We're POWERING the future of ovarian cancer research!
Ovarian cancer mortality has not changed significantly in the last 3 decades.
Compared to other cancers,
ovarian cancer research
is severely underfunded.
The Powell-Drescher Foundation will power the future of ovarian cancer research to change these statistics. Here's how:
POWER Foundation Pilot Grant
2026 Request for Applications
The POWER Foundation is pleased to announce its Pilot Grant Award to encourage preliminary research projects in all areas of ovarian cancer research including, but not limited to, cancer biology, genetics, early detection and prevention, treatment, cancer care delivery, and public health sciences. New concepts, novel approaches, and/or projects that extend previous discoveries and have potential to develop into larger projects are encouraged.
To be considered responsive, the research team must include an ovarian cancer advocate. Project costs are not to exceed $75,000 direct costs budgeted over no more than two years duration. Institutional overhead and indirect cost rates are limited to 10%.
Investigators who have completed graduate training including individuals with MD, PhD, ScD, MSW, and MSN degrees are eligible to apply. Applicants should have a minimum of 50% protected research time. Principal Investigators must hold the equivalent of an Assistant Professor position or higher and be affiliated with an institution capable of administering the award funds.
Eligible Institutions include: Public or private institutions including universities, colleges, or hospitals as well as non-profit organizations.
Investigators associated with organizations that meet FDA criteria for a Significantly Regulated Organization (SRO) including foundations and non-profits associated with an SRO are not eligible to apply.
Although international participation is anticipated in future funding rounds, this POWER Foundation award is restricted to institutions within the US.
| Application Timeline | Key Dates |
|---|---|
|
Letter of Intent Due |
May 29, 2026 |
|
Invitation to Submit Full Proposal |
June 2026 |
|
Full Proposals Due |
August 15th, 2026 |
|
Award Notification |
November 2026 |
|
Projected Start Date |
January 2027 |
The Foundation is committed to the values of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion. Recipients of funds will be determined by an ad hoc committee of scientist and survivor reviewers without regard to the applicant’s race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age, or economic or educational background.
Our 1st POWER Pilot Research Grant Awardees
Meet Drs. Connolly, Porac, and Mulas
from the Fox Chase Cancer Center!
The team will study which proteins interact with the protein CDON, a protein found on the surface of ovarian cancer cells, to better understand how CDON promotes ovarian cancer cell growth, which could lead to therapies that interfere with CDON function to and promote ovarian cancer cell death.
We will award grants to fund compelling ovarian cancer research, while continuing to build an endowment that funds research into the future. Successful grant applications will include an explanation of how the research will directly, or have the potential to directly, touch the patient/survivor, and involve at least one advocate* as an integral part of the research team.
Empowering Patients through Research Advocacy
We will provide resources to mentor advocates* on their role in research and to educate scientists on survivor advocacy. We will continue funding two advocates’ attendance at a major ovarian cancer research symposium yearly, thereby providing an opportunity for the advocates to meet scientists and promote collaboration with them, as well as to learn more about the current state of research to bring back to the ovarian cancer community. Watch research advocates Susun Livingston and Deborah Binder talk about their experiences attending the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) Scientist-Survivor Program.
Learn more about research advocacy and apply to be a Powell-Drescher Ovarian Cancer Research Foundation research advocate using the button below!
*Advocates are defined as ovarian cancer patients, survivors, family members, caregivers, previvors, and other persons touched by ovarian cancer.
How Advocates Can Support Your Research
- Convey patient experiences with researchers
- Communicate the patient decision-making process with researchers
- Provide feedback to researchers to reduce barriers to patient participations, expand eligibility criteria, and develop patient-friendly protocols
- Review and provide guidance on the language used in Informed Consent forms, questionnaires and other patient-facing documents
- Translate scientific research terminology to communicate the research goals and ensure alignment with patient priorities.
- Review and provide recommendations for improvement on community and patient-facing communications
- Connect researchers with ovarian cancer advocacy organizations
- Help formulate research questions/aims and identify patient concerns early in the development of a research plan
- Participate in a research team’s update/planning meetings to provide a patient perspective
- Facilitate the design of patient-centric clinical trials that include patient-reported outcomes
- Offer guidance regarding how to accrue and retain patients in trials
- Review lay abstract language in research proposals to assure terminology is understandable to a non-expert audience
- Provide feedback on the dissemination of research findings to non-academic audiences (e.g. policymakers, administrators, community leaders, etc.)
- Participate in the peer review process to provide constructive feedback on research proposals and/or scientific publications
Ovarian cancer has the highest mortality rate of all gynecological cancers combined.
Because there are fewer healthy survivors to help raise awareness of the disease, ovarian cancer research doesn’t get the attention it deserves.
