MRA General RFP

MRA Young Investigator Award

Supports early-career melanoma researchers through fellowships and grants that launch independent research direction.

Eligibility · United States, United Kingdom, Israel

⚠ This may reflect a past cycle — verify the current call on the funder's site.

The Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA) Young Investigator Award supports early-career scientists with novel research ideas in melanoma, with the explicit goal of recruiting and developing the next generation of melanoma researchers. The award mechanism is part of the annual MRA General Request for Proposals, which in the 2025–2026 cycle committed at least $11.5 million across all award categories. To be eligible, an applicant must be within five years of their first academic faculty appointment at the time of submission, and a formal mentorship commitment from a senior investigator is required as part of the application package. In the 2025–2026 cycle, a two-step process applied: eligibility and biosketch materials were due September 30, 2025, and full proposals were due November 6, 2025. Funding decisions are expected April 2026 with project start June 1, 2026.

The Young Investigator Award is open to researchers at nonprofit institutions, universities, and nonprofit research organizations in the United States. Dedicated UK-based and Israel-based tracks are available within the broader General RFP. Sub-tracks for acral melanoma and uveal melanoma research are offered within the Young Investigator category, providing focused pathways for researchers working on these less-common but high-need melanoma subtypes. Specific award amounts, durations, and indirect cost policies are published in each annual RFP document rather than on the program overview page and are not available on the mechanisms page.

All submissions are made through the proposalCENTRAL online platform with a hard deadline of 11:59 pm Eastern Time. The 2025–2026 cycle is fully closed; the 2026–2027 cycle is anticipated to open in summer or fall 2026. Because the award includes a pre-screening eligibility step before the full proposal stage, early-career investigators should check MRA's channels and curemelanoma.org for the next RFP release date well in advance. Prospective applicants can direct inquiries to science@curemelanoma.org.