The American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) has an open funding call for researchers from Latin America: the AACR Maximizing Opportunity for New Advancements in Research in Cancer (MONARCA).
The MONARCA program supports early-career researchers residing in Latin American countries and aims to boost research to control and treat cancer, reducing the impact of the disease in the region.
Eligible applicants include those who have obtained a doctoral degree (PhD) or completed a medical degree (MD) and are not currently pursuing more advanced academic degrees, as well as applicants who hold a Master of Public Health degree. All degrees must have been obtained within ten years prior to the start of the program, on September 1, 2026. For applicants with more than one degree, the count will consider the most recently obtained degree.
Proposals may be submitted in any research area, including epidemiology, prevention, diagnosis, treatment, palliative care, behavioral research, and cancer survivorship. It is important to demonstrate the relevance of the proposal to the region.
The duration of the program is two years, and the selected proposal will receive US$ 55,000. The funds may be used for salary and fellowship payments and for the purchase of equipment and laboratory supplies, among other research-related expenses such as publications and travel to conferences. The goal of the program is to catalyze research so that it may later be supported by other funding sources.
The letter of intent must be submitted by January 22, 2026, by 3:00 p.m. Brasília time (6:00 p.m. UTC). Selected participants will be notified in March 2026 to submit the full application, which must be completed by May 14, 2026. AACR will announce the final results in July 2026. Funding will begin on September 1, 2026.
Complete information and guidelines for preparing the letter of intent are available on the AACR website.
