The International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) Board of Directors may allocate funds at their discretion to support IASLC Committee Projects.  These funds are intended to support the work of the IASLC Committees in carrying out the IASLC’s Strategic Plan with the ultimate goal of conquering thoracic cancers in the 21st century.  IASLC projects should be multidisciplinary and global in scope. For this funding cycle, up to $400,000 of funds have been dedicated to support committee projects and will be awarded through this funding mechanism.  

Allocated funds are funds of the IASLC to support committee projects. This is not a grant mechanism. Committee funds will be held by IASLC. For funded projects selected through this mechanism, project expenses will be invoiced to IASLC (to a project-specific cost code) and IASLC will pay expenses directly to the appropriate vendors.  Funds may be budgeted for collaboration with academic investigators, particularly to support trainees who are integral to the project or needed core services (i.e., biostatistical support). In this case, a Collaboration Agreement will be signed with the institution and IASLC will pay the appropriately budgeted amount based on a Statement of Work and Schedule determined by both parties.  

For the 2026 Committee Project Request for Proposals (RFP), the following guidelines apply: 

• Only IASLC Committees may submit proposals
• Committees are encouraged to submit project proposals for up to $50,000 with a timeframe of up to two years. In rare cases, a project may be funded up to $100,000 but a detailed explanation of the significance of the project and justification for additional funding must be included in the Letter of Intent and Full Application. IASLC retains the right to reduce the requested funding amount when making final award decisions.
• All projects must support at least one of IASLC’s three strategic pillars: Collaborative Science, Global Education, and Promoting Accessible Multidisciplinary Care
• Projects should begin as soon as possible once final funding decisions are made (Summer 2026).
• Applications that involve more than one committee are encouraged
• Projects may be part of the Board-approved two-year plan but are not required to be part of the already-approved plan.

Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Only one proposal may be submitted per cycle by each committee
• Each project should be led by one Principal Investigator, or two Co-Principal Investigators, who will be responsible for reporting on the project’s progress.
• PIs and Co-PIs must be members of the committee and active members of the IASLC

RFP Released: Wednesday, December 17, 2025 

Letter of Intent Deadline (no extensions): Tuesday, February 3, 2026, 12:00PM (noon) MST

Invitation to Submit Full Applications: Mid-March, 2026  

Expected Full Application Due Date: Tuesday, May 19, 2026 

Expected Funding Start Date: August 2026  

All applications will be submitted via IASLC's online submissions portal. There will be no extensions to the posted deadlines. At the discretion of the committee chair and the project Principal Investigator, IASLC staff liaisons may help write and submit committee proposals. 

The application includes the following sections:  

• Letter of Intent: High-Level overview of the project
• Full application (by invitation only)
  • Application Information
  • Project Team: List of team members to include each member's name, institution, email, Project Role, and CV/biosketch (maximum of 3 pages, or download this standardized biosketch template)
  • Project Plan and Budget: Upload project plan, budget (using budget template), and budget justification. 

CLICK HERE for the full RFP and application requirements.  

To apply:

• CLICK HERE to access the application form. (opens in new tab)
• Login using your IASLC Member Portal credentials.
  • If you do not know your credentials, click on the "Reset your Password" link to recover your user name and/or reset your password. If you are still unable to login, please email membership@iaslc.org. 
• Once you have successfully logged in, you will be able to begin work on your application. You may save your application at any time and return to the system at a later date to continue your work. 
• Deadline: LOIs must be submitted by Tuesday, February 3, 2026 at 12:00 PM (noon) MST.

All applications will be scored by the IASLC Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) on the following criteria:

• Potential project impact to support IASLC’s mission and strategic plan
• Relevant expertise of project team & ability to complete the proposed work on time
• Feasibility of workplan/methodology
• Appropriateness of budget

All Letters of Intent will be reviewed and scored by all eligible reviewers. Reviewers may not be a member of the committee that submitted the application, nor be a part of the proposed project.

For Full Applications, each application will be independently scored by at least three reviewers. Reviewers may not be a member of the committee that submitted the application, nor be a part of the proposed project.

In round two, the SAC will meet and discuss the applications and scores. The SAC will make a recommendation to the IASLC Executive Committee on a slate of projects and funding amounts that equal the cycle’s funding allocation.

The Executive Committee of the IASLC Board has the final approval authority for project funding. After Executive Committee approval, committee applicants will be notified of their status.
Reviewer scores and comments will remain confidential. Reviewers are encouraged to provide optional feedback to applicants to help inform future proposals. Committees may re-apply with the same or modified projects in future application cycles.