Grant Details

The Uncle Kory Foundation (UKF) Seed Grant Program provides funding to support innovative early-stage brain cancer research. Seed Grants are intended to help investigators generate preliminary data, launch new research initiatives, and advance promising projects toward future external funding.
Awards of up to $50,000 are available for an initial one-year funding period. Investigators may apply for a second year of funding of up to $50,000, contingent upon satisfactory progress, submission of a renewal application, and available funding. UKF Seed Grants do not provide funding for institutional overhead or indirect costs.

key dates

Application Opens: August 1, 2026

Application Deadline: September 1, 2026

Medical Advisory Board Review & Funding Decisions: Approximately November 1, 2026

Funding Available: By January 15, 2027

Funding recommendations from the Medical Advisory Board are subject to final approval by the UKF Board of Directors.

Eligibility

The Principal Investigator (PI) must hold an independent research or faculty appointment (or the equivalent at their institution) and be authorized by their institution to serve as a PI on externally funded research grants. Graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, residents, clinical fellows, and other trainees are encouraged to participate as co-investigators or key personnel; however, applications must be led by an eligible PI.

Applications are accepted from eligible academic institutions worldwide. Applications from industry, biotechnology companies, or other private organizations are not eligible.

Terms

Each award provides up to $50,000 in funding for a one-year project period.

Awardees are required to submit the following reports:

A six-month progress report
A final scientific report and financial report one year following the funding date

The Uncle Kory Foundation does not allow administrative or indirect costs to be charged to Seed Grant awards.

Proposed research must be directly related to brain cancer.

Award funds must be used solely to support the research project described in the approved application.

The Foundation will publish the award recipient's name, institution, project title, and a brief lay summary of the funded research on the UKF website.

Publications resulting from research supported by this award must acknowledge the Uncle Kory Foundation as a funding source.