Cancer is a major burden to public health in Latin America. Among the many concomitant challenges is a need to generate local evidence and knowledge upon which appropriate clinical, public health, and policy guidelines can be built. Historically, the pool of Latin American cancer researchers in the region has been limited, in part because early-career funding mechanisms to help launch junior investigators into research careers are very limited. A pipeline of talented, creative, and skilled young Latin American investigators needs to be cultivated to generate knowledge that can be used to address cancer control and treatment in Latin America. Furthermore, the development of such academic and research pursuits in Latin America can provide opportunities to advance the region’s need for biomedical, economic, academic, and social development on a variety of levels.
The AACR Maximizing Opportunity for New Advancements in Research in Cancer (MONARCA) Grant for Latin America represents an AACR initiative to address this need by promoting and supporting earlycareer investigators in Latin America to establish a successful career path in cancer research, thereby increasing and sustaining a cadre of talented cancer researchers in Latin America.
The research proposed for funding may be in any area of cancer research, including descriptive epidemiology, prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, supportive and palliative care, behavioral research, and cancer survivorship. These grants are intended to catalyze subsequent application for funding from other funding sources, not to support longer term research. Each grant will provide $55,000 USD over two years for expenses related to the research project, which may include salary and benefits of the grant recipient and any collaborator, postdoctoral or clinical research fellows, graduate students (including tuition costs), and/or research assistants, research/laboratory supplies, equipment, publication charges for manuscripts that pertain directly to the funded project, and other research expenses. Indirect costs are limited to no more than 10% of the total grant amount. Up to $10,000 USD may be allocated from the grant to support travel applicable to the research project and relevant scientific meetings, including mandatory attendance at the Annual Grantee Recognition Event. The grants are not intended for principal investigators outside of Latin America, although collaborative research projects are encouraged. All funds provided must be spent in Latin America with the exception of limited support for travel to international scientific meetings and conferences. Eligible countries in Latin America, for this funding mechanism, are listed on page 4 of this document.
These guidelines and instructions explain the aim of the Letter of Intent stage for the AACR MONARCA Grant for Latin America. All applicants need to submit a Letter of Intent and if successful, they will be invited to submit a full application.
LETTER OF INTENT DEADLINE
November 7, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time
Find your local time here.
APPLICANTS NOTIFIED OF DECISION STATUS OF LETTER OF INTENT
January 2025

FULL APPLICATION DEADLINE (for those invited to apply based on the Letter of Intent)
February 20, 2025 at 5:00 p.m. UTC (1:00 p.m. Eastern Time)
NOTIFICATION OF AWARD
April 2025
ANNUAL GRANTEE RECOGNITION EVENT
Grant recipient must attend the Annual Grantee Recognition Event during the AACR Annual Meeting or similar recognition event to formally accept their grant. Grant funds may be used to support the grantee’s registration and travel to this Event.
In the event that US visa application issues or any other unforeseen circumstances may prevent the Grant recipient to attend Annual Grantee Recognition Event, they should contact AACR immediately. Such instances will not prevent the Grant recipient from receiving funding.
In the event of unforeseen scheduling changes, the grantee will be contacted regarding alternative arrangements.
START OF GRANT TERM
July 1, 2025

RESEARCH PROJECT CRITERIA
Research projects may be in any area of cancer research that spans the cancer continuum aimed at forming a basis for reducing the burden of cancer in Latin America. Focus areas for research may include descriptive epidemiology, prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment, supportive and palliative care, behavioral research, and cancer survivorship research. Applicants are encouraged to be innovative in their research proposals and demonstrate local relevance of their proposed research.
Relevant topics include (but are not limited to) primary prevention (e.g., vaccination, exposure avoidance, chemoprevention), screening and early detection, and disease monitoring. Use of novel technologies (e.g., mHealth, biomarkers) is strongly encouraged.
COMPETITIVE LETTER OF INTENT DESCRIPTION
An AACR Competitive Letter of Intent is an application tool designed to identify the projects with the greatest scientific potential and alignment with the Program Guidelines without requiring applicants to first submit a full application. A Letter of Intent is not written as correspondence to the Scientific Review Committee, but instead follows a prescribed template which gathers information summarizing the proposed research project. Letters of Intent have also been called “pre-applications”, “concept papers”, or “letters of inquiry” by other funders.
Letters of Intent are peer-reviewed by the Scientific Review Committee. A limited number of applicants whose Letters of Intent are deemed most meritorious will be invited by the Committee to submit full applications.
The Letter of Intent for the AACR Maximizing Opportunity for New Advancements in Research in Cancer (MONARCA) Grant for Latin America is limited to two pages and must describe the proposed cancer research project, including the Specific Aims; Rationale, Preliminary Data, Methodology, and Approach; and Significance and Statement of Relevance. Relevant references must be attached and are limited to two pages.
The Letter of Intent must be accompanied by:
• Lay and Scientific Abstracts, limited to 3,000 characters each including spaces, which provide clear, concise, and comprehensive overviews of the proposed research project • Applicant's Biographical Sketch
• Local Mentor’s Biographical Sketch
• Letter of support from institution
This letter must attest to the Applicant's residency in Latin America
• Letter of support from the local mentor
EVALUATION OF COMPETITIVE LETTERS OF INTENT AND INVITED APPLICATIONS
Letters of Intent and full applications will be peer-reviewed by a Scientific Review Committee comprised of researchers and physician-scientists respected for their own accomplishments in cancer research and viewed as leaders in the field. The President of the AACR will appoint the members of the Scientific Review Committee.
The Committee will consider the following criteria when reviewing applications and determining funding decisions:
• Scientific Merit: Considering adequacy and relevance of scientific background evidence, preliminary results (if available), soundness of testable hypothesis, innovative thinking, and lack of duplication.
• Research Plan Feasibility: Considering proposed methodology, resources, personnel, and timeline.
• Research Impact: The probability that the project will generate data/results to inform subsequent research and/or new research concepts, methodologies, technologies, treatments, services, or preventative interventions that drive the field, or positively impact cancer health in Latin America . Indication of a plan to disseminate research findings.
• Personnel Capacity and Budget: The expertise of the PI and other participants, including the strengths and weaknesses of each partner. Budget is reasonable and justifiable to meet project needs. (The budget-related question will be used to evaluate the full applications for the AACR MONARCA Grant for Latin America program, and is not required for Letter of Intent).
• Benefit to Individual and Institutional Research Capacity: Appraisal of the project’s provision of opportunities for the grantee to develop research independence as well as for the institution to expand its research capacity long-term positive impact on social, economic, or environmental issues in the countries involved. (This criterion will be used to evaluate the full applications for the AACR MONARCA Grant for Latin America, and is not required for Letter of Intent).
The Committee will consider each year's applicants independent of previously funded proposals or institutions of previous grantees.
TOBACCO INDUSTRY FUNDING AND CONFLICTS OF INTEREST STATEMENT
A fellow whose named mentor is funded by the tobacco industry for any research project is not eligible for any AACR grant. A grantee or their named mentor who accepts funding from the tobacco industry for any research project during the term of an AACR grant must inform AACR of such funding, whereupon the AACR grant will be immediately terminated.
Tobacco industry funding is defined for the purposes of AACR grant applicants and recipients as money provided or used for all or any of the costs of any research project, including personnel, consumables, equipment, buildings, travel, meetings and conferences, and operating costs for laboratories and offices.

It is not defined as money provided or used for meetings or conferences that do not relate to any particular research project.
Tobacco industry funding includes: funds from a company that is engaged in or has affiliates engaged in the manufacture of tobacco produced for human use; funds in the name of a tobacco brand, whether or not the brand name is used solely for tobacco products; funds from a body set up by the tobacco industry or by one or more companies engaged in the manufacture of tobacco products.
The following do not constitute tobacco industry funding for the purposes of this policy:
• Legacies from tobacco industry investments (unless the names of a tobacco company or cigarette brand are associated with them);
• Funding from a trust or foundation established with assets related to the tobacco industry but no longer having any connection with the tobacco industry even though it may bear a name that (for historical reasons) is associated with the tobacco industry.

LETTER OF INTENT INSTRUCTIONS
LETTER OF INTENT PROCEDURES
The AACR requires applicants to submit an online Letter of Intent submission by 5:00 p.m. UTC (1:00 p.m. Eastern Time) on Thursday, November 7, 2024, using the ProposalCentral website at https://proposalcentral.com/.
In order to submit a complete Letter of Intent, applicants need to enter information directly into the online submission platform as well as upload a number of documents. Below are details about information that needs to be entered and the materials that need to be uploaded. The section numbering corresponds with the section number of the Letter of Intent Format below and the online ProposalCentral application.

GETTING STARTED IN ProposalCentral
If you are a new user of ProposalCentral, click the “Need an account?” link and complete the registration process. After logging in, complete your Professional Profile before starting a Letter of Intent.
If you are already registered with ProposalCentral, access the site and log in with your Username and Password. If you have forgotten your login information, click on the “Forgot Your Password?” link.

To start a Letter of Intent, select the “Grant Opportunities” tab. A list of grant opportunities will be displayed. The list of applications can be filtered for just this organization by clicking “Filter by Grant Maker” at the top and selecting “American Association for Cancer Research” in the drop down menu. Find “AACR Maximizing Opportunity for New Advancements in Research in Cancer (MONARCA) Grant for Latin America” and click the “Apply Now” button to create your application.
If you have any difficulties registering, logging in, or creating your application, contact ProposalCentral Customer Support at: 800-875-2562 (Toll-free U.S. and Canada), +1-703-964-5840 (Direct Dial International), or by email at pcsupport@altum.com. See the ProposalCentral FAQ section for additional information.
LETTER OF INTENT FORMAT
The following information is required to submit a complete application. Numbers correspond to the application sections found on the left side of the ProposalCentral website.
1. TITLE PAGE. Enter the title of the research project. The title is limited to no more than 75 characters (including spaces). Do not use abbreviations. A project title must be entered and saved before additional sections may be accessed.
Terms and Conditions of the Grant. In order to ensure that the applicant is informed of the terms and conditions of the grant should they be selected as a recipient, applicant must acknowledge that they have read the Terms and Conditions and have shared them with their institution by typing in their name and date in the box provided.
The terms and conditions of this grant may be modified or amended by the AACR prior to execution of the Grant Agreement. In addition, the grant recipient’s institution may only request revisions to sections VII.F.; XII.; XIII.F.; and XIV.A. of the Grant Agreement prior to execution. Only in special circumstances will revisions be considered to sections other than those noted above.
2. DOWNLOAD TEMPLATES & INSTRUCTIONS. The Program Guidelines and Competitive Letter of Intent Instructions document, Terms and Conditions, and all templates can be downloaded from this page. Applicants are required to use the application templates provided.
See Section 9 of the Letter of Intent Instructions for how to complete and upload the templates.
3. ENABLE OTHER USERS TO ACCESS THIS PROPOSAL. Optional.
4. APPLICANT. Enter information for the applicant. Applicants must include their contact information, including e-mail address, phone number, mailing address, and AACR membership information.
Applicants must indicate their country of residence.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to have an ORCID iD and include this identifier with their application.

To add an institution to your Professional Profile, please follow the instructions below:
• To link an Institution to your Professional Profile, please log in to your ProposalCentral
account and click on the Professional Profile tab.
• In section 1 on the left pane, click the “Add” button. Enter the name of the institution,
then click “Display Results”.
• Select your Institution and click “Select” at the bottom of the page.
If your institution is not listed in ProposalCentral, please follow the instructions below:
• To register your institution on ProposalCentral please log in and go to your ‘Institution
Profile' tab.
• There will be a series of links listed, please click the 'Add/Edit Institution Profile' link.
• You will be directed to a page with instructions, click the 'Continue' button to begin the
registration process.
• Please fill in the required information, which is identifiable by a red asterisk, then click
“Save”.
Once you have created the institution, add it to your Professional Profile using the above steps.
5. INSTITUTION & CONTACTS. Enter information regarding the lead institution, local mentor, and signing official.
6. LOCAL MENTOR & COLLABORATORS. Enter information for your Local Mentor. The Principal Investigator is required to have a Local Mentor who will be committed to providing scientific guidance during the application process and throughout the entire period of the proposed project. The Local Mentor may or may not be from the same institution as the Principal Investigator.
Collaborator is optional. Enter information for your collaborator if applicable. Collaborators are independent researchers who have an integral role on the proposed project. Do not enter information for fellows or research assistants working on the proposed project as they are not considered collaborators. Local Mentor may also serve as a collaborator on the proposed research project. Grant funds may be allocated to collaborator provided all funds are spent in Latin America.
7. ABSTRACTS.
A. Lay Abstract. Limited to 3,000 characters (including spaces) and must provide a clear, concise, and comprehensive overview of the proposed research project in language suitable for a non-scientific audience. Do not use abbreviations unless absolutely necessary.
B. Scientific Abstract. Limited to 3,000 characters (including spaces) and must provide a brief summary of the proposed project.
If funded, both Abstracts will become public information; therefore, do not include proprietary or confidential information.
From the lists provided, select the research areas that are most applicable to this project (select no more than two), select the tumor site that is most applicable to this project, and indicate how you found out about this grant opportunity.
8. SPECIFIC AIMS. Use the add button to initiate a Specific Aim entry. Please enter Specific Aims exactly as written in the Research Proposal Narrative (see Section 13A of the Application Format). Be sure to click the ‘Save’ button after each Specific Aim entry.
9. LETTER OF INTENT DOCUMENTS.
Formatting Instructions. Applicants must adhere to the following instructions in completing the templates. Failure to observe these guidelines may result in the return of the application without review.
• Type size. Must use 12-point Times New Roman for the text, and no smaller than 9-point type for figures, legends, and tables.
• Single-spaced text. Single-spacing is acceptable, and space between paragraphs is recommended.
• Margins. The page margins must be no less than 0.75 inches on each side.
• Page numbering. The Proposal Narrative must be numbered consecutively; do not use section designations such as "3A" or "3B".
• Tips and techniques for inserting images in documents:
o Reduce the file size of documents with images by “inserting” the image (as opposed to “cutting” and “pasting”). Save graphical images as a JPG or GIF file. Insert the image into the document by selecting “Insert – Picture – From File” from the MS Word menu.
o Insert only GIF or JPG graphic files as images in your Word document. Other graphical file formats are either very large or difficult to manipulate in the document.
o Do not insert Quick Time or TIFF objects into your document.
o Anchor the images that you embed in your document.
o Once you have anchored the inserted image, you can format text to wrap around the image.
o Do not edit your images in Word. Use a graphics program.
o Do not embed your images in tables, text boxes, and other form elements.
o Do not add annotations over the images in Word. Add annotations to the images in a graphics program.
When a template is provided, the template MUST be used. Prepare and upload the following documents to your application in portable document format (PDF):
A. Letter of Intent. Applicants are required to use the Letter of Intent template available from the ProposalCentral website. The information must be presented in this order:
I. Letter of Intent Narrative. Limited to two pages, including figures and tables. The References section does not count against this page limit. Must describe the proposed cancer research project and include the Specific Aims; Rationale, Preliminary Data, Methodology, and Approach; Statistical Analysis Plan; and Significance and Statement of Relevance.
II. References. Limited to two pages. AACR reference style follows that of the Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals. Note that the Uniform Requirements specify that, for articles with more than six authors, the names of the first six authors must be listed, followed by "et al." For articles with six or fewer authors, all authors must be listed.
B. Applicant's Biographical Sketch. Applicants are required to use the Fellowship Biosketch template available for download from the NIH’s Biosketch Format Pages, Instructions and Samples and from the ProposalCentral platform. Please refer to the Instructions and Fellowship Biosketch sample under Biographical Sketch Format Page (fellowship). Please disregard instructions to remove the Scholastic Summary.The biographical sketch must be in English.
C. Local Mentor's Biographical Sketch. Mentors are required to use the Non-fellowship Biosketch template available for download from the NIH’s Biosketch Format Pages, Instructions and Samples and from the ProposalCentral platform. Please refer to the Instructions and Non-fellowship biosketch sample under Biographical Sketch Format Page (non-fellowship). The biographical sketch must be in English.
D. Letter of Institutional Attestation. The Letter of Institutional Attestation must be in English and should be provided in the institutional letter head. The institution is required to use the provided Attestation letter template. The institution at which the Principal Investigator is employed should serve as the Principal Institution designated on the application. The institution must:
• Assure institutional commitment and support of the proposed research project through provision of adequate staff, facilities and resources as well as adequate protected time to the Principal Investigator to conduct the research project.
• Attest to the applicants residency in Latin America .
• Assure that the applicants reside in and be conducting research in Latin America with particular relevance to the Latin American cancer burden on the continent.
E. Letter of Support from Local Mentor. A Letter of Support from Local Mentor listed in Section 6 must be uploaded. The letter addressed to “Scientific Review Committee” must assure the Local Mentor’s commitment to provide scientific guidance during the application process and throughout the entire period of the proposed project.
Uploading the attachments into your application. Once you have converted your attachments to PDF files, the next step is to upload the files to your online application. Only PDF attachments are permitted for this application submission.
• Open your online application and go to the section for attaching files. Click the blue “Attach Files” button.
• Select the appropriate type of attachment from the drop-down list.
• Enter your own description of the file in the “Describe Attachment” field.
• Click on the “click here to browse” link to select the file from your computer or drag and drop.
• Click on the “Upload and Continue” button. You will get a confirmation message on your screen that the file was uploaded successfully. You will also see that your file is now listed in the “Current list of uploaded attachments” section of the screen. Clicking the “Back” or “Upload and Return” button allows you to go back to the main page of this section where the uploaded documents should now be listed. Click the download icon next to the file name to open and view your uploaded documents. To delete the file, click on the trashcan icon to the right under the “Delete” column.
In the section for attachments, all the required attachments are listed in the middle of the screen, just below where you upload your files. This list of required attachments helps you track completion and uploading of your required attachments. Once you upload a required attachment, that attachment type will be removed from the required list and will be displayed in the “Current list of uploaded attachments”.
If you wish to modify the attached file, make the revisions to your original file on your computer, convert the file to PDF, and use the same process above to attach the new file. Delete any previously submitted versions of the file before submitting your Letter of Intent.
SUBMITTING COMPLETE APPLICATION
10. PI DATA SHEET. Please verify the applicant gender, race, and ethnicity. This is automatically populated based on the applicant’s Professional Profile within ProposalCentral. Changes to the selections on this screen will be reflected in your Professional Profile. The information is handled separately from the application and will not be provided to the Scientific Review Committee.
11. SIGNATURE PAGE(S). In order to ensure that all parties have approved the application, electronic signatures are required from the Applicant/PI, Signing Official, and Local Mentor Anyuser whose signature is required will have automatic access to this application. An email notification is sent to all signatories when a signature is provided. To sign, enter your name then click the sign button . Use the “Download Application” button to download the a copy of your application, including attachments.
NOTE: Data entered in the online Letter of Intent submission are automatically included in the Signature Page. If information is missing in the Signature Page, it could be because you have not entered the information in one of the online application sections OR the information is not required for this grant program. If the institution’s Employer Identification Number (EIN) is not completed on the Signature Page, please request your institution to provide that information in their ProposalCentral profile.
While the “Print Signature Pages” option allows applicants to download the Signature Page, Application Contacts and Abstractsthe AACR strongly encourages applicants to also use the “Print Signature Pages with Attachments” option. This option can be used if your institution wishes to review the full application but also should be used by the applicant to ensure that your attachments loaded properly.
Errors may occur when the uploaded PDF files are assembled by the system. Please check to ensure that all pages of every document included appear in the “Print Signature Pages with Attachments” option. If you are having any issues with this option, please contact ProposalCentral customer support at: 800-875-2562 (Toll-free U.S. and Canada), +1-703-964-5840 (Direct Dial International), or by e-mail to pcsupport@altum.com.
12. VALIDATE. Validate the application on ProposalCentral. This is an essential step. A submission that has not been validated cannot be submitted. “Validate” checks for required data and attachments. You will not be able to submit if all the required data and attachments have not been provided.
13. SUBMIT. After successfully passing the validate check, click the “Submit” link. An e-mail will be sent to you confirming your submission.
Once your Letter of Intent is submitted, you may view it by selecting “Submitted” from the “Proposal Status” drop-down menu under the ‘Proposals’ tab, then clicking the “View” button under the Edit column. The status column will show “Submitted” and the date submitted. You may need to refresh your browser screen after submitting the application to see the updated status.
CHANGES TO YOUR LETTER OF INTENT
Withdrawal of Application. Please advise AACR’s RGA promptly, in writing, should you decide to withdraw your Letter of Intent for any reason. Your correspondence should include your name, the grant opportunity to which you applied, the project title, and the reason for withdrawal.
Change of Address. Notify AACR’s RGA in writing of any changes of address, e-mail, or phone number, following the submission of an application. Include your name and the ProposalCentral identification number. The e-mail address provided with your application will be used for all official communication about your submission including the recipient selection results; therefore, your Professional Profile in ProposalCentral must be kept up to date.
Change of Institution or Position. If you change your institution or professional position, contact AACR’s RGA to determine whether your application is still eligible for review.
INQUIRIES
Inquiries or technical issues regarding ProposalCentral and the online application process should be directed to customer support at: 800-875-2562 (Toll-free U.S. and Canada), +1-703-964-5840 (Direct Dial International), or by e-mail to pcsupport@altum.com.
Inquiries about the program guidelines, eligibility requirements, and application materials can be directed to the AACR’s RGA at grants@aacr.org.

MORE ABOUT THE AACR
Founded in 1907, the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) is the world’s first and largest professional organization dedicated to advancing cancer research and its mission to prevent and cure cancer. AACR membership includes more than 58,000 laboratory, translational, and clinical researchers; population scientists; other health care professionals; and patient advocates residing in 141 countries and territories around the world. Presently, 32% of members live outside the United States and 22% of AACR’s international members are located in countries with emerging economies. The AACR offers seven categories of membership to support each aspect of our members' professional development and enhancement in cancer research. In support of the professional development of early-career researchers, no annual dues are required for Associate membership. The AACR marshals the full spectrum of expertise of the cancer community to accelerate progress in the prevention, biology, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer by annually convening more than 30 conferences and educational workshops, the largest of which is the AACR Annual Meeting with more than 22,500 attendees. The AACR’s Virtual 2020 Annual Meeting attracted over 74,000 attendees. In addition, the AACR publishes ten prestigious, peer-reviewed scientific journals and a magazine for cancer survivors, patients, and their caregivers. The AACR funds meritorious research directly as well as in cooperation with numerous cancer organizations. As the Scientific Partner of Stand Up To Cancer, the AACR provides expert peer review, grants administration, and scientific oversight of team science and individual investigator grants in cancer research that have the potential for near-term patient benefit. The AACR actively communicates with legislators and other policymakers about the value of cancer research and related biomedical science in saving lives from cancer. For more information about the AACR, visit www.AACR.org.