Academic Clinical Trials Program (ACT)

The Academic Clinical Trials (ACT) Program is now open.

The Blood Cancer United ACT initiative is an investigator-initiated clinical trial program designed to address unmet medical needs by testing new treatments, exploring expanded uses for existing therapies, and optimizing innovative treatment approaches in patient care. These awards will fund clinical trials, up to $1M USD over a period of up to three years.

In this round, Blood Cancer United has formed a partnership with Rising Tide Foundation for Clinical Cancer Research for co-funding of ACT grants.

The primary focus will be Phase 1 or 2 trials positioned to begin enrolling patients within 3-6 months of the July 1, 2026, award start. Trials should focus on one of the areas of potential interest (below).

Examples of projects of potential interest include:

• Precision medicines engaging new targets, given as monotherapy or in combination (e.g. small molecules, monoclonal and bispecific antibodies, ADCs, RNAs or novel modalities may be prioritized)
• Novel immunotherapy approaches
• Therapies targeting the tumor microenvironment
• Biopharmaceutical approaches in premalignant conditions for the prevention or early intervention of disease
• Personalized medicine approaches for blood cancers, including novel companion diagnostics that may identify optimal treatment sub-populations
• Best-in-class trials that may impact standard of care
• Enhanced safety and/or efficacy of stem cell transplantation

We welcome proposals that include new clinical trial designs, decentralized trial approaches and emerging technologies including AI for improved clinical trial conduct in blood cancer.

FY26 ACT Guidelines and Instructions (PDF)

Highlights of the LOI and application process

• A Structured Clinical Abstract at the LOI stage will provide succinct information about the objectives, expected outcomes, and clinical significance of the proposed study.
• A Patient Involvement Plan Summary is required at the LOI stage (2 pages and a table). A full plan is required at the Full Application phase. Patient engagement activities help assure that patients’ needs (both unmet medical needs and first-hand experiences) are reflected in the design of the clinical trial.
• Applicants will provide an IRB approval date OR a scheduled IRB review date at both the LOI stage and in the Full Application. An application may be submitted with IRB approval pending, but an award will not be made without documented IRB approval. Projects that can begin near or on the specified Award Start Date of July 1, 2026 may be prioritized.

Award

• Budget submitted should reflect the actual needs of the project but cannot exceed $1M USD in total for up to three years of the grant.
• This budget ceiling includes all costs associated with the grant including indirect costs (often referred to as Institutional Overhead), which will be capped at 15% of the total award.

How to apply

• Please refer to the Guidelines and Instructions document above
• Apply Here: https://bloodcancerunited.fluxx.io/
• Is this your first time applying for a Blood Cancer United Research grant? You can get started by requesting a new account.
• Please reach out to [email protected] with any questions.
• See the table below for all the key dates and deadlines: