Office of Scientific Development

The CCR FLEX Program is an intramural funding mechanism, which seeks to enable CCR PIs to explore new opportunities that may be difficult to pursue in the context of their regular research program. The FLEX Program is an opportunity for all CCR tenure-track and tenured PIs and clinical researchers to compete for time-limited, project-specific resources to supplement their base allocation.. A list of projects that have been or are funded through this Program can be found at the following LINK.

Hallmarks of the FLEX Program are:

• Innovation and Creativity: FLEX Program projects should have a high degree of innovation and creativity. FLEX projects are lines of investigation that would normally be difficult to accommodate within the PI’s existing research program.
• High-impact: FLEX Program projects should lead to high-impact results.
• Defined by milestones: FLEX Program projects are defined by clearly articulated milestones. FLEX Program funds can only be used for the proposed projects and can not be rolled into the PI’s general lab budget. Projects will not be reviewed during the quadrennial site-visit but progress will be monitored periodically based on proposed milestones.
• Time-limited: FLEX Program projects are time-limited, typically to 3 years.
• Open to all CCR PIs: All intramural CCR PIs are eligible for FLEX Program funding. The CCR-DCEG Award is also open to intramural DCEG PIs. Extramural researchers cannot act as PIs and can not receive funds, but may collaborate on FLEX projects with CCR PIs. All areas of research from basic via translational to clinical will be considered.
• Highly selective: FLEX Program projects will be selected in a two-stage open competition. 1) Evaluation of Letters of Intent (LOIs) and 2) Evaluation of invited full proposals (estimated ~20% of LOIs) by the CCR Science Board.

Below is some general information on each of the awards. In addition, the links to each award provide detailed information, as well as the application guidelines specific for each.

CCR Technology Development Awards are aimed at the development of ground-breaking new methods and technology in the PI’s laboratory, and can be in any area of biomedicine ranging from basic research tools to clinical technology. Funding will be provided for three years and up to $125,000 per year to cover personnel and supply costs.

CCR Synergy Awards support the formation of research teams composed of closely interacting and collaborating basic, translational and/or clinical scientists to perform high-impact collaborative projects. Funding will be provided for three years with the possibility of a maximum two year  extension and up to $400,000 per year to cover personnel and/or supply costs

CCR New Directions Awards facilitate the pursuit of studies with great potential to lead to groundbreaking advances beyond the investigator’s immediate field and with high relevance to the broader biomedical community. Proposals should be based on the PI’s preliminary data, be strongly hypothesis driven, and represent a significant divergence from the PI’s  research focus. Funding will be provided for three years with up to $125,000 per year to cover personnel and supply costs.

CCR-DCEG Awards foster integrative research that builds on DCEG expertise in population-based epidemiology and CCR expertise in basic biology and clinical research. Projects should be focused on high-impact problems in the areas of cancer mechanism, diagnosis, prognosis, susceptibility, predisposition, or prevention. Funding will be provided for three years with up to $175,000 per year to cover personnel and/or supply costs.

CCR Basic/Translational/Clinical Axis Awards  facilitate creation of research teams along the basic-translational-clinical spectrum. The objective is to perform high-impact collaborative research on translational/clinical projects working towards “bench to bedside” and/or “bedside to bench” advances. These teams will be composed of closely interacting and collaborating basic, translational and clinical scientists. Funding will be provided for three years with the  possibility of a maximum two year extension and up to $300,000 per year to  cover personnel and/or supply costs.