Breaking new frontiers in cancer research through innovative team science

The Terry Fox New Frontiers Program Project Grants is a long‐standing program involving the best cancer researchers in Canada. These programs support Canadian research teams exploring new frontiers in cancer research (i.e., breakthrough and transformative biomedical, clinical and translational research which may form the basis for innovative cancer prevention, diagnosis and/or treatment).

2026 Terry Fox New Frontiers Program Project Grants Competition 

Purpose

To support multidisciplinary program projects of excellence that contribute to important topics of relevance to cancer research. The goal of the Terry Fox New Frontiers PPG is to discover and explore new knowledge with the potential to transform cancer diagnosis, treatment and/or understanding of cancer biology.

Secondary goals are:

1. High-quality research that addresses an important cancer topic that is best approached through collaborative teams
2. Innovative and high-risk projects of large impact, for which the group research environment will maximize the chance of success.  As part of the revised funding envelope for the competitions going forward, TFRI will look favorably upon applications which incorporate high risk/high reward strategies or research plans.
3. Leveraging of cutting-edge technologies that builds synergistic collaborations, and
4. An innovative and supportive training environment for the next generation of cancer researchers.

Scope of the Program

This Request for Applications (RFA) support program projects comprised of a minimum of three independent researchers and their individual research projects that may also include one or more technology (or ‘core’) platforms that will be used by the projects in pursuit of an important cancer research topic.

Support Offered

This RFA will support New and Renewing PPG Applications. Please note that there are separate application templates and guides for new and renewal applications to this program.

• New Applications are defined as coming from a group of investigators proposing a new thematic area of cancer research. New Applications can apply for a three, four or five year grant term commencing July 1, 2026, with a total budget of up to $2,400,000.

• Renewing Applications are defined as coming from (1) a minimum of three continuing investigators whose PPG term is coming to an end, and (2) continuing development of the same thematic area of cancer research as the previous PPG. Renewing applications can apply for a five, six or seven year grant term commencing July 1, 2026, with a total budget of up to $7,500,000. A proposal that was unsuccessful in a previous PPG competition as a renewal can only apply as a new application. Should investigators of a continuing PPG whose term is coming to an end decide to split into two independent groups, the resulting proposals will be considered as new applications.

Note: TFRI expects this competition cycle to be very competitive due to a large number of potential renewal applications.

Key Deadlines and Dates

Guidance Provided

• Please refer to the Terry Fox New Frontiers Program Project Grants Competition (2026) RFA for competition details.  
  
• For New PPG applications, please refer to the 2026 PPG LOI Guide for New Applications for instructions on how to prepare the letter of intent.
• For Renewal PPG applications, please refer to the 2026 PPG LOI Guide for Renewal Applications for instructions on how to prepare the letter of intent. 

Templates 

• Letter of Intent

  • TFRI PPG 2026 Letter of Intent template for New Applications

  • TFRI PPG 2026 Letter of Intent template for Renewal Applications

  • TFRI PPG 2026 CV Template 

Russell F. Watkins, PhD
Senior Programs Manager
Terry Fox Research Institute
675 West 10th Avenue
Vancouver, BC V5Z 1L3 Canada
Telephone: 778-888-9150
mail: rwatkins@tfri.ca