Call for Applications: Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA) Early Career Investigator Grant Program 2026

Application Deadline: May 25, 2026

Applications are currently being accepted for the 2026 Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA) Early Career Investigator Grant Program . This program supports junior faculty pursuing independent research careers in ovarian cancer and related gynecologic cancers. The grant funds creative, original, and high-impact research projects while strengthening the academic development of emerging investigators in this specialized oncology field .

The Early Career Investigator Grant (formerly the Liz Tilberis Early Career Award) was created in honor of Liz Tilberis, former editor-in-chief of Harper’s Bazaar and the first president of Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance, who passed away from ovarian cancer in 1999 .

Grant Benefits

• Up to USD 150,000 per year
• Duration: 3 years
• Total maximum funding: USD 450,000
• Funds are awarded to the Principal Investigator’s institution 

Eligibility Requirements

Principal Investigator Requirements:

Applicants must:

• Hold an MD, DO, and/or PhD degree 
• Be within 7 years of their initial academic appointment after fellowship or postdoctoral training 
• Hold the rank of Assistant Professor or equivalent 
• Or begin such a position by July 2026 

Additional Eligibility Criteria:

• Candidates must be working in institutions with strong existing ovarian cancer research programs, in a school of medicine or public health, or a recognized non-profit scientific research facility 
• Funding is only available to accredited non-profit universities/colleges, non-profit research hospitals, or recognized non-profit scientific research facilities 
• For MDs/DOs or MD/DO-PhDs with clinical responsibilities, at least 50% of the time must be dedicated to ovarian cancer and/or related gynecologic cancers research 
• For applicants without clinical responsibilities, at least 75% of the time must be dedicated to ovarian cancer and/or related gynecologic cancers research 
• Early Career Investigator Grants will not be granted to individuals who hold or have had similar early career investigator awards from other funding agencies or foundations 
• There are no citizenship requirements; international applicants are welcome to apply 
• Each applicant may submit only one application per grant cycle 

Application Requirements

The application should include:

• Scientific Abstract – A summary of the proposed research (6,000 characters or less, text only) 
• PI BioSketch – Current NIH biosketch for the Principal Investigator 
• Mentor’s Biosketch – Current NIH biosketch for the mentor 
• Key Personnel Biosketches – Combined into one document as a single PDF 
• Budget – Requested total budget amount in USD for the entire grant 

Application Process

Click here to log in to the application website to apply.

For more information, visit the OCRA website.