ONF Research Grants

RE03 General Topic Research Grant – $50,000

This opportunity is intended for emerging to mid-career oncology nurse researchers who have not previously received and completed at least one research study with a funding level of $50,000 as the study principal investigator (PI).

If you have a demonstrated history of funding and have previously received and completed at least one research study with a funding level of $50,000 as the study PI, please use the application (RE33).

Purpose of Grant:

To support rigorous scientific oncology nursing research. Research projects may include investigator-initiated research, pilot or feasibility studies, supplements to currently funded projects, or developing a new aspect of a program of research. Funding preference is given to projects that involve nurses in the design and conduct of the research activity and that promote theoretically-based oncology practice.
 

Eligibility:

1. The PI (individual primarily responsible for implementing the proposal and reporting to the Oncology Nursing Foundation) must be a registered oncology nurse actively involved in some aspect of cancer patient care, education, or research.
2. The PI must be doctorally-prepared (only one PI can appear on the grant).
3. At least one member of the research team must have received and completed research study funding of at least $100,000 in a principal investigator capacity, thereby serving as a mentor for the project.

RE33 General Topic Research Grant – $100,000

This opportunity is open to established oncology nurse researchers with a documented history of at least $50,000 in prior research funding.

Grant Purpose

The Oncology Nursing Foundation supports rigorous scientific research in oncology nursing. Eligible projects include investigator-initiated studies, pilot or feasibility studies, supplements to existing projects, or development of new research areas.

Preference will be given to projects involving nurses in research design and conduct, and that advance evidence-based, theoretically grounded oncology nursing practice. Proposals should include implementation and scalability plans, emphasizing nurse-led innovation that delivers sustainable solutions for oncology care.

Priority will be given to applications focused on symptom science, a key area of oncology nursing that advances cancer care and improves patient outcomes. Innovative, scalable models that integrate into routine workflows are encouraged.

Research Priorities

Examples of research needs in symptom science include, but are not limited to, the following areas:

1. Move beyond descriptive studies to focus on implementation and effectiveness. Use hybrid effectiveness-implementation designs to assess clinical impact, feasibility, and scalability. For example, although photobiomodulation therapy may reduce treatment-related mucositis, gaps remain in implementation strategies, outcome measurement, and widespread adoption.
2. Integrate studies of biological mechanisms underlying symptoms or symptom clusters with patient-centered outcomes to connect scientific discovery to scalable, nurse-led interventions.
3. Incorporate biobehavioral mechanisms to inform and personalize symptom management strategies.
4. Promote health equity by developing culturally and racially tailored interventions that focus on equitable implementation and access.
5. Develop pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions that address symptom clusters and multiple co-occurring symptoms, ensuring adaptability across settings and populations.
6. Identify the most effective integrated pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic interventions for managing symptom clusters across cancer types and treatment phases, and establish reliable implementation strategies.
7. Determine optimal strategies for integrating electronic patient-reported outcomes and digital monitoring tools across oncology care settings, with attention to equity, accessibility, workflow integration, and sustainability.
8. Validate multi-omics approaches, including genomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, as clinical tools for predicting and preventing symptom burden and symptom clusters, with clear plans for clinical translation and scalability.
9. Optimize artificial intelligence and machine learning models for real-time symptom prediction and personalized intervention delivery, ensuring ethical use, nursing oversight, and effective workflow integration

1. Oncology nurses, globally, of all levels and roles are critical contributors to all aspects of the oncology research process.
2. Oncology nurse scientists and the new knowledge they generate is essential to progressing the specialty. The development and maintenance of oncology nurse scientists must be supported through mentorship, funding, and institutional support.
3. Oncology nursing scientists are committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion in all oncology nursing research. All individuals across the cancer continuum, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, or geography (rural/urban), must be considered in the design and conduct of oncology nursing research.
4. Oncology nursing research is conducted across the lifespan and spans the cancer trajectory. It incorporates prevention through a healthy lifestyle and screening; treatment; survivorship; living with advanced cancer; end-of-life care; and the bereavement period.
5. The effects of cancer and cancer care on the family and caregivers must be recognized and are critical aspects of oncology nursing research.
6. Oncology nurse scientists value collaboration with key communities of interest however that may be defined. Communities of interest must be considered in the ideation, design, execution, and dissemination of oncology nursing scholarship.
7. Clinical trials are critically important in advancing cancer knowledge and practice across the cancer care trajectory (e.g. inpatient, ambulatory, perioperative care) and should be considered for all patients at every opportunity across the cancer care trajectory. Oncology nurse scientists must prioritize inclusive patient accruals, access, and support across all cancer clinical trials.
8. Oncology nurse scientists are leaders of and valuable contributors to multidisciplinary research teams.
9. To fill knowledge gaps in understudied tumor types, heterogeneity in the selection of tumors, or tumor types in cancer research is encouraged.
10. Research design in oncology nursing scholarship must be consistently updated and reflective of innovative methodologies.