research recovery grants

Research Recovery Program is Designed to Sustain Laboratories and Preserve High-Quality, High-Potential NIH or DoD CDMRP-Funded Projects

LOS ANGELES, Calif. (December 2, 2025) – The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) today announced new Research Recovery Grants providing urgent bridge funding to pancreatic cancer research projects that are at risk due to ongoing federal funding instability. 

These one-year grants – up to $125,000 each – are designed to sustain laboratories and preserve high-quality, high-potential projects that are at risk due to funding disruptions in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) or the Department of Defense’s Congressionally Directed Medical Research Program (CDMRP). Eligible projects must have received a meritorious score by the NIH or CDMRP scientific review process but have experienced unanticipated termination or delays in expected federal funds.

“Pancreatic cancer remains one of the deadliest cancers, and scientific progress cannot stall because of uncertainty in the federal funding landscape,” said Anna Berkenblit, MD, MMSc, PanCAN’s Chief Scientific and Medical Officer. “These Research Recovery Grants will help ensure that promising work continues uninterrupted, supporting investigators whose research is vital to advancing early detection, improving treatment options, and ultimately saving lives.”

The Research Recovery Grants reinforce PanCAN’s role as a key funder of pancreatic cancer research. Applications open on December 4, 2025, and close January 9, 2026. Funding decisions are expected by early March 2026. Proposed research projects must have direct relevance to pancreatic cancer and may be in any discipline of basic, translational, clinical, or epidemiological research.

“We’re proud to be able to provide this funding which is made possible by the generosity of our passionate community,” said Julie Fleshman, JD, MBA, PanCAN President and CEO. “With nearly 80% of all pancreatic cancer research funding coming from the federal government, we will continue to advocate that Congress provide the highest increases for cancer research and demand a reliable and stable research funding environment so that survival becomes the norm, and not the exception.” 

For more information about eligibility, requirements, and how to apply, visit our website.

To learn more about PanCAN’s research investments, visit pancan.org. Follow PanCAN on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

About the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network (PanCAN) is the leading organization dedicated to advancing progress against pancreatic cancer. We unite the pancreatic cancer community and push every boundary to create a world where survival is the norm – not the exception. PanCAN empowers patients and caregivers with the resources and knowledge they need to advocate for the care they deserve. We are pioneering the advancement of an early detection strategy for pancreatic cancer and revolutionizing the development of advanced and personalized treatments; and we are building and mobilizing the pancreatic cancer field to ensure better outcomes for all those who face pancreatic cancer today and all those who will fight this disease tomorrow.

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Media Contact:
Charaighn Sesock
Pancreatic Cancer Action Network
559-972-4877
csesock@pancan.org