Curebound Catalyst Grants award up to $250,000 to early-stage companies to conduct innovative oncology-based research. Curebound Equity Grants offer up to $250,000 for research aimed at reducing cancer-related health disparities.

Curebound, a philanthropic organization that invests in innovative cancer research, announces eight grants for a total of $2M in funding. The funding is made available through two new Curebound programs – Catalyst Grants, which support exciting projects within early-stage life science companies that are seeking to take innovative discoveries to commercially approved products, and Equity Grants, which focus on overcoming disparities in cancer research and treatment in underserved populations.

Catalyst Grants award funds of up to $250,000 to San Diego-based pre-series A companies to conduct innovative oncology-based projects that hold promise for translation to clinic. Applications that advance transformative ideas and/or concepts to therapeutics, products, and/or services are prioritized.

These grants are a new slant on the work of Curebound, which typically funds academic research, but is now looking to early-stage life sciences companies working on promising cancer solutions that have potential to become commercialized medicines and products.

“These two new programs are the next evolution for Curebound’s mission to mobilize San Diego to accelerate cancer cures across populations,” says Curebound CEO Anne Marbarger. “We have a rigorous review process. Each application is reviewed by at least three peer reviewer experts and the Curebound scientific advisory board, which looks specifically for projects that have potential to make it to patients.”

Catalyst Grant Recipients Include:

Beken Bio

“Liquid Biopsy Detection of Ovarian Cancer Targeting Novel Extracellular Vesicle Biomarkers”

Investigator: Christopher Millan, PhD

Pillar: Prevention and Diagnostic Tools

Palm Therapeutics

“Preclinical Development of NRAS Palmitoylation Inhibitors for NRAS Mutant Cancers”

Investigator: Andrew Rudd, PhD

Pillar: Novel Approaches and New Therapeutic Platforms

Resolute Science

“Targeting Macrophages to Treat Glioblastoma”

Investigators: Faith Barnett, MD, PhD, Andre Basbaum

Pillar: Novel Approaches and New Therapeutic Platforms

Seren Bio

“Development of DMGV analogs as a first-in-class, small molecule therapy for colorectal cancer”

Investigators: Jongdae Lee, PhD

Pillar: Novel Approaches and New Therapeutic Platforms

Equity Grants address disparities in research and treatment in underserved populations, a key initiative for Curebound. These grants award up to $250,000 for high-impact research conducted by individual researchers aimed at reducing cancer-related health disparities by increasing access to high-quality care and by promoting cancer prevention, screening, and detection within medically underrepresented or underserved communities.

Equity Grant Recipients Include:

“Enhancing Lung Cancer Screening Engagement for Primary Care Patients in Low Income Communities”

Investigators: David Strong, PhD (UC San Diego), Job Godino, PhD (Family Health Center of San Diego)

Pillar: Cancer Equities, Prevention and Diagnostic Tool

“Screening with Liquid Biopsies to Address Colorectal Cancer Inequities”

Investigators: Samir Gupta, MD (UC San Diego), Job Godino, PhD (Family Health Center of San Diego)

Pillar: Cancer Equities, Prevention and Diagnostic Tools

“COMPRENDO-A: Peer-Navigation to Improve Accrual of Adolescents with cancer into Clinical Trials”

Investigators: Paula Aristizabal, MD (Rady Children’s Hospital) Jesse Nodora, DrPH (UC San Diego)

Pillar: Cancer Equities, Pediatric Cancers

“Improving Health Equity and Cancer Care Quality through Tailored Navigation”

Investigators: Matthew Banegas, PhD (UC San Diego), Corinne McDaniels-Davidson, PhD (San Diego State University), Jesse Nodora, DrPH (UC San Diego)

Pillar: Cancer Equities

“Curebound's scientific advisory board looks for areas of emerging research where the greatest opportunity exists including high-risk/high-reward research that can disrupt traditional approaches. These Catalyst and Equity Grant winners represent that and we are excited to see the results of their work,” says Ezra Cohen, MD, FRCPSC, FASCO, Chief Science Advisor, Curebound.

More information on the Curebound Catalyst and Equity Grant recipients is available here.

To apply for a 2025 Curebound Catalyst or Equity Grant, visit: https://curebound.org/what-we-do#research-program

About Curebound

Curebound is a philanthropic organization that invests in cancer research with the power to save lives. Through collaborative grants, corporate partnerships, and strategic investments, Curebound’s aim is to significantly accelerate better prevention, detection, and treatments for cancer. Headquartered in the major U.S. biotech hub of San Diego, amid 3,000+ life sciences companies, leading health systems, and world-class research institutions, Curebound partners with these organizations to forge interdisciplinary collaboration, foster knowledge sharing, and fund pioneering cancer research. So far, Curebound has funded $35+ million in cancer research, awarding 123 study grants for 17 types of pediatric and adult cancers with one vision: cures in our lifetime. Join us - www.curebound.org.

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