FCF aims to drive and support high-impact research that is critical for the discovery of better treatments for FLC. To that end, we offer funding opportunities to both academic and industry investigators intended to support the research priorities identified by our Medical & Scientific Advisory Board.
Currently active funding opportunities include our ongoing research grant program, as well as our newly adopted awards incentive program for making FLC cell lines and model systems available to the research community. The requirements and application process for these programs are described below.
The Fibrolamellar Cancer Foundation (FCF) is accepting proposals to support innovative research leading to improved understanding and curative treatments for fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC). FLC, also known as fibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma (FL-HCC), is an aggressive liver cancer that tends to strike teens and young adults.
Eligibility for Grant Application
Applicants must be employed by an institution engaged in health-related research. The research must focus specifically on FLC. Studies should be intended to advance knowledge relevant to the understanding, diagnosis, epidemiology, or treatment of FLC. Of particular interest are applications showing a clear path towards a novel therapy or clinical trials with the ultimate goal of achieving a cure for FLC. The Foundation will accept grant applications to support innovative and promising research projects towards the listed goals.
Collaboration and open sourcing are a requirement for FCF funding, as will be specified in any grant agreement. The Foundation believes that collaboration and engaging the best talent across institutions, together with early sharing of data and resources, can accelerate the path to a cure for rare cancers like FLC.
Grant Review Periods
Applications are reviewed three times annually, with application deadlines of March 1, July 1 and November 1 each year. The Foundation is also open to time sensitive requests – particularly for truly innovative ideas – throughout the year, with agreement prior to submission.
For more information or to apply for a grant, click here to download the research grant application form. If you need additional information or would like to discuss a proposal concept before completing the application, please email us at grants@fibrofoundation.org.
Because of the urgent need for widely available research models of fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC) to improve our understanding of this rare cancer, the Fibrolamellar Cancer Foundation (FCF) is offering incentive prizes for new FLC tumor lines. Cell lines and model systems are vital to biomedical research since they allow scientists to make biological discoveries and test potential therapeutics in a pre-clinical setting, bridging the gap between clinician scientists and basic researchers. These experimental systems form the basis to investigate the biochemical or genetic pathways of cancer and can be used for drug screening and therapeutic discoveries. However, the scarcity of valid FLC models has been a major obstacle for research.
To overcome this problem, FCF will award $10,000 per model to laboratories or organizations that make patient-derived xenografts (PDX) or stable cell / organoid lines of human FLC available to the research community.
Requirements and contact information
The specific requirements of each of these incentive prizes are attached below. The downloadable forms include the specifications for the lines, terms of agreement, and plans for distribution of the FLC PDX and cell culture models.
For further information about these programs, please contact:
- Patty Cogswell, FCF’s Biobank Consultant at pcogswell@fibrofoundation.org, or
- Mark Furth, FCF Scientific Director at mfurth@fibrofoundation.org.