Current Funding Opportunities

Through our research program, Komen awards grants to support cutting-edge breast cancer research that will provide the greatest benefit to patients. We’re focused on conquering metastatic and aggressive breast cancers, advancing personalized breast care and eliminating breast cancer disparities and inequities. Our goal is to improve breast health care and outcomes for everyone and save lives.

Each year, we release Request for Applications (RFA) to communicate which grant mechanisms and scientific focus areas are available for funding. The types of mechanisms and the scientific focus areas may vary from year to year. Our latest research funding opportunities are available below!

Komen Application and Review Process

For Career Transition Awards (CTA) and Career Catalyst Research (CCR), Susan G. Komen® utilizes a multi-step approach to grant application and review that first requires limited submission of a Letter of Intent (LOI) and upon invitation only, submission of an Application.  Applicants/Primary Investigators (PIs) will be notified of LOI review decisions via email. Applicants/PIs invited to submit an Application will then be granted access to the Application site in proposalCENTRAL.  

CTA and CCR Applicants will be notified of intent to fund on or around April 15, 2026. All institutions must agree to adhere to Komen’s Policies and Procedures for Research and Training Grants. A copy of the latest version of these awards is found with the other documents for the LOI or Application in proposalCENTRAL. 

Click on the topics below to learn more about current funding opportunities.

2025 Letter of Intent (LOI) Announcement

LOI Announcement Release Date: April 15, 2025
LOI Submission Deadline: Extended to May 27, 2025 at 1:00 pm EST
Invitation to Submit an Application: June 16, 2025

SUSAN G. KOMEN-LOBULAR BREAST CANCER ALLIANCE METASTATIC INVASIVE LOBULAR CARCINOMA RESEARCH GRANT, IN HONOR OF JULIA K. LEVINE 

This grant mechanism will provide critical funding to support innovative research focused on metastatic invasive lobular carcinoma (mILC) that will unlock new knowledge about metastatic lobular breast cancer, advance patient care and/or improve patient outcomes of those impacted by mILC.

Award amount: $400,000 combined direct and indirect costs; ($200,000 per year for up to 2 years)

Eligibility: Independent investigators working at non-profit institutions and organizations. Researchers with a formal offer letter that confirms an independent position and start date by the Application due date (August 11, 2025) are also eligible. Non-U.S. institutions and individuals must be able to accept wire transfers and pass the non-U.S. grantee vetting process should they be selected for funding. Non-U.S. institutions and individuals on the OFAC sanctions list are ineligible to apply.

RFA Focus Area: This grant mechanism supports outstanding research with a specific primary focus on metastatic lobular breast cancer. We are especially interested in hypothesis-driven studies that will expand our understanding of the biology of mILC, and/or improve diagnosis, treatment and/or prevention of mILC. These studies may be considered basic, translational, clinical and/or population science in nature. Given that there has been so little study of lobular breast cancer, we encourage applicants to build ground-breaking paradigms, test imaginative hypotheses and develop creative concepts that may advance the current prevailing theories or practices for other breast cancer types and/or explore novel areas of investigation.

Download the current Susan G. Komen-Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance Metastatic Invasive Lobular Carcinoma Research Grant, In Honor of Julia K. Levine LOI Announcement for more details .

Susan G. Komen-Lobular Breast Cancer Alliance Metastatic Invasive Lobular Carcinoma Research Grant, In Honor of Julia K. Levine Review Process

Susan G. Komen® utilizes a multi-step approach to grant application and review that first requires submission of a Letter of Intent and upon invitation only, submission of an Application.

Applicants/PIs will be notified of Letter of Intent review decisions via email. Applicants/PIs invited to submit an Application will then be provided Application Instructions.

All institutions and industry partners must agree to adhere to Komen’s Policies and Procedures for Research and Training Grants.

Susan G. Komen Career Transition Awards (CTA) Key Dates:

Letter of Intent (LOI) Announcement: May 21, 2025
Institution Opt-in Deadline: June 5, 2025
Letter of Intent Due: July 24, 2025, by 1pm, ET
Letter of Intent Decision: August 14, 2025
Application Due: October 2, 2025, by 1pm, ET

About the Grant: Susan G. Komen Career Transition Awards (CTA) aim to help outstanding postdoctoral fellows and clinical fellows, working under the guidance of a mentor, to launch their competitive, independent breast cancer research careers. These awards provide up to five years of funding in two phases: Phase 1 supports the final years of mentored, postdoctoral training and Phase 2 supports the independent research of the early career, tenure-track investigators.

CTA Grant Terms: Applicant/Primary Investigator (PI) may request up to 5 years of funding totaling up to $650,000.00 over the two phases of the Award. Up to $100,000.00 per year (direct costs only) for up to two years may be requested for the first phase of the Career Transition Award to support the postdoctoral work. For the second phase of the Career Transition Award, the Applicant/PI may request up to $150,000.00 per year (direct and indirect costs) for up to three years to support independent research.

CTA Limited Submission Nomination Process: Institutions must respond to missiongrantsadmin@komen.org by June 5, 2025, to indicate that they are opting-in to the institutional nomination process. This is a limited submission opportunity: each institution may submit one nominee to apply for this funding. Applicants/PIs cannot self-nominate. The Institution’s Office of Sponsored Programs, Grants Office, or equivalent must select the nominee to apply for this funding.

CTA Eligibility: Individuals pursuing independent breast cancer research careers who are in the final years of mentored postdoctoral research training positions with no more than five years of total postdoctoral research experience at the time of Letter of Intent submission (July 24, 2025). For this application, clinical fellows are considered eligible and equal to the postdoctoral rank.

CTA Research Focus: Research projects must be hypothesis-driven, breast cancer-focused studies. They may be considered basic, translational, clinical and/or population science in nature and should align with Komen’s research goals and priorities and mission to save lives from breast cancer.

Download the current Career Transition Awards LOI Announcement (PDF) for more details

Susan G. Komen Career Catalyst Research (CCR) Grants Key Dates:

Letter of Intent (LOI) Announcement: May 21, 2025
Institution Opt-in Deadline: June 5, 2025
Letter of Intent Due: July 24, 2025, by 1pm, ET
Letter of Intent Decision: August 14, 2025
Application Due: October 2, 2025, by 1pm, ET

About the Grant: Susan G. Komen Career Catalyst Research (CCR) Grants have fostered promising breast cancer researchers who are in the early stages of their faculty careers by providing support for up to three years of “protected time” for research career development under the guidance of a Mentor Committee. We seek to support those who will emerge as the next key leaders in the fight against breast cancer.

CCR Grant Terms: Applicant/Primary Investigator (PI) may request funding of up to $150,000 per year (combined direct and indirect costs) for up to three years ($450,000).

CCR Limited Submission Nomination Process: Institutions must respond to missiongrantsadmin@komen.org by June 5, 2025, to indicate that they are opting-in to the institutional nomination process. This is a limited submission opportunity: each institution may submit one nominee to apply for this funding. Applicant/PI cannot self-nominate. The Institution’s Office of Sponsored Programs, Grants Office, or equivalent must select the nominee to apply for this funding.

CCR Eligibility: Applicant/PI must currently hold a full-time faculty appointment or have a formal offer letter from the Institution that confirms position and start date by the Application due date (October 2, 2025). Applicants/PIs must not have held any faculty appointment, including non-tenure and tenure track appointments combined, for more than a total of 6 years by the Application due date (October 2, 2025).

CCR Research Focus: Research projects must be hypothesis-driven, breast cancer-focused studies. They may be considered basic, translational, clinical and/or population science in nature and should align with Komen’s research goals and priorities and mission to save lives from breast cancer.

Download the current Career Catalyst Research LOI Announcement (PDF) for more details