Internal Funding Opportunities
CBCC Intramural Funding
A high priority of the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center is to provide seed funds to support highly innovative research projects — all with the goal that projects are developed and competitive for extramural funding. We offer a number of internal funding opportunities, check back here frequently to see the available programs offered by the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center.
CBCC Cancer-Focused Equipment Grant
The Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center is soliciting funding requests for cancer-focused research equipment. Requirements include:
- Equipment must be housed in the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center and be available for use by multiple investigators.
- The instrument/equipment must support cancer-focused research at Loyola.
- Purchase must be completed and equipment delivered by June 1, 2026
- Requests up to $50,000 will be considered. Note: operating costs, personnel, space renovation, etc. will not be accepted under this program.
The deadline for this funding has expired, please check back for the next funding cycle.
CBCC Seed Grants
This Program offers small pilot grants (up to $40,000) to support cancer-focused research with strong translational emphasis and a high potential for attracting external research dollars. These one-year grants are intended as seed funds for independent investigators to generate preliminary data needed for publication and competitive application to a major external funding source. Proposals will undergo rigorous peer-review, and funding of meritorious applications will be based upon available funds.
We typically have one intramural funding cycle per year. Applications will be available on 草莓社区’s in December or January, for a mid-March application deadline.
Funded projects are listed here
FY27 Cancer Center Pilot Seed Grant awards
Edward Campbell, PhD
Spatiotemporal Mapping of Inflammasome Activation and Senescent Cell Contributions in Cancer
Wei Qiu, PhD, Professor, Surgery
Overcome LZTR1 loss-induced lenvatinib resistance in liver cancer
Jonathan Rennhack, PhD, Assistant Professor, Cancer Biology
Uncovering Epigenetic Vulnerabilities in CRC Metastasis through SATB1-SOX2 Synergy
Derek Wainwright, PhD, Associate Professor, Cancer Biology
Neutralizing extracellular IDO effects in glioblastoma
FY26 Cancer Center Pilot Seed Grant awards
Steven Kregel, PhD, Assistant Professor, Cancer Biology
Thioredoxin Reductase Inhibition to synergize with standard of care therapies in prostate cancer
Elizabeth Murphy, PsyD, Assistant Professor, Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences
Trauma History and Symptoms in Patients Receiving Vaginal Brachytherapy in Endometrial Cancer Treatment
Wei Qiu, PhD, Professor, Surgery
CRISPR screening identified a mechanism contributing to drug resistance in liver cancer
FY25 Award
Irida Kastrati, PhD, Associate Professor, Cancer Biology
Novel first-in-class thioredoxin reductase inhibitors for breast, lung, and liver cancer therapy
FY24 Awards
Steven Kregel, PhD, Assistant Professor, Cancer Biology
Persistent Androgen Receptor Oncogenic Function despite Antagonism during late-state Prostate Cancer
Ali Vaziri-Gohar, PhD, Assistant Professor, Cancer Biology
Investigating the role of SLC25A1 in Pancreatic Cancer
FY23 Awards
Muna Aryal, PhD. Assistant Professor, Engineering and Radiation Oncology
Noninvasive, targeted, and clinically translatable ultrasound technique for glioblastoma treatment
Sean Fanning, PhD, Assistant Professor, Cancer Biology
The Role of DKK1 in Drug-Resistant Breast Cancers
Wei Qiu, PhD, Associate Professor, Surgery
A novel role of WNK1 in hepatocellular carcinoma
FY22 Awards
Mitchell Denning, PhD, Professor, Cancer Biology
Targeting Necrotic Cell Death to Prevent Skin Carcinogenesis
Jonathan Kirk, PhD, Associate Professor, Cell & Molecular Physiology
Targeting HSP70-BAG3 in Breast Cancer and the Impact on the Heart
FY21 Awards
Patrick Hagen, MD, Assistant Professor, Medicine
Investigating Mechanisms of Cellular Apoptosis and Necrosis in Multiple Myeloma
Hyejoo Kang, PhD, Assistant Professor, Radiation Oncology
Synthetic Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Generated From Computed Tomography (CT) Scans Using Deep-Learning Artifical Intelligence (AI) Models for High-Dose-Rate (HDR) Prostate Brachytherapy
Clodia Osipo, PhD, Associate Professor, Cancer Biology
The histone lysine methyltransferase, KMT2D/MLL2 as a novel target for the treatment of HER2+ breast cancer.
Siao-Yi Wang, MD, Assistant Professor, Medicine
Utilizing Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors to Engineer CD 19-specific Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-cells
FY20 Awards
Gerard Abood, MD, Associate Professor, Surgery
Local Delivery of T cell Receptor Transduced T cell Clones for the Treatment of Liver and Pancreatic Cancer
Stephanie Berg, DO, Assistant Professor, Medicine
Predictive Biomarker Identification in Checkpoint Blockade Therapy in Cancer Patients
Maurizio Bocchetta, PhD, Associate Professor, Cancer Biology
OTUD6B-2 as a Potential Target to Treat Adenocarcinoma of the Lung
Nasheed Hossain, MD Assistant Professor, Medicine
Pilot Study Utilizing Unique Surface Marker Tags to Track and Evaluate CAR T-cell Constructs Incorporate Various Costimulatory Domains
Abhishek Solanki, MD Associate Professor, Radiation Oncology
Feasibility and Predictive Value of a Genomic Classifier in Men with Locally Radiorecurrent Prostate Cancer
Treated on FSHARP
Investigator-Initiated Clinical Trial (IIT) Letter of Intent (LOI)
The deadline for this funding has expired, please check back for the next funding cycle.
The Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center (CBCC) seeks proposals for innovative, Investigator-Initiated Clinical Trials (phase I-IV) conducted at Loyola that may serve as the foundation for larger, nationally funded studies. This Letter of Intent (LOI) mechanism has been developed to encourage investigator-initiated clinical trials designed by CBCC faculty, with a preference for Loyola bench to bedside studies.
Two-year grants of up to $100,000 will be awarded to LOIs for Investigator-Initiated clinical trials that are selected for funding. A full proposal, including approved protocol and budget, will be required once an LOI is approved.
Eligibility
Physicians, researchers, and collaborators with oncology-focused research who are affiliated with the Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center, 草莓社区, and/or Loyola University Medical Center, are invited to apply. CBCC Disease Site Group approval is required for LOI submission.
Click here for LOI guidelines:
Contact Lynn Walter, Associate Director of Administration, Cardinal Bernardin Cancer Center lwalter@luc.edu with any questions.
Research Funding Committee (RFC)
Intramural research support for both emerging opportunities and urgent research needs may be available through the Research Funding Committee in the office of the Vice Dean for Research. Read more information about RFC.
Institute for Translational Medicine (ITM)
草莓社区 is a member of the . A partnership of Chicagoland’s leading academic medical centers and healthcare institutions, ITM is fueled by almost $35 million in grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Part of a vast network of more than 60 NIH-supported sites across the country, the ITM works to reduce the time it takes to develop and share new treatments and health approaches to improve lives. The offers Pilot Awards to help accelerate innovative research.