Program

Building on the success of the inaugural International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer (IASLC) Pan-Africa Conference on Lung Cancer, the IASLC Board of Directors has allocated funds to support innovative lung cancer work in Africa. These funds are intended to support the work of the IASLC and the IASLC’s Strategic Plan, with the ultimate goal of conquering thoracic cancers worldwide in the 21st century.  

Funding Priority

The goal of these grants is to support an effort to gather data on the epidemiology of lung cancer in Africa and encourage advocacy, public engagement, and policy initiatives. Sustainability and Impact will be major criteria for selection. 

All projects must support at least one of the following topics:  

• (1) Lung Cancer Epidemiology (in a country, countries or region, such as West, East, North or Southern Africa) / Lung Cancer Detection, in particular distinguishing lung cancer from tuberculosis (TB) or  

• (2) Advocacy, Public Awareness and/or Policy for Lung Cancer

Applications that involve more than one specialty and more than one country are strongly encouraged. 

Eligibility Criteria

IASLC African Impact Grants are open to candidates currently living and conducting research in Africa. At the time of application, the applicant must meet all these requirements:

1. Only one proposal may be submitted by any person, group or organization.

2. Investigators must be affiliated with a health care institution.

3. Multiple Principal Investigators (MPI) are allowed, but there should be a designated corresponding PI who will be responsible for reporting on the project’s progress.

4. PIs and Co-PIs must be members of the IASLC (if applicants are not current members, one-year membership may be provided at the discretion of the review committee).

5. Grant applications should include an inventory/statistics about the institutions where principal investigators practice and its workforce, including: 

   • Number of lung cancer cases seen in a year 

   • Number of medical oncologists, thoracic surgeons, clinical oncologists, pulmonologists, pathologists and other health care personnel involved in lung cancer treatment or research at your institution 

Applicants who believe they should be eligible, but do not meet the above eligibility criteria are encouraged to submit a letter of intent (LOI) in which they explain why they believe they are eligible for the grant. Eligibility will be further assessed during the review of LOIs.

Grant Timeline

• Application Portal Opens: September 10, 2025
• LOI Submission Deadline: October 31, 2025 at 12:00PM (noon) MST
• Applicants Notified of LOI Decision: November 25, 2025
• Invited RFP Submission Deadline: December 31, 2026 at 12:00PM (noon) MST
• Notification of Award: By February 15, 2026
• Project Start Date: By March 25, 2026

Grant Structure and Allocation

IASLC African Impact Grants are in the amount of up to USD 20,000 and are intended to fund projects that can be completed in a one-year timeframe. The funds will be paid directly to the institution for the benefit of the award winner at the initiation of the grant. Grantees may independently seek matching funds from other sources. 

Funds may be used at the discretion of the recipient for research project-related expenses, salary for PI or trainees, other benefits, publication costs, conference registration, travel, consumables, and other necessary expenses to facilitate the grantee's research. Indirect costs are discouraged but if necessary are limited to 10% of the direct costs, with the total award amount not to exceed $20,000. Indirect costs may be applied to overhead or administrative costs incurred by the grantee's institution from administering the research project.

How to Apply

Applications will be accepted through the IASLC's online Research Grant Application Portal only. To access the application:

1. Login using your IASLC Member Credentials.
   • If you do not know your IASLC Member credentials, first try resetting your password using the "Forgot your password?" link. If that does not work, email membership@iaslc.org for assistance.
2. Go to the IASLC's online Research Grant Application Portal. 
3. Once you have successfully logged in, you will be directed to begin your application.

After initiating an application, the applicant may return to the portal as needed to continue work on their application until it is submitted. Applications that have been submitted remain editable until the application deadline.

Application Structure

The online application requires the items listed below. Application sections denoted with ^± will be scored by the review team. 

Application Review and Scoring

All applications will be scored by the IASLC Africa Steering Committee on the following criteria: 

• Potential project impact to support the diagnosis and/or awareness of lung cancer. 

• Does the project fit the RFP’s priority area? 

• Relevant expertise of project team & ability to complete the proposed work on time 

• Feasibility of workplan/methodology 

• Appropriateness of budget 

Applications will be independently scored by multiple reviewers and then the IASLC Africa Steering Committee will meet, discuss,and select award winners. After approval, applicants will be notified of their status. Reviewer scores and comments may remain confidential but feedback will be provided where possible. Applicants may re-apply with the same or modified projects in future application cycles.  

Questions

If you have any questions about this RFP, please reach out to: GlobalGrants@iaslc.org