The mission of the American Cancer Society is to improve the lives of people with cancer and their families through advocacy, research, and patient support, aiming to ensure everyone has the opportunity to prevent, detect, treat, and survive cancer.
The ACS Research Priority Areas aim to support research that falls into one of six areas critical to advancing the mission against cancer. These areas are: Etiology (causes of cancer), Obesity/Healthy Eating and Active Living (HEAL), Screening and Diagnosis, Treatment, Survivorship, and Health Equity Across the Cancer Continuum. The AHEAD Awards, part of these efforts, focus on reducing the cancer burden by supporting exploratory research that improves access to cancer screening and care through innovative home-based technologies. This includes research in digital technologies for clinical trials, biometrics, wearables, remote imaging, telehealth, and at-home cancer screening and care. The goal is to fund high-risk, high-reward pilot projects that can lead to breakthrough research and significant impacts on cancer care, particularly enhancing health equity and addressing disparities. Eligible applicants for these grants must have a doctoral degree, work at a U.S. academic institution or eligible nonprofit, and hold an independent faculty appointment or equivalent. Discovery Boost Grants offer up to $135,000 per year for a maximum of 2 years, with an overall project budget cap of $297,000 including 10% indirect costs.