Grants

Research Grants

The Nefkens Adrenal Cancer (NAC) Foundation has a long term commitment to stimulate promising and outstanding scientific research on adrenocortical carcinoma (ACC). This with the intent to generate knowledge that will ultimately be of benefit to patients with ACC, open new perspectives of treatment and/or lead the way to improved therapeutic management or cure of ACC. The NAC Foundation will therefore issue Research Grant calls on a regular basis to support researchers around the world. Funding has been secured until at least 2040.

Type of Grants

The Foundation currently offers two types of grants, the Translational Research Grant and the Clinical Trial Grant.

1. Translational Research Grant 

This Grant concerns projects that enhance our understanding and furnish insights or develop tools relevant for advancing treatment. These projects may for instance involve research related to the biology of ACC, their origin and evolution, their heterogeneity relevant for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment. The emphasis will be on excellence and potential impact for patient care. 

2. Clinical Trial Research Grant

This Grant concerns clinical trials dealing with the evaluation of novel diagnostics or therapies with promise for patients with ACC.

Application Procedure

The application process consists of two stages: pre-proposals and full proposals. Only selected applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal. The proposals will be evaluated according to specific criteria. Based on this evaluation, selected applicants will be invited to submit a full proposal.

Applications

  • Eligibility
    Applications from individual researchers or research groups are welcomed. Investigators actively involved in research on ACC are invited to submit a research proposal. In particular, (international) collaborative research proposals from multiple scientific institutions and groups with complementing expertise are encouraged to apply for a research grant. The main applicant must be employed by a university, university hospital or research organization. Commercial entities are not eligible for funding.
  • Conditions
    Applications are for funding of personnel and materials (plus infrastructure for clinical trials). By submitting a research proposal, applicants agree to comply with the grant conditions imposed on acceptance of a grant. These conditions pertain to the open access policy, code of conduct, and ethical approval by relevant authorities. Applicants should be willing to present their research project to interested public parties including patient groups. 
  • Evaluation Process
    The Foundation’s Scientific Advisors will assess submitted pre-proposals based on the evaluation criteria. A limited number of pre-proposals will be selected for submission of a full proposal. Full proposals may be sent out to expert reviewers. The Foundation’s Board assesses the full proposals taking into account the reviewers’ reports and the evaluation criteria and decides on which proposals will be funded. 

Evaluation criteria

  • Excellence
    Clarity and pertinence of the objectives; Soundness of the concept; Innovative potential; Feasibility of the project (adequate requested resources, time schedule, access to patients or patients’ data and/or material); Competence and experience and synergistic potential of participating research partners in the field(s) of the proposal (previous work in the field, specific technical expertise).
  • Impact
    Potential of the expected results for generating insights relevant for future clinical application and satisfying patients’ needs; Effectiveness of the proposed measures to exploit and disseminate the project results (including management of IPR), to communicate the project to the patients and to manage research data where relevant; Involvement of industry and patient organisations (when appropriate or applicable). 
  • Quality and efficiency of the implementation
    Coherence and effectiveness of the work plan, including appropriateness of the allocation of tasks, resources and time frame; Budget and cost-effectiveness of the project (rational distribution of resources in relation to project’s activities, partners responsibilities and time frame).

Communication 

The only formal line of communication regarding the proposal or grant is between the NAC Foundation and the principal investigator being the Single Point of Contact. He/she must take care of forwarding any relevant information to the other participants.

The 2026 Research Grant Call 

The upcoming call welcomes applications for both translational research projects and clinical research trials. With a total budget of €1.6M, we intend to support several high-quality projects with potential impact on patient care. 

Timeline 

  • October 1, 2025 (CET): Submission opens on our website
  • December 1, 2025 (CET): Deadline for pre-proposals
  • January 1, 2026 (CET): Applicants informed
  • April 1, 2026 (CET): Deadline for full proposals
  • June 15, 2026 (CET): Funding decisions announced

Downloads

Download Terms & Conditions: Terms and Conditions