Horizon Europe €35M Cancer Calls, Seed Funding & Venture Competitions – February 2026 Update
- This week’s major developments in oncology funding are anchored by substantial investments from the European Commission, alongside seed funding initiatives in the United States and venture competitions focused...
- Two Horizon Europe Mission Cancer calls are particularly noteworthy: one focused on advancing Virtual Human Twin (VHT) models to deepen our understanding of cancer mechanisms and personalize treatment...
- In the United States, this week’s funding opportunities include interdisciplinary seed grants, pilot programs targeting colorectal and ovarian cancers, research into the host response to therapy, fellowship training...
European Commission Announces €35 Million in Cancer Research Funding for 2026
This week’s major developments in oncology funding are anchored by substantial investments from the European Commission, alongside seed funding initiatives in the United States and venture competitions focused on innovation. The funding landscape spans a wide range, from smaller grants supporting survivorship programs to large-scale Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Actions allocating significant resources to collaborative cancer projects.
Two Horizon Europe Mission Cancer calls are particularly noteworthy: one focused on advancing Virtual Human Twin (VHT) models to deepen our understanding of cancer mechanisms and personalize treatment approaches, and another supporting pragmatic clinical trials for immunotherapeutic interventions in patients with cancers that have proven resistant to treatment. These initiatives signal a sustained commitment from the European Union to data-driven and real-world oncology innovation.
In the United States, this week’s funding opportunities include interdisciplinary seed grants, pilot programs targeting colorectal and ovarian cancers, research into the host response to therapy, fellowship training in pediatric neuro-oncology, and venture competitions aimed at supporting underserved populations and women scientist-entrepreneurs.
Horizon Europe Mission Cancer: Virtual Human Twin Models for Cancer Research
The Horizon Europe Mission Cancer program is providing funding for the development and advancement of multiscale Virtual Human Twins (VHTs). The goal is to expand mechanistic understanding of cancer onset and progression. This call specifically targets VHT-based solutions that can support researchers and healthcare professionals, ultimately leading to more personalized treatments over time. The outputs from these projects are intended to be accessible through EU platforms such as UNCAN.eu and advanced VHT platforms, with a strong emphasis on open science principles and data sharing.
Eligibility Criteria: Proposals must align with the stated expected outcomes and scope for VHT cancer research and comply with the conditions outlined in the Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action (RIA) topic, as detailed in the Work Programme and the Funding &. Tenders Portal topic page.
Funding Details:
- Action type: RIA
- Total topic budget: €35.00M
- Expected EU contribution per project: €8.00M–€9.00M
- Indicative number of projects funded: 4
Deadline:
AIM-HI BRACE Award Venture Competition
The BRACE Award competition seeks to identify and invest in innovative oncology startups that address the needs of underserved populations. As part of AIM-HI’s annual oncology venture competitions, this initiative aims to accelerate life-saving innovations through seed funding, coaching, and access to a valuable network. Winning startups may receive honorariums and be considered for further investment following due diligence.
Eligibility Criteria: Startups must be aligned with addressing cancers prevalent in underserved populations and fit within the scope of AIM-HI’s oncology scientist-entrepreneur/venture competition.
Funding Details: AIM-HI provides seed funding, coaching, and access to a global network. Top winners may receive honorariums and be considered for further investment.
Deadline: Applications are accepted until .
SickKids Meagan Bebenek Neuro-Oncology Fellowship
This fellowship offered by SickKids provides 1–3 years of academic clinical and/or research training in paediatric neuro-oncology within a leading paediatric brain tumour program. Fellows can pursue a 12-month clinical track with options for additional research training and will receive mentorship through clinical trials involvement and scholarly output. Applications are currently open for the academic year beginning .
Eligibility Criteria: Applicants must be certified or board-eligible in Paediatric Haematology/Oncology or Paediatric Haematology. Applicants may be Canadian or international.
Funding Details:
- Fellowship duration: 1 to 3 years
- Opportunities to pursue additional research training; fellows may be considered for research funding pathways through the Garron Family Cancer Centre.
Deadline: Submissions are due by .
AIM-HI Women’s Venture Competition
AIM-HI’s annual Women’s Venture Competition is designed to empower women scientist-entrepreneurs in the oncology field, addressing unmet patient needs. Run in partnership with the National Foundation for Cancer Research, the competition offers feedback from oncology key opinion leaders and can lead to honorariums and potential further investment consideration.
Eligibility Criteria: Applicants must be women scientist-entrepreneurs focused on oncology-related ventures.
Funding Details: AIM-HI provides seed funding, coaching, and access to a global network. Top winners may receive honorariums and be considered for further investment.
Deadline: Applications are accepted until .
Cancer Center at Illinois Seed Grant Program
The Cancer Center at Illinois (CCIL) is offering pilot funding for novel, developmental colorectal cancer research programs with translational potential. The program aims to support projects lacking sufficient preliminary data for external grant submissions. Projects are evaluated based on potential impact, feasibility within one year, and plans to leverage results for larger external funding opportunities. Funding is phased over two years, with continuation contingent on achieving milestones and submitting external proposals.
Eligibility Criteria: The lead Principal Investigator (PI) must be a CCIL member (or apply for membership). Teams must include multiple investigators from different disciplines/departments, with at least two team members being current CCIL members. Research teams must also host a CCIL trainee/student from specified CCIL education/training programs.
Funding Details:
- Up to $200,000 total over two years (up to $100,000 per year)
- Funds cannot support tenure-track faculty salaries.
Deadline: Proposals are due by . Award notifications will be sent by , with the funding period starting on .
Horizon Europe Mission Cancer: Pragmatic Clinical Trials for Refractory Cancers
This Mission Cancer topic supports pragmatic clinical trials designed to improve immunotherapeutic interventions for patients with refractory cancers, focusing on real-world effectiveness and evidence applicable to clinical practice. The call emphasizes randomized or cluster-randomized, academic investigator-initiated trials that benefit patients with refractory cancers across various stages, subtypes, age groups, and societal contexts. Endpoints should include overall survival and patient-reported outcomes/quality of life, defined in collaboration with patients and their caregivers/families.
Eligibility Criteria: Proposals must align with the stated expected outcomes and scope for pragmatic clinical trials in refractory cancers and comply with the Horizon Europe call conditions.
Funding Details:
- Action type: RIA
- Total topic budget: €22.19M
- Expected EU contribution per project: €7.00M–€8.00M
- Indicative number of projects funded: 3
Deadline: .
Additional Funding Opportunities
Several additional funding opportunities are available, including pilot funding for colorectal cancer research from Johns Hopkins CRC CORE, ovarian cancer research funding from the University of Colorado Cancer Center, and pilot project funding from the UAMS COBRE Center for Studies of Host Response to Cancer Therapy. The Markey Cancer Survivorship Research Initiative Pilot Award offers smaller grants to strengthen competitive extramural grant applications.
Mid-March presents a concentrated period for pilot and venture competition deadlines. The Horizon Europe calls require early consortium planning due to their large scope and collaborative nature.
For those pursuing interdisciplinary pilot data, oncology entrepreneurship, or large-scale EU translational infrastructure projects, this cycle offers significant opportunities across various funding levels. Further information on these and other oncology funding opportunities can be found at OncoDaily’s OncoGrants.