- Guidelines
We are pleased to report that the Maryland Legislature has passed the FY2026 that includes the continuation of the Maryland Cigarette Restitution Fund (CRF) research grant to Johns Hopkins. Funded awards will begin July 1, 2025, and end June 30, 2026. Please keep in mind that the Governor’s signature for the budget is still pending. Finally, CRF funding is an annual contract from the State of Maryland necessitating the July 1 to June 30 funding dates and our need to have a very rapid review and funding process.
These research grants are intended to reduce the cancer burden in Maryland, eliminate disparities, and address lung, oral, prostate, breast, cervix, colon/rectum cancers or melanoma as often as possible. State priorities amenable for funding are found in the 2021-25 MD Comprehensive Cancer Plan (https://health.maryland.gov/phpa/cancer/cancerplan/SiteAssets/Pages/publications/Cancer-MD-Maryland_FINAL%20-1.pdf). Projects may be basic science, clinical, or population-based research in nature. Implementation science and transdisciplinary cancer prevention and control projects are especially encouraged as are research projects that are matured by an NIH proposal.
We are priority funding new faculty (within three years of appointment on July 1, 2022) and translational research projects from established investigators oriented to the study of issues that affect the SKCCC catchment area (Maryland) and that have the potential to improve outcomes. Some topics that might be considered are:
- Markers of cancer risk
- Cancer burden in Maryland studies
- Evaluation of population exposures to environmental hazards
- Tobacco use cessation
- Implementation science and policy studies
- Studies to optimize outreach in needy populations
- Focus on cancer health equity
- Research that reveals the nature of a cancer disparity (racial, gender-based, geographical, etc.)
We are also interested in funding research of high potential impact on cancer in the catchment area. Thus, further cancer center priorities are obesity and obesity disparities (to affect obesity-related cancers); aggregation of cancers’ and controls’ blood samples for liquid biopsy validation and early detection of cancer; delivery and evaluation of smoking cessation in high prevalence areas (e.g., B. City and MD’s Eastern shore); and survivorship issues. Priority will be given to proposals that:
- collect pilot data as proof of principle or those that are high risk, novel ideas, which have no other source of funding;
- have good future or current funding prospects but could not be accomplished without pilot data, (note, applications that have been submitted to and/or reviewed by an external funder are high priority);
- involve investigators representing two of the three categories of cancer research (basic, clinical or population science); or partner with Maryland biotechnology companies.
Average faculty recruitment and retention awards are targeted at $75,000 to 100,000 and translational research projects at $50,000 to $100,000. The number of awards made will depend on the final funds made available by the state for FY26, though at this time we anticipate up to 15 can be funded.