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:

Aging and Cancer
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

2025-2026 Grant Award Recipients

For the 2025-2026 funding year, ICRF is supporting 76 grants to leading investigators at institutions across Israel:

6Research Professorship Grants 
50Project Grants
14Research Career Development Awards (RCDAs)
2Acceleration Grants
6Special Initiatives / Projects

Meet Our Grantees

ICRF Research Grants Database:

Explore our database of current grant recipients

View or download a pdf of ICRF research grants newly awarded in 2025

ICRF Grants Awarded By Year:

View or download an ICRF research grants list from the 2004-2005 funding cycle to the present:

2025-2026
2024-2025
2023-2024
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