Funding for Innovative Early-Career Cancer Research: Now Open
The Comprehensive Cancer Center (CCC) Vienna is pleased to announce the upcoming CCC Vienna Cancer Grant Call 2026.
Cancer can affect anyone. For those diagnosed and their immediate families, the diagnosis often changes everything. Cancer also poses a major challenge to our healthcare system. Addressing this disease therefore requires comprehensive and sustained efforts. One such effort is the "Initiative Krebsforschung" at the Medical University of Vienna, which has been launching and supporting cancer research projects since 2005.
The funds raised by the Initiative Krebsforschung through donations and activities such as the Medical University of Vienna’s Cancer Research Run are used to provide start-up funding for innovative, translational cancer research projects.
This competitive funding programme supports outstanding interdisciplinary and translational cancer research projects conducted at the Medical University of Vienna. With a funding volume of up to €60,000 per project over a period of 2 years, the initiative is specifically designed to empower early-career researchers to advance innovative oncology research.
Who should apply?
Early-career scientists with a PhD or MD degree, working at MedUni Vienna, who are eager to develop collaborative projects that bridge basic and clinical cancer research across departments.
UPDATE: Eligibility of Applicants
We have noted that some aspects may have caused uncertainty and would therefore like to provide the following clarification:
Eligibility of Applicants
The eligibility criteria defined in this call (including early-career status and age limit) apply exclusively to the principal (primary) applicant.
The second applicant (project partner) must:
- be affiliated with a recognised academic institution (e.g. university or university hospital),
- hold a doctoral degree (PhD or MD),
but is not required to fulfil the early-career criteria.
The submitted project must represent an interdisciplinary and collaborative oncological research project, involving at least two applicants from different departments and typically combining complementary expertise in basic and clinical research.
- You are an employee of the Medical University of Vienna (Meduni) and conduct research at one of the departments of the Meduni.
- A doctorate (PHD, MD) is required to submit a proposal.
- According to international standards, this call is exclusively open to early-career researchers. Applicants must have obtained their PhD or MD no more than seven* (7) years prior to the submission deadline (calculated from the official date of degree completion) and must not be older than 40 years at the time of application.
- Only one project may be submitted per applicant per call for proposals.
- The project to be submitted must involve interdisciplinary and collaborative oncological research between at least 2 applicants of different departments. (basic research & clinical research).
- Confirmation must be provided by the head of the research institution that the work can be carried out at the institute/clinic and that the necessary infrastructure is available.
*Career Interruptions: The CCC Vienna recognises verifiable career interruptions such as pregnancy, childcare, caregiving obligations, military or civil service, flight and asylum. This recognition ensures that researchers who had to take a break for these reasons are well-spent when applying for positions or funding.
Childcare: The guideline includes explicitly parental leave periods under childcare. This means that periods, when the principal applicant was on parental leave, are considered career interruptions.
Care Obligations: The CCC Vienna considers care obligations for immediate family members or persons living in the same household, including spouses, registered partners, parents, children (including adoptive, step, and foster children), siblings, parents-in-law, and children-in-law.
Inclusion of People with Disabilities and Chronic Illnesses: In addition to career interruptions, the CCC Vienna also considers exceptions from and interruptions of typical career paths due to disability and/or long-term illness when determining whether the principal applicant meets the requirements for an application.
Applicants holding both an MD and a PhD: In cases where an applicant holds both an MD and a PhD degree, the date of completion of the most recently obtained doctoral degree (PhD or Dr. Med. sci.) is used to determine eligibility with respect to the 7-year early-career criterion, if the latter has been obtained max 4 years after the MD degree.
New in 2026: Two-stage submission process
Applicants are required to submit a two-page pre-proposal, consisting of:
- Standardized application form (see below).
In addition, the following documents must be uploaded: - Letter of Intent endorsed by the Head of Department, and the
- Curriculum vitae (CV) of the applicant. (Short CV, max 1. Page / per Partner (most relevant 5 publications)
Pre-proposals will undergo an internal evaluation process.
Export the completed Application form (Word) as PDF and upload the PDFs (Application form, Letter of intent and your CV) by March 6, 2026, 23:00 (CET).
Please use the following File name scheme:
IKF2026_PILastname_CoPILastname_ProjectTitle.pdf
Only applicants who have received a Notification of Acceptance following Stage 1 will be invited to submit a full proposal.
Further information will follow soon!
Key dates
- Pre-proposal deadline: 6 March 2026, 23:00 (CET)
The CCC Vienna strongly encourages young researchers — including those with non-linear career paths — to apply.
Shape the future of cancer research - we look forward to your submissions!
The CCC Vienna
