Fueling Discoveries. Funding Impact.
Supporting research that accelerates the development of cancer immunotherapies in Canada.
NEXT FUNDING CALL ANTICIPATED SPRING 2026
Who Can Apply?
Academic Researchers
Industry Partners
Biotech/pharma companies, healthcare orgs, and manufacturers.
Institutions
Universities, hospitals, and research centres.
Non-Profits & NGOs
Charities and advocacy groups aligned with cancer treatment and care.
Research Funding
Objectives & Scope
BioCanRx funding is cancer agnostic and calls consider research proposals that focus on cancer immunotherapy and biotherapeutic translation. Cancer immunotherapy is defined as all therapeutic products that modulate the immune system.
Proposals should aim to address at least one of the following objectives and align to a Funding Program (below):
Accelerate Cancer Immunotherapy and Biotherapeutic Product Innovations from Bench to Bedside:
Develop and translate promising innovations from proof of concept through to clinical application (i.e. Phase I/II clinical trials).

Address the Clinical, Social, Economic, Regulatory and Policy Elements of these Innovations:
Identify and address the barriers to the adoption and integration of these therapies into clinical practices and Canada’s healthcare system.

Support Technology Innovation through Core Facility Activities:
Canadian academic infrastructure and technologies that support the advancement and production of cancer immunotherapies and biotherapeutics.
Research Programs
BioCanRx’s established funding programs:
Catalyst Programs
Advance proof-of-concept innovations
Catalyst Programs
Advance proof-of-concept innovations
Enabling Studies Programs
Work to enable CMC and CTA regulatory packages
Enabling Studies Programs
Work to enable CMC and CTA regulatory packages
Clinical Trials Programs
Launch and support early phase clinical trials
Clinical Trials Programs
Launch and support early phase clinical trials
Clinical, Social & Economic Impact Programs
Maximize patient and health system benefits
Clinical, Social & Economic Impact Programs
Maximize patient and health system benefits
New Call
How the Funding Process Works
Mark your calendars, BioCanRx will be launching a new Call for Applications in summer 2026!
Review Eligibility
Review the BioCanRx Overview and Guidelines document and eligibility criteria. The BioCanRx team can answer questions and meet with research teams to help assess your projects alignment with the research program.
Letter of Intent (LOI)
Assemble a multi-disciplinary team and propose a research project to BioCanRx’s Research Management Committee (RMC). The RMC will evaluate LOIs based on their alignment with BioCanRx’s research mandate and eligibility within one of the established funding streams.
Invitation to the Full Application
Successful LOIs are invited to submit a Full Application.
Full Application Submission
The RMC evaluates applications based on our posted criteria guidelines, and make recommendations for which projects to fund.
Notification of Results
Both successful and unsuccessful applications will be notified of their results
To help you get started, we’ve included key resources from the 2024 Open Call.
For more information on our funding program and application process, please review the 2025 Open Call Overview and Guidelines l. Stay up to date about funding announcements by subscribing to our newsletter below!