We open doors that will save lives.
Ohio Cancer Research (OCR) funds individual researchers to help get their projects off the ground. We seek out the best research projects from around the State that can turn our seed money into an exponentially greater amount of funding from other sources by getting them up to that first rung on the funding ladder. We give them the opportunity to collect that initial round of data needed to apply for a National Institutes of Health (NIH) grant, or the ability to access a specific technology they need to get started. Then they take that work – along with the credibility of having already secured funding by a reputable, independent organization like OCR – and turn it into more funding based on success.
The world of scientific research funding is competitive to say the least. Ohio has a vast pool of brilliant, motivated researchers ready to dig in and help move the needle in the battle against cancer. They are knocking on every door to get their ideas out into the world, competing against their peers and mentors for limited dollars. Ohio Cancer Research opens a door for them – a door that leads to saving lives.
Without Ohio Cancer Research, many of the successful ideas we have funded would have gone nowhere.
Unparalleled return on investment.
In order to secure funding from larger institutions, they often want to see your initial round of data to demonstrate the possibility of success, or they want to see what other types of funding your project has received to demonstrate viability.
Ohio Cancer Research was founded with this one question in mind. How do researchers get to that first run on the funding ladder to go after larger dollars? That is why we provide seed money directly to individual researchers who, in turn, generate exponentially more dollars for their projects. OCR has provided more than $8.5 million in grant money to researchers around the State, who have leveraged that funding to generate more than $1 billion in additional funding from other sources based on success.
We fund the best of the brightest.
Ohio is full of brilliant researchers at world-class institutions. It is in their labs that the innovations and life-saving treatments of tomorrow are being discovered. From this immense pool of talent, OCR funds only the best of the brightest.
Our scientific review committee includes up to 30 scientists from around the state from various institutions. Projects are reviewed by this committee as well as by external reviewers from around the country, or even around the world, that have specific expertise in the focus area of the submitted proposal. It is an exhaustive process where all perspectives are considered.
We have a high bar for funding projects and for good reason – we are protecting your investment. Evidence of this rigorous approval process can be found in the high percentage of projects that garner additional funding. To date, 95% of the projects OCR has funded have been able to use that seed money to get additional investment in their work.
We invest directly into research where it matters.
Ohio Cancer Research provides seed money directly to individual researchers. With OCR, you have a guarantee that your dollars go directly to hiring staff, adding capacity, purchasing necessary research equipment, etc. to get their research off the ground.
We invest in the next generation of researchers – providing the seed money that catapults their efforts to a new level. They are the ones in the trenches, and with a little funding they can get what they need to take their project to the next level. Getting funding is very tough in the early stages. Think about how many life-saving ideas are left on the drawing table.
Funding sources such as the NIH will require initial data or proof of viability in order to fund projects. For young researchers, that is the challenge – getting to that first rung so they can climb the funding ladder. OCR supports these researchers by providing the seed money needed to get those initial results. This combined with the credibility of having been funded by a reputable organization, gives our researchers the competitive advantage to continue their work.
