The Lustgarten Foundation-AACR Career Development Award for Pancreatic Cancer Research, in Honor of John Robert Lewis, has been established to honor the life and legacy of Representative Lewis, who worked tirelessly to advance the civil rights of all Americans, even while battling pancreatic cancer. The intent of this program is to support the development and diversity of talent working in pancreatic cancer research. Eligibility is limited to members of racial or ethnic groups that have been shown to be underrepresented in the cancer related sciences workforce. Selection is competitive and will be based on outstanding accomplishments in scientific research. This Award represents a joint effort to encourage and support early career scientists engaged in pancreatic cancer research relevant to the goals and mission of the Lustgarten Foundation. The proposed project may be basic, translational, clinical, or population sciences related research and must have direct applicability and relevance to the understanding, detection, diagnosis, or treatment of pancreatic cancer. Applications are invited from researchers currently in the field as well as investigators with experience in other areas of cancer or biomedical research who have promising ideas and approaches that can be applied to pancreatic cancer research. The grant provides $300,000 over three years for expenses related to the research project, which may include salary and benefits of the grant recipient, any collaborators, postdoctoral or clinical research fellows, graduate students (including tuition costs associated with graduate students’ education and training), 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 not allowable expenses. Grantees supported through this Program will have the opportunity to interact and/or collaborate with other investigators from the network of Lustgarten Foundation-funded investigators and laboratories as well as leading investigators in the AACR’s grantee community.

LETTER OF INTENT DEADLINE
October 10, 2024, at 1:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time
APPLICANTS NOTIFIED OF DECISION STATUS OF LETTER OF INTENT
November 2024
FULL APPLICATION DEADLINE (for those invited to apply based on the Letter of Intent)
January 9, 2025, at 1:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time
ANNUAL GRANTEE RECOGNITION EVENT
Grant recipients must attend the Annual Grantee Recognition Event 2025 to formally accept their grant. Grant funds may be used to support the grantee’s attendance at this Event.
In the event of unforeseen scheduling changes, the grantees will be contacted regarding alternative arrangements.

START OF GRANT TERM
July 1, 2025

RESEARCH PROJECT CRITERIA
Proposed projects may be basic, translational, clinical, or population sciences related research and must have direct applicability and relevance to the understanding, detection, diagnosis, or treatment of pancreatic cancer and be aligned with the goals and priorities of the Lustgarten Foundation.

COMPETITIVE LETTER OF INTENT DESCRIPTION
An AACR Competitive Letter of Intent, also referred to as 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 Lustgarten Foundation-AACR Career Development Award for Pancreatic Cancer Research, in Honor of John Robert Lewis is limited to two pages and must provide a clear, concise, and comprehensive overview of the proposed work. 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 including spaces), which should provide a clear, concise, and comprehensive overview of the proposed research project.
• Applicant's Biographical Sketch
• Applicant Checklist
EVALUATION OF COMPETITIVE LETTERS OF INTENT AND INVITED APPLICATIONS
The Scientific Review Committee that will peer-review the Letters of Intent and invited full applications is comprised of senior researchers and physician-scientists respected for their own accomplishments in pancreatic cancer research and viewed as leaders in the field.
The Committee will consider the following criteria when reviewing Letters of Intent and invited full applications:
• Investigator. What training and experience does the applicant have to ensure successful implementation of the proposed project? Does the applicant have demonstrated capacity to carry out independent research? Is there evidence that the applicant is developing a successful track record in cancer research or that they could make a career commitment to this field?
• Significance. Is the scientific and technical merit of the proposed project of significance? Is the proposed project of high quality, and what potential does it have to advance this field and eventually benefit patients?
• Approach. Are the overall strategy, design, and methodology well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project within the grant term? Are potential problems, alternative strategies and benchmarks for success presented? Is there an appropriate statistical analysis plan in place to rigorously assess the impact of the data? Is the budget justified and reasonable in relation to the proposed project? (The budget-related question will be used to evaluate only the invited full applications for this opportunity.)

COMPETITIVE LETTER OF INTENT DESCRIPTION
An AACR Competitive Letter of Intent, also referred to as 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 Lustgarten Foundation-AACR Career Development Award for Pancreatic Cancer Research, in Honor of John Robert Lewis is limited to two pages and must provide a clear, concise, and comprehensive overview of the proposed work. 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 including spaces), which should provide a clear, concise, and comprehensive overview of the proposed research project.
• Applicant's Biographical Sketch
• Applicant Checklist

EVALUATION OF COMPETITIVE LETTERS OF INTENT AND INVITED APPLICATIONS
The Scientific Review Committee that will peer-review the Letters of Intent and invited full applications is comprised of senior researchers and physician-scientists respected for their own accomplishments in pancreatic cancer research and viewed as leaders in the field.
The Committee will consider the following criteria when reviewing Letters of Intent and invited full applications:
• Investigator. What training and experience does the applicant have to ensure successful implementation of the proposed project? Does the applicant have demonstrated capacity to carry out independent research? Is there evidence that the applicant is developing a successful track record in cancer research or that they could make a career commitment to this field?
• Significance. Is the scientific and technical merit of the proposed project of significance? Is the proposed project of high quality, and what potential does it have to advance this field and eventually benefit patients?
• Approach. Are the overall strategy, design, and methodology well-reasoned and appropriate to accomplish the specific aims of the project within the grant term? Are potential problems, alternative strategies and benchmarks for success presented? Is there an appropriate statistical analysis plan in place to rigorously assess the impact of the data? Is the budget justified and reasonable in relation to the proposed project? (The budget-related question will be used to evaluate only the invited full applications for this opportunity.)

• Institutional Environment. What evidence is provided of institutional commitment for the scientific development of the applicant? What support, equipment, and resources will be available to the applicant and are they adequate to successfully complete the proposed project? (This criterion will be used to evaluate only the invited full applications for this opportunity.)
The Committee will consider each year's applicants independently, without regard to the topics covered in previously funded proposals or to the institutions of the previous grantees.
TOBACCO INDUSTRY FUNDING AND CONFLICTS OF INTEREST STATEMENT
Scientific investigators or health professionals who are funded by the tobacco industry for any research project are not eligible for any AACR grant. Grantees who accept funding from the tobacco industry for any research project during the term of an AACR grant must inform the AACR of such funding, whereupon the AACR grant will immediately be terminated.
Tobacco industry funding is defined for 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 don’t relate to any particular research projects.
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 complete an online Letter of Intent submission by 1:00 p.m. U.S. Eastern Time on Thursday, October 10th, 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. The following instructions provide details about information that needs to be entered and the materials that need to be uploaded. The section numbering corresponds to the section number of the Letter of Intent Instructions and the online ProposalCentral Letter of Intent.

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 “Lustgarten Foundation-AACR Career Development Award for Pancreatic Cancer Research, in Honor of John Robert Lewis” 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 Letter of Intent. Numbers correspond to the 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 100 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, Applicant Checklist, and the Letter of Intent template, can be downloaded from this page. Applicants are required to use the Letter of Intent template.
See Section 8 of the Letter of Intent Instructions for how to complete and upload the template. This Letter of Intent also requires additional attachment for which a template is not provided (applicant’s biographical sketch).
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 are also strongly encouraged to have an ORCID iD and include this identifier with their application.
5. INSTITUTION & CONTACTS. Enter information regarding the applicant’s institution, signing official, and nominator.
NOTE: For those invited to submit a full application, the application process will require a Letter of Reference from a nominator and endorser (if necessary). A nominator must be the applicant’s department chair, division head, or dean. If the nominator is not an active, emeritus, or honorary member of AACR, information for an endorser who is an active, emeritus, or honorary member of AACR must also be provided.
6. ABSTRACTS.
A. Lay Abstract. Limited to 3,000 characters (including spaces) and must provide a lay summary of the proposed project in language suitable for a non-scientific audience of cancer survivors. Do not use abbreviations. It should include the background, purpose, objectives, and study design of the project; how it will contribute to the field of cancer research; and how the results will help cancer patients in the future.
B. Scientific Abstract. Limited to 3,000 characters (including spaces) and must provide a brief summary of the proposed research project.
If funded, these Abstracts will become public information; therefore, do not include proprietary/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.
7. 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.
8. LETTER OF INTENT DOCUMENTS.
Formatting Instructions. Applicants must adhere to the following instructions in completing the templates. Failure to observe type size specifications and page limits will result in the return of the Letter of Intent 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 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 JPG or GIF files. 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 into 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 innovative 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.
AACR’s RGA endorses AACR Journals policies on Availability of Materials and Data and encourages applicants to follow these guidelines.
B. Applicant's Biographical Sketch. Applicants are required to use the Non-fellowship Biosketch template available to download from the NIH’s Biosketch Format Pages, Instructions and Samples. Please refer to the Instructions and Non-fellowship biosketch sample under Biographical Sketch

Format Page (non-fellowship). The biographical sketch must be in English.
Note: For those invited to submit a full application, collaborators are allowable. However, co-Principal Investigators are NOT permitted. You will have the opportunity to provide Letter(s) of Collaboration and the Biosketch(es) of these collaborators at the full application stage.
C. Applicant Checklist. In order to ensure eligibility, applicants must complete the checklist and obtain all required signatures. For institutions that do not follow the traditional tenure system, such as non-academic, non-profit research institutions or organizations, tenure-eligible equivalence must be confirmed. Electronic/digital signatures are permitted. These signatures transmitted by electronic means shall have the same force and effect as original signatures. Please note that if eligibility is based on a future position, the position must be confirmed at the time of application, and CANNOT be contingent upon receiving this grant.
The signed Applicant Checklist must be uploaded to your online Letter of Intent in the Letter of Intent Documents section.
Uploading the attachments into your submission. Once you have converted your attachments to PDF files, the next step is to upload the files to your online Letter of Intent. Only PDF attachments are permitted for this Letter of Intent submission.
• Open your online Letter of Intent 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 LETTER OF INTENT
9. 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.
10. SIGNATURE PAGE(S). In order to ensure that all parties have approved the application, electronic signatures are required from the Applicant/PI and Signing Official. Any user 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 a copy of your Letter of Intent, including attachments.
NOTE: Data entered in the online Letter of Intent submission are automatically included in the Signature Pages. The following signature page fields will remain blank until the full application process: Dates of Proposed Project, Proposed Budget, Human Subjects, Vertebrate Animals, Recombinant DNA, and Biohazards. If information is missing in the Signature Pages, it could be because you have not entered the information in one of the online 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.
The AACR strongly encourages applicants to also use the “Download Application” option. This option can be used if your institution wishes to review the Letter of Intent 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 “Download Letter of Intent” 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.
11. VALIDATE. Validate the application on ProposalCentral. This is an essential step. An application 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.
12. 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 Letter of Intent to see the updated status.
CHANGES TO YOUR LETTER OF INTENT
Withdrawal of Letter of Intent. Please advise the AACR promptly, in writing, should you decide to withdraw your Letter of Intent for any reason. Your correspondence must include your name, the grant opportunity to which you applied, the project title, and the reason for withdrawal.
Change of Address. Notify the AACR of any changes of address, e-mail, or phone number, following the submission of a Letter of Intent. Include your name and the ProposalCentral identification number. The e-mail address provided with your Letter of Intent will be used for all official communication about your submission including the recipient selection results. 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 the AACR to determine whether your Letter of Intent 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 Letter of Intent materials can be directed to the AACR’s Research and Grants Administration department at grants@aacr.org.

MORE ABOUT THE PARTNERS
Since the Lustgarten Foundation was established in 1998, they have been committed to changing outcomes so patients have a better chance for long-term survival. From basic science to the clinic, our funded researchers are investigating ways to detect the disease earlier, personalize treatment and develop better therapies. The intent of this program is to support the development and diversification of talent working in pancreatic cancer research. This program will support early-career, faculty-level researchers to pursue projects of high relevance to the mission of the Lustgarten Foundation in one of the categories below. Visit www.lustgarten.org to learn more.
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.