Sponsor
Ontario Institute for Cancer Research
For More Information
OICR is holding an Information session on July 21, 2026, 2-3 p.m. ET. Link to register for information session.
Description
OICR Clinical Translation (CT) advances cancer research toward meaningful clinical impact. It supports preclinical and early clinical studies that develop and validate new approaches to detect, treat and monitor cancer at its earliest and most actionable stages. Through close partnership with patients, clinicians and researchers, CT helps ensure that clinically relevant, high-potential innovations are positioned for patient and healthcare impact.
OICR is inviting applications for CT’s Pre-Clinical Acceleration Team Award (Pre-CATA) funding stream. This program is intended to accelerate promising cancer biomarkers toward clinical application. It supports biomarkers that have undergone initial discovery and possess sufficient preliminary evidence to justify translational advancement.
Eligibility
- OICR invites applications from investigators at Ontario academic centres, hospital research institutes or other government research institutions.
- Applications must include investigators/team members from multiple institutions, as well as a patient partner.
- OICR funding is only tenable in Ontario.
Funding Availability
OICR intends to support up to four projects from the total envelope of $1.8M.
Maximum Project Value
Up to $225,000 total per year (maximum $450,000 total per project) inclusive of any eligible overhead (as per OICR’s Eligible Expenses policy).
Indirect Costs
OICR will provide up to thirty per cent (30%) with respect to eligible direct research expenses of the approved proposal to cover institutional overhead.
Project Duration
Up to two years.
Deadlines
If College-level review is required, your College will communicate its earlier internal deadlines.
| Type | Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Internal Deadline | Please submit the completed LOI form along with a signed OR-5 form to research.services@uoguelph.ca. The LOI can be accessed through OICR's Grant Management system, ReportNet. Applicants who have not used ReportNet before must register by visiting ReportNet and selecting ‘Register’ under ‘New User?’ | |
External Deadline | Applicants must complete the registration process using ReportNet’s Letter of Intent (LOI) form and collects relevant information that will be used to ensure that the full application review panel has the necessary expertise and experience to adjudicate the applications. The registration process is noncompetitive but must be completed and submitted prior to the registration deadline in order to obtain access to the full application form. Applicants will receive access to the full application form within one business day of registration submission. Information provided in the registration stage will be carried over to the full application form and will be editable. | |
Internal Deadline | Please submit your full proposal, along with an OR-5 Form to research.services@uoguelph.ca. | |
External Deadline | Applicant to submit full proposal through ReportNet. Applicants will be notified of results in March 2027 and funding start date is expected to be April 1, 2027. |
How to Apply
Please refer to the attached application guide, eligible expenses policy and report net instructions.
Attachment(s)
| Attachment | Size |
|---|---|
 Pre-CATA-RFA_Application Guide.pdf | 455.04 KB |
| OICR Eligible Expenses Policy.pdf | 204.6 KB |
| Report Net Instructions.pdf | 521.44 KB |