ICRF was established to harness Israel’s educational and scientific resources in the fight against all cancers. The bulk of the work that ICRF supports is in basic research; that is, research to uncover the molecular biological events that lead to cancer in order to prevent or reverse the process. Virtually every drug, therapy and diagnostic test that is used in the clinic today originated from basic research. We cannot cure cancer if we don’t understand what causes it; and although basic, fundamental research may not result in an immediate cure, expanding our knowledge of the underlying processes is what will eventually lead to that “eureka” moment.

The areas of cancer research directly supported by ICRF include:

Anticancer Vaccines
Bone Marrow Transplantation
Brain Tumors
Breast Cancer
Cancer Stem Cells and Cellular Reprogramming
Childhood Malignancies
Colorectal Cancer
Development of Novel Drugs, such as Gleevec and Velcade
Endometrial Cancer
Eye Cancer
Gastrointestinal Cancer
Genetic Mutation and Repair
Head and Neck Cancers
Immunology and Immunotherapy
Inflammation and Cancer
Kidney Cancer

Leukemia and Lymphoma
Lung Cancer
Gut Microbiome and the Tumor Microenvironment
Oral Cancer
Ovarian Cancer
Pain Management and Quality of Life Issues
Pancreatic Cancer
Programmed Cell Death (Apoptosis)
Prostate Cancer
Radiation Therapy and the DNA Damage Response
Skin Cancer
Targeted Therapy
Tumor Blood Vessel Growth (Angiogenesis)
Tumor Metastases
Tumor Suppressor Genes, such as p53
Tumor Viruses

2022-2023 Grant Award Recipients

For the 2022-2023 funding year, ICRF is supporting 83 grants to leading investigators at institutions across Israel:

1 Clinic and Laboratory Integration Program (CLIP) Grant
(A Partnership between ICRF and Cancer Research Institute [CRI])
2 Gesher Grants for Academic Excellence
(A Partnership between ICRF and the Israel Ministry of Science and Technology)
3 ICRF-Conquer Cancer Career Development Awards
(A Partnership between ICRF and Conquer Cancer – The ASCO Foundation)
1 Special Initiative in Pediatric Cancer Research Grant
2 Beverly Librach Abshez Initiative for Female Reproductive System Cancers Grants
1 Barbara S. Goodman Endowed Research Career Development Award (RCDA) for Pancreatic Cancer
3 Len & Susan Mark Initiative for Ovarian/Uterine Cancers Grants
14 Research Career Development Awards (RCDAs)
4 Acceleration Grants
35 Project Grants
5 Postdoctoral Fellowships
9 Research Professorship Grants  
1 Clinical Research Career Development Award (CRCDA)

Among the areas of cancer research directly sponsored by ICRF in 2022-2023 are: studies in blood, bone, brain, breast, colorectal, head and neck, kidney, liver, lung, oral, ovarian, pancreatic, pediatric, prostate, and skin cancers; drug development and chemoresistance; cancer stem cells; imaging and early detection; DNA repair; tumor metastasis; inflammation and cancer; obesity and cancer; cannabinoids for cancer treatment and pain management; targeted therapy and immunotherapy; computational biology; cell signaling and cell-cycle control; cancer and bacteria and the tumor microenvironment.

Meet Our Grantees

ICRF Research Grants Database:

Explore our database of current grant recipients

View or download pdf of ICRF research grants newly awarded in 2022 (as of September 1, 2022).

ICRF Grants Awarded By Year:

View or download an ICRF research grant awards table from the 2004-2005 funding cycle to the present:

2022-2023
2021-2022
2020-2021
2019-2020
2018-2019
2017-2018
2016-2017
2015-2016
2014-2015
2013-2014

2012-2013
2011-2012
2010-2011
2009-2010
2008-2009
2007-2008
2006-2007
2005-2006
2004-2005

“ICRF support of my research was extremely important in the development of Doxil®, a highly effective form of targeted chemotherapy.”

Alberto Gabizon, MD, PhD, Shaare Zedek Medical Center

“When I look back and think to whom I should be grateful, there is no doubt that I should thank ICRF.”

Varda Rotter, PhD, Weizmann Institute, Pioneer in the Discovery of the p53 Tumor Suppressor Gene

“I am extremely grateful to ICRF. The funding was crucial for us to advance our science on cancer.”

Naama Geva-Zatorsky, PhD, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, ICRF Acceleration Grant Recipient

“I would like to thank ICRF and its donors for supporting our research and for progressing cancer research in Israel.”

Ziv Gil, MD, PhD, Rambam Heath Care Campus, ICRF-City of Hope Jacki & Bruce Barron Cancer Research Scholars’ Program Grant Recipient