Operating Grant
Canadian blood cancer researchers are invited to submit proposals to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society of Canada (LLSC)'s Operating Grant Program Competition. This is a two-year grant designed to provide funding to research that may ultimately lead to a significant change in the understanding, diagnosis, or treatment of blood cancers. The Operating Grant will provide funding up to a maximum of $100,000 per year for two years.
- Call for Proposals - November 2, 2026
- Letter of Intent (LOI) deadline - December 3, 2026, 4 pm ET
- Notification of Full Application invite - December 2026
- Full Application deadline - February 3, 2027, 4 pm ET
- Review Panel meeting - April 2027
- Notification of Awards - Summer 2027
- Award start date - September 1, 2027
The application process will occur in two phases:
Phase I - Submission and consideration of a Letter of Intent (LOI).
Phase II - Invitation to submit a Full Application.
Both the Letter of Intent and the Full Application must be submitted electronically to the LLSC Research Grants portal through Proposal Central. (You must have an account on Proposal Central and be logged in.)
Applicants are welcome to contact us about eligibility or any other questions about the grant.
Funds for competitive applications will be awarded on the basis of scientific merit, using a priority rating system.
Operating Grant Funding Partners
The LLSC is pleased to continue our partnership with the Cancer Research Society (CRS) to co-fund three (3) Operating Grants in this funding cycle. The CRS is a national not-for-profit organization whose sole mission is to fund research on all types of cancer, thereby contributing to the advancement of science aimed at preventing, detecting, and treating the disease.
The Canadian MPN Research Foundation (CMPNRF) is co-funding one (1) Operating Grant in this funding cycle. CMPNRF’s mission is to stimulate original Canadian research in pursuit of new treatment options -- and ultimately a cure -- for the blood cancers collectively known as 'MPNs': polycythemia vera (PV), essential thrombocythemia (ET), and myelofibrosis (MF). Ideally, applications should ultimately help patients live longer; slow disease progression; and / or reduce the symptom burden.
The LLSC is pleased to continue our research funding partnership with AstraZeneca Canada to co-fund one (1) grant in this competition. AstraZeneca is a global, innovation-driven biopharmaceutical business with a focus on the discovery, development, and commercialization of medicines that transform lives. In addition to bringing life-changing medicines to patients, AstraZeneca Canada is committed to supporting research that helps to better understand the complexities of cancers. As such, AstraZeneca Canada is partnering with the LLSC to drive Canadian research that aims to strengthen the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of blood cancers to help improve patient outcomes. Applications should focus on Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) and/or Mantle Cell Lymphoma (MCL), with the aim of advancing disease understanding, improving patient outcomes, and/or generating innovative approaches to diagnosis, treatment, disease monitoring, or equitable access to care for Canadians affected by these hematologic malignancies.
The LLSC is pleased to continue our partnership with Myeloma Canada to fund one (1) grant in this competition. Myeloma Canada is the only national charitable organization created by, and for, Canadians impacted by multiple myeloma. The organization is driven to improve the lives of those affected by myeloma by empowering the community through awareness, education and advocacy programs, and supporting clinical research to find a cure. Since it was founded in 2005, Myeloma Canada has been making myeloma matter. Applications should relate to the advancement of biomarker-driven disease assessment and monitoring in multiple myeloma to support personalized treatment decisions for emerging therapeutic targets beyond BCMA.
