The Cancer Center Support Grant includes flexible developmental funding that can be used to support cancer-related pilot projects. Cancer Center leadership decides, on a year-to-year basis, whether pilot project applications will be solicited in that grant year.

When pilot projects are solicited, all cancer center members are eligible to submit applications. Pilot projects are awarded based on scientific merit, interprogrammatic collaboration, and cancer focus. These projects should be new projects, not extensions of existing studies, and ideally will collect preliminary data to be used in competitive funding applications.

All applications are reviewed and scored by a minimum of three reviewers (cancer center program leaders and/or senior leadership) and, when necessary, by additional cancer center members with related scientific expertise. Awarded budgets are typically $10,000 to $20,000.