Over 500,000 patients with ALK-positive NSCLC are living worldwide. It is of vital importance that there is a better understanding of the biology of ALK-positive lung cancer as well as the mechanism of tumor response and resistance. Given that therapeutic options available to date are not curative, there is a need for novel approaches to treat ALK-positive lung cancers. This grant mechanism will focus on the science behind ALK rearrangements as oncogenic drivers of malignancy and/or the development of novel therapeutic approaches for patients with ALK-positive lung cancer.
Work supported through this mechanism will address important mechanistic questions and developmental therapeutics across the care continuum and has the potential to increase survivorship. Given the specific interest in the development of novel therapies that could benefit this group of patients in the relatively near- term, a clinical trial should potentially result from this research. Proposals for this grant should include a program of correlative, translational research that will enhance the understanding of ALK-driven lung cancers.
We encourage applications on a wide variety of topics related to ALK-positive lung cancer, including but not limited to the following:
- Early Progression & Metastatic Patterns
- Understanding why some ALK-positive lung cancers progress more rapidly
- Investigating the role of leptomeningeal disease
- Impact of Co-Mutations and ALK Variants
- Effects of additional mutations (e.g., MET) on tumor biology and treatment resistance
- Differential treatment responses across ALK variants
- Tumor Microenvironment
- Approaches to reprogram or modulate the tumor microenvironment to enhance immune activity
- Metabolic Vulnerabilities
- Identifying metabolic pathways essential for ALK-positive tumor survival
- Strategies to improve immunotherapy efficacy or stimulate immune recognition of ALK-positive tumors
- Novel Therapies Beyond TKIs
- Development of vaccines, cell therapies, and other innovative therapeutic approaches
These awards provide a maximum of $300,000 in funding over a period of two years. It is preferable that the proposal be associated with a clinical trial, either ongoing or planned as a result of the project(s). For full details, eligibility criteria, and application instructions, please refer to the request for proposals.
Applications will be submitted through a two-step process consisting of a Letter of Intent (LOI) and full proposal. Applicants whose LOI submission is reviewed favorably will be invited to complete a full proposal. Applicants may only apply for one LCRF grant per grant cycle.
LOI submission deadline is midnight on July 15, 2026. The full proposal submission deadline is September 29, 2026.