Dear Early-Career Researchers,
The
Fontana Seed Fund Collaboration Challenge 2026 is currently open for applications!
This is a new international initiative by the DKFZ Cancer Research Academy, in cooperation with the Netherlands Cancer Institute, the Institute of Cancer Research London, the Cancer Research Karolinska Institutet and the Weizmann Institute. It is open to everyone,
independent of institutional affiliation, and designed to
foster interdisciplinary collaborations among early-career researchers.
The program brings together
PhD researchers, postdoctoral researchers, and clinician scientists from international institutions to develop innovative collaborative research ideas and translate them into competitive seed grant proposals. Selected teams will have the opportunity to secure funding of up to
EUR 20,000 (one-year seed grant) to bring their collaborative projects to life.
What to expect:
The application process begins with the submission of an individual profile, enabling participants to connect and form teams of two to three researchers across institutions. Selected teams will then be invited to a
three-day on-site bootcamp at DKFZ in Heidelberg (October 14-16, 2026), featuring networking, team-building, grant-writing workshops, and pitch training. Following the bootcamp, teams will compete for seed funding to further develop their projects.
Several grants of up to EUR 20,000 per team will be awarded.
Who can apply?
The call is aimed at early-career researchers who have not yet achieved significant scientific independence, including:
