Discovery Grant Program (DGP)

Discovery Grant Program (DGP) is sponsored by Blood Cancer United (formerly The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society). This program supports cutting-edge, innovative, and discovery-oriented research to understand blood cancer properties and vulnerabilities, aiming to advance treatments. It covers studies from basic blood cancer discovery science to translational research.

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m. ET) # Discovery Grant Program (DGP) [](https://bloodcancerunited.

org/research/grants/discovery-grant-program-dgp) ## The Discovery Grants Program (DGP) 2026-2027 cycle is now open Blood Cancer United is proud to announce the DGP: a research award program designed to encourage basic research, technological innovation, and informatics pipeline development that can lead to an understanding of blood cancer disease mechanisms, the development of improved methods for detecting and monitoring cancer progression, and the identification of novel therapeutic targets.

This is a dedicated mechanism to encourage established investigators to explore the biology of blood cancer and support proof-of-concept studies that could initiate completely novel approaches to treatment.

### Application deadlines Please find all Discovery program documents available for download: * DGP Guidelines and Instructions (PDF) * Policies and Procedures (PDF) * DGP Funding Agreement Template (PDF) * If you currently hold a Discovery Grant Program (DGP) award, you may not apply to DGP in this cycle.

* The applicant (PI) must be an established investigator, defined as a researcher with more than 3 years in an independent faculty appointment at the time of submitting the Letter of Intent * If the applicant has scientific achievements and significant expertise in another scientific area and no track record in blood cancer research, they must have a Co-Principal Investigator who has the required significant track record in hematology and/or blood cancer research ### Examples of projects of potential interest * cellular activities that underlie the behavior and vulnerabilities of blood cancer cells including phenomena or processes such as clonal evolution, autophagy, unique metabolic vulnerabilities, inflammation/inflammasomes, DNA damage responses, organellar changes, and poorly understood cellular regulatory mechanisms * resistance mechanisms including immune evasion, resistant clone evolution and cellular changes underlying development of resistance to chemotherapies * novel biomarkers or techniques to detect and monitor blood cancer development and progression * discovery of neoantigens, including those that may reside outside of coding regions * blood cancer cell interactions with the microenvironment and with the immune system, including exploration of novel immune synapses ### This program is not meant to support * clinical trials or correlative studies associated with clinical trials * development of a drug or treatment that already has shown proof of concept * research that is primarily confirmatory or minimally incremental * research into cellular behavior, mechanisms or development not in the context of blood cancer * studies of normal hematopoiesis * Budget submitted should reflect the actual needs of the project but cannot exceed $250,000 USD per year / $750,000 USD total for the three (3) years of the grant.

* This budget ceiling includes all costs associated with the grant including indirect costs (often referred to as Institutional Overhead), which will be capped at 10% of the total award. **What types of research does DGP fund? ** _DGP funds foundational, discovery-stage research, also known as basic research.

_ **What research topics are NOT supported? ** * _Confirmatory or incremental studies_ * _Drug development with existing proof of concept_ * _Research outside the context of blood cancer_ * _Are established, independent investigators with more than 3 years in a tenure track faculty role,_ * _affiliated with a non-profit institution, and_ * _hold a PhD, MD, DVM, or equivalent degree_ **Are international applicants eligible?

** _Yes—both U.S. and non-U.S. applicants, including those working outside the U.S., may apply. _ **Can current DGP awardees apply? ** _No.

Current DGP awardees are not eligible to apply in the same program cycle. _ **Can I submit more than one application? ** _No.

PIs may submit only one DGP application per cycle. _ **Can I apply to multiple Blood Cancer United programs? ** _Yes, as long as the proposed aims do not substantially overlap.

_ _A Co-PI is optional unless the PI lacks demonstrated expertise in blood cancer research. In that case, a qualified Co-PI is required. _ **How many Co-PIs are allowed?

** _Only one Co-PI is permitted. _ **Can I include collaborators? ** _Yes.

For details on collaborators, please check the most recent version of the Guidelines and Instructions available for download on the DGP web page. _ **Can collaborators participate in multiple applications? ** _Yes, provided the research aims differ_.

**What is the funding amount? ** _Up to $250,000 USD per year / $750,000 USD total for the three (3) years_ **Are indirect costs allowed? ** _Yes—indirect costs are capped at **10% of the total award**_.

**Are there limits on salary support? ** _Yes—PI and Co-PI salaries (including fringe) are capped at **40% of the total award**. _ **Are there limits on other expenses?

** * _Equipment: up to $25,000 annually_ * _Travel: up to $3,000 annually_ _Applications must be submitted through the Blood Cancer United Research Portal (Fluxx). _ **What are the application stages? ** 1.

_Letter of Intent (LOI)_ 2. _Full Application (by invitation only)_ **What happens after I submit an LOI? ** _You will be notified whether you are invited to submit a full application.

_ **Can I edit my application after submission? ** _No—applications cannot be modified after submission unless approval is granted prior to the deadline. _ **Application Requirements** **What are common reasons for disqualification?

** * _Application submitted after the deadline_ * _Formatting requirements are not followed (e.g., font, margins)_ * _Required documents are missing_ * _Aims substantially overlap with another application_ **What formatting rules must I follow? ** * _Preset margins and spacing must not be changed_ * _Character limits (including spaces) must be strictly followed_ **Can I include additional documents?

** _No—only documents specifically requested may be included. _ **How are applications reviewed? ** * _LOIs are screened for eligibility and relevance_ * _Full applications undergo peer review by external experts_ **What criteria are used in review?

** _Applications are evaluated on:_ * _Scientific significance and innovation_ * _Investigator experience_ * _Potential for clinical impact_ * _Budgetary considerations_ **Will I receive reviewer feedback? ** _Feedback is limited and may only be provided for applications discussed by the full review committee. _ **How will I know my application was received?

** _You will receive a confirmation email within two business days. _ **Can I check my application status? ** _Yes—status updates are available in the Research Portal.

_ **Can I contact staff about review status? ** _No—funding decisions are communicated via email only. _ **Important Notice**: The information provided in this FAQ is a summary for convenience only and is not exhaustive.

Applicants must review the complete official Guidelines and Instructions to ensure full compliance and understanding of all procedures. Please carefully read the Guidelines & Instructions document available for download. Please contact**researchprograms@bloodcancerunited.

org**with further questions. #### **See our active DGP grantee portfolio** Refer to the program guidelines and instructions in the _program_ section above or emailresearchprograms@bloodcancerunited. org.

The DGP Program has been pivotal to providing new approaches for blood cancer research. The award has enabled us to develop and apply cutting-edge computational, single-cell, and molecular approaches to AML, accelerating discoveries not otherwise feasible. This support has also allowed us to develop a critical resource for the field, strengthened collaborations, and positioned our studies to improve outcomes for leukemia patients.

University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus Discoveries Grant Program Modeling LSC heterogeneity at unprecedented resolution in AML Blood Cancer United’s Discovery Grant Program provided critical support that enabled our team to uncover how inherited genetic variation can protect individuals from acquiring clonal hematopoiesis and blood cancers by modulating expression of the MSI2 gene.

This work has provided key insights into blood cancer risk and nominated a potential path toward future strategies for blood cancer prevention. Boston Children's Hospital Discoveries Grant Program Inherited resilience to clonal hematopoiesis and myeloid malignancy by modifying stem cell RNA regulation The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) is now Blood Cancer United. Learn more.

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