
Grant Term: Two years
Indirect Costs: Not allowed
Geographic Eligibility: Worldwide
Membership Requirement: AACR Active membership in good standing
Best Suited For: Female early-stage faculty researchers studying breast or gynecologic cancers
Priority Consideration: Projects addressing cancer health disparities and equitable patient outcomes

Opportunity details were verified through the official AACR funding page and 2026 program guidelines. (AACR)