AI Accelerator Grant

AI Accelerator Grant is sponsored by Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance (OCRA) & Microsoft's AI for Good Lab. This international grant program supports AI-driven ovarian cancer research collaborations focused on improving prevention, early detection, treatment response, and patient outcomes.

Apply for Cancer Research Grants | OCRA Apply for Cancer Research Grants with OCRA Learn about our grant cycles and our application and review processes Now Open: AI Accelerator Grant Application for the AI Accelerator Grant (including LOI and Full Proposals) must be submitted through SmartSimple , our grant management system. Letters of Intent are due June 23, 2026 5:00pm ET. Extensions and late submissions will not be permitted.

LOI RFP for AI Accelerator Grant FAQs for the AI Accelerator Grant can be found here. The Global Ovarian Cancer Research Consortium will host an informational webinar on Tuesday, May 19, 2026 at 4:00pm ET. Register for webinar.

If you are unable to attend, the webinar will be recorded and posted to OCRA’s website for review. AI Accelerator Grant: 2027 Grant Cycle Letter of Intent (LOI) Opens Letter of Intent (LOI) Due Tuesday, June 23, 2026, 5:00PM ET Letter of Intent Decisions/Full Proposal Opens Full Proposal Due ( by invite only ) Thursday, September 10, 2026, 5:00PM ET OCRA runs one grant cycle each year.

Here is a brief overview of the process: First quarter – Letters of Intent (LOIs) are opened in the first quarter of every year. Our LOIs are open to researchers worldwide. Early spring – LOIs are due in early spring and undergo a rigorous peer review by our Scientific Advisory Committee.

After the LOI review, a subset of those applicants are invited to submit full proposals. Mid spring — LOI notifications are communicated. Those invited to submit a full proposal will be notified with more details.

Early summer — Full proposals are due in early summer and undergo a rigorous peer review by our Scientific Advisory Committee. Fall – Final funding decisions are made and communicated. *Please note that this timeline is subject to change.

Specific dates can be found below. Confidentiality – The review process—including all meeting deliberations, scores, and written critiques of proposals, as well as other materials provided for the review of proposals—is confidential. A confidentiality and conflict-of-interest statement must be signed by each reviewer.

Eligibility — Detailed eligibility requirements can be found on the Letter of Intent (LOI) Request for Proposal (RFP) guidelines or the FAQ section of our website . Funding is only available to accredited non-profit universities/colleges, non-profit research hospitals, or a recognized non-profit scientific research facility.

OCRA does not offer funding to any for-profit entities, consulting companies, or non-profits who are not conducting the research themselves. Does not include AI Accelerator Grant.

Letter of Intent (LOI) Opens Wednesday, February 25, 2026 Letter of Intent (LOI) Due Wednesday, March 25, 2026, 5:00PM ET Letter of Intent Decisions/Full Proposal Opens Full Proposal Due ( by invite only ) Wednesday, June 10, 2026, 5:00PM ET 2027 Requests for Proposals All OCRA Grant applications (including LOI and Full Proposals) must be made through SmartSimple, our grant management system.

Extensions and late submissions will not be permitted. RFP for Collaborative Research Development Grant RFP for Collaborative Research Development Grant – AI RFP for Early Career Investigator Grant RFP for Mentored Investigator Grant RFP for Health Equity Research Grant RFP for Rivkin Pilot Grant Frequently Asked Questions Interested in applying for an OCRA grant? Need clarification about an aspect of the application process?

Find answers to your most frequently asked questions. Reading our current Terms and Conditions will also answer many questions, including any related to direct or indirect costs. What type of organizations can apply for OCRA grants?

Educational and not-for-profit organizations from anywhere in the world are welcome to apply for OCRA grants. OCRA does not currently fund for-profit entities. Can I budget for indirect costs?

Yes, you can budget up to 10% for indirect costs. For more information on indirect costs, please see our Terms and Conditions. Can I include tuition for myself or anyone else working on the grant in the budget?

No, tuition and fees are not an allowable cost on OCRA grants. Yes, you may budget up to $2,000 per grant year for travel. Can I include letters of support in my application?

No. SmartSimple will not allow you to submit letters of support. Are there stipulations for font and margin size? Font size needs to be 11pt.

or larger and all page margins must be at least 1/2 inch or larger. Please follow NIH guidelines . Are extensions on the due date allowed?

No. Late submissions and extension requests are not permitted. Are PIs working in European or other non-US-based institutions eligible for OCRA grants? Yes.

OCRA welcomes international grant applicants. Can multiple applicants from the same institution apply for the same grant mechanism? Yes.

Each investigator may only submit one grant application, but there is no limit to how many applications an institution can submit. Can my institution request changes to the Terms and Conditions? Can I apply for more than one grant?

You may only be listed as the PI on one grant application per grant cycle. Can someone be listed on one application as the PI and listed as other types of personnel on a second application? Yes, an individual can be listed as the PI on one application and as other personnel on other applications.

If I already have an OCRA grant active, can I apply for another grant? You can apply for another grant as long as your current OCRA grant ends before the new one begins (in other words, you cannot have more than one active OCRA grant at a time). How will I be notified about the status of my LOI and Full Proposal?

SmartSimple, our grant management system, will send you notification emails. Please be sure to add OCRA@smartsimplemailer. com to your safe sender list so you don’t miss any communications.

What are the anticipated start dates for OCRA grants? Collaborative Research Development Grants and Collaborative Research – Development Grants – AI start on January 1st Early Career Investigator Grants start on February 1st Mentored Investigator Grants start on March 1st Should I use the NIH salary cap when budgeting for salary support? Yes.

Effective January 1, 2025, for all individuals with salary paid by NIH awards, the direct salary cap is $225,700. What are the institutional roles required on the grant application? LOIs do not require any institutional contacts to be added or to sign off on the submission.

Full Proposals require both a Signing Official (SO) – who will need to sign off on the Full Proposal Application for it to be officially submitted to OCRA – and a Financial Official (FO). This latter role does not have any action during the application process.

Institutional Roles (these roles need to be two different people with unique email addresses): Financial Official (1 per grant): The Financial Official (FO) is an institutional official who is authorized to complete and submit financial reports on behalf of the institution. The FO will have access to the financial reports in SmartSimple, and they will be required to submit the actual expenses and request carry forwards.

The FO is the only person authorized to submit the financial reports.

Signing Official (1 per grant): The Signing Official (SO) is an institutional official who is authorized to digitally sign off on the submission of full proposals, the grant Activation, Renewal(s), Budget Updates, No Cost Extension requests, etc. In addition, the SO is required to complete the payment details for Activations and Renewal(s), certify that all information submitted is accurate, approve the budget for each year, and make the final submission to OCRA.

OCRA highly recommends PIs work with their institution to ensure there is both an FO and SO in SmartSimple well before the full proposal deadline. If you have any questions about institutional roles and requirements, please email grants@ocrahope. org .

I realized that I made a mistake with my submission. Can I change it? If it is prior to the submission deadline, yes.

Please email grants@ocrahope. org . If it is past the submission deadline, no. We will not allow any changes to submissions after the deadline.

What other Key Personnel roles are available on each grant? Principal Investigator (1 per grant): The Principal Investigator (PI) is the person to whom the grant is awarded (and their institution). The PI is responsible for the preparation, conduct, and administration of the research grant.

The administration of the grant includes but is not limited to submitting the LOI & Full Proposal, grant activations & renewals, narrative progress reports, renewals, and providing up-to-date ethical documentation if needed.

Mentor (1 per grant – must be at the same institution as the PI): The mentor, a recognized leader in the field of ovarian cancer research, or relevant area, provides training and mentorship to PIs who are early in their career. The mentor guides you in both your research and your professional goals.

It is the mentor’s responsibility to ensure that a trainee who receives this grant submits the required materials in OCRA’s grants management system throughout the life of the grant. Investigator (no limit and can be from any institution): Investigator or Co-Investigator is someone who is expected to be significantly involved in developing and/or carrying out the project.

Investigator(s) must devote a specified measurable effort to the project whether or not salaries or compensation are requested. Investigator or Co-Investigator is also interchangeable with Collaborator/Co-Collaborator.

Key Personnel (no limit and can be from any institution): Personnel who commit to contribute to the scientific development or execution of the project but are not committing to any specified measurable effort (number of people, number of months, or percent of effort) to the project.

Research Delegate (1 per grant – must be from the same institution): The Research Delegate (RD) is designated by the Principal Investigator to assist with all required tasks assigned to the PI. The RD has access to tasks in SmartSimple for specific grants, in which the PI has designated them RD. The RD may enter information into SmartSimple and save it, but the RD cannot submit information .

Only the PI is authorized to submit materials to either the SO or OCRA. Collaborative Research Development Grants Is there a minimum or maximum number of PIs for this grant? No. One investigator will need to be selected to oversee the project, but there is no limit on how many other investigators can be listed.

Can I budget for animal supplies? How many Collaborative Research Development Grants do you anticipate granting this year? The number of new Collaborative Research Development Grants we will grant depends on our total grant budget for the year, and how our Scientific Advisory Committee decides to distribute the research funds.

Do I really have to limit my references to just one page? Yes. We require all applicants to limit references to just one page.

Feel free to use a smaller font and play with the margins, but please keep the page legible. Collaborative Research Development Grants – Microsoft's AI for Good Lab What is Microsoft's AI for Good Lab? Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab, a philanthropic program at Microsoft, offers access to advanced Microsoft Azure cloud computing and collaboration with data science experts for nonprofits, academia, and researchers.

Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab is part of Microsoft’s larger AI for Good initiative. Our partnership with this initiative will help OCRA harness the power of data science and AI to accelerate ovarian cancer research. How are OCRA and Microsoft partnering?

OCRA will be providing grant recipients with monetary support, up to $900,000 over a period of 3 years. Microsoft will provide in-kind support in the form of Azure computing credits, and in-kind data science support. This in-kind support from Microsoft will be in addition to the financial support from OCRA.

I plan to submit a Collaborative Research Development Grant LOI or application but do not plan to propose an AI-related project. Can I still apply? Of course!

While we are very excited about this new collaboration, we anticipate fewer applicants will pursue AI-related projects. If you have applied for a CRDG grant in the past, we hope you will apply again for the CRDG grant. Do I have to partner with Microsoft's AI for Good Lab for the CRDG-AI grant?

Yes. The CRDG-AI grant does require a partnership with Microsoft. If your grant does not have an AI component or you do not wish to partner with Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab, you should apply for the CRDG and not the CRDG-AI.

Will Microsoft provide any additional financial support for my project? What type of support, and how much, will Microsoft provide? Microsoft will provide a selected grantee in-kind support in the form of Azure computing credits.

The nature and exact level of support provided will depend on the requirements of the project, and is subject to availability. If your project is selected, you will work directly with the staff at Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab to determine the specifics of the support. You will also contract directly with Microsoft for that support.

Will Microsoft review or help select applications for funding? All funding decisions will be made by OCRA’s Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) . Those grant applications requesting support from Microsoft will also be reviewed by the Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab team, which will provide feedback to the OCRA SAC, but the OCRA SAC will make the funding recommendations.

Will Microsoft have any rights to my data? Microsoft will not have any rights to all existing and new intellectual property (IP) generated from the project. IP will remain under the researcher and/or their host institution.

If my project has an AI component, and I am interested in the Microsoft's AI for Good Lab component, do I need to submit a separate application? No. No additional information is needed at the LOI stage. Sections in the full application are required for applicants who wish to request support from Microsoft.

Please ensure that you fill out these sections, which will ask you to describe the nature of support you are seeking, in their entirety. Early Career Investigator Grant (formerly the Liz Tilberis Award) I am an Assistant Professor but took this position over seven years ago. Am I still eligible to apply for this grant?

I am an Associate Professor. Am I eligible for this grant? Unfortunately, Associate Professors are not eligible.

I am a prior recipient of a Mentored Investigator Grant (formerly the Ann Schreiber Mentored Investigator Award). Am I eligible to apply for the Early Career Investigator Grant? Yes.

In the past, some of our Mentored Investigator Grantees have gone on to be granted Early Career Investigator Grantees. I am not an oncologist. Am I eligible to apply?

Yes, you are eligible. You are not required to be an oncologist or a gynecologic oncologist to apply, though you must conduct ovarian cancer research. How much of my time needs to be dedicated to ovarian cancer research?

For MDs/DOs or MD/DO-PhD applicants with clinical responsibilities, at least 50% of your time must be dedicated to ovarian cancer research. For applicants without clinical responsibilities, at least 75% of the time must be dedicated to ovarian cancer research. How do I, and my institution, certify that I will spend 50% or 75% of my time on research?

You can write this in a letter accompanying your application. Similarly, your institution should include this information in one of its letters of recommendation. Is there a page limit on the letters of recommendation?

There is no hard and fast limit, but we suggest you ask your recommenders to try to keep the letter to two pages. What can I include in the budget? You may budget for personnel, supplies, travel, other direct costs, and 10% indirect costs.

No other costs are permitted on Early Career Investigator Grants. How many Early Career Investigator Grants do you anticipate granting this year? The number of new Early Career Investigator Grants we will grant depends on our total grant budget for the year, and how our Scientific Advisory Committee decides to distribute the research funds.

Should letters of recommendation be sent directly to the OCRA office or uploaded online? They should be uploaded into SmartSimple along with the rest of your application materials. In SmartSimple, I don’t see a place to upload a cover letter or personal statement.

Is this required? Cover letters and personal statements are not required and will not be accepted by SmartSimple. Where in SmartSimple can I include supplementary materials?

Miscellaneous supplemental materials will not be accepted by SmartSimple. Only required documents are permitted. I have or already had an early career award from another funding source.

Am I eligible to apply? No, researchers who have, or have had, similar early career investigator awards from other funding agencies or foundations are not eligible for OCRA’s Early Career Investigator Grant. If you’re unsure if a previous or current grant counts as an early career grant, please email us at If I already received the Early Career Investigator Grant, can I apply for it again?

No, you may only be awarded the Early Career Investigator Grant once. If I applied for the Early Career Investigator Grant in the past, but my application was not funded, can I apply again? Yes, we encourage you to reapply.

Mentored Investigator Grant (formerly Ann and Sol Schreiber Mentored Investigator Award) Can one mentor be on multiple applications? No, each mentor can only support one applicant per year. Can I have two mentors for one project?

What can I include in the budget? You may budget for personnel, supplies, travel, and 10% indirect costs. No other costs are permitted on Mentored Investigator Grants.

Can I budget for subcontracts? No, subcontracts are not permitted on Mentored Investigator Grants. How many Mentored Investigator Grants do you anticipate granting this year?

The number of new Mentored Investigator grants we will grant depends on our total grant budget for the year, and how our Scientific Advisory Committee decides to distribute the research funds. Should letters of recommendation be sent directly to the OCRA office or uploaded online? They should be uploaded into SmartSimple along with the rest of your application materials.

Is this grant for $100,000 each year for one or two years? Or is the total grant $100,000, which can be used over one or two years? The total amount of this grant is $100,000.

It’s up to you whether you would like to budget that for one year or two years. Regardless, the total cost of the grant cannot exceed $100,000. If I already received the Mentored Investigator Grant, can I apply again for the MIG?

No, you may only be awarded the Mentored Investigator Grant once. If I applied for the Mentored Investigator Grant in the past, but my application was not funded, can I apply again? Yes, we encourage you to reapply.

Health Equity Research Grant Can I apply if my project does not have a health equity focus? No, your project must have a health equity focus in addition to an ovarian cancer or other related gynecologic cancers focus. What can I budget for on Health Equity Research Grants?

You may budget for personnel, supplies, travel, other direct costs, indirect costs of up to 10% of your direct costs, and subcontracts. Do I have to be at a certain point in my career to apply? No, as long as the Principal Investigator has their PhD or MD at the time of LOI submission, you are eligible to apply.

Do I have to agree to share my progress report with GSK? If your grant was sponsored by GSK or any other industry partner, yes. You will submit your progress report as normal to OCRA, and OCRA will share it with the sponsored partner.

OCRA-Funded ROCCA Platform Launches to Accelerate Rare Ovarian Cancer Research OCRA is proud to announce the launch of the Rare Ovarian Cancer Collaborative Analytics (ROCCA) Platform, an international federated data network funded by OCRA to connect researchers globally and accelerate breakthroughs in rare ovarian cancer research.

A collaborative approach to research for rare ovarian cancer ROCCA is launching with two foundational projects: one in mucinous … Continued Information for Researchers OCRA’s Schreiber Research Grants Program, named after Ann and Sol Schreiber, founders of Ovarian Cancer Research Alliance, supports postdoctoral fellows, early career independent investigators, and teams of experienced investigators.

Learn about the OCRA grantees creating a brighter future for everyone touched by ovarian and related gynecologic cancers. Introducing the Community Accelerated Research Exchange A global, Al-powered ecosystem designed to transform gynecologic cancer research—connecting patients, researchers, and clinicians to accelerate breakthroughs. Continue to Research Exchange c.

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