Texas CPRIT Catalyst Pilot Research Award — FY 2027 Cycle 2

<p>CPRIT's FY 2027 Cycle 2 Catalyst Pilot Research Award provides up to $250,000 over two years for innovative cancer research and gap funding. Applications open September 16 and close November 18, 2026.</p>

Broad Eligibility

The applicant must be a Texas-based entity. Any not-for-profit institution or organization that conducts research may apply, and public or private companies are also eligible. The PI must hold an appropriate doctoral degree, reside in Texas while the research is conducted, hold an eligible faculty or equivalent appointment, have appropriate research or clinical space, and commit at least 5% effort. CPRIT limits this cycle to 8 CPRA applications from an academic research institution and 1 each from government, nonprofit, healthcare or for-profit institutions.

Atlas Analysis

Opportunity Overview

The Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas is accepting FY 2027 Cycle 2 applications for the Catalyst Pilot Research Award. The mechanism supports innovative cancer research projects that need foundational data for future peer-reviewed applications or short-term gap funding to sustain promising lines of investigation.

Funding and Timeline

Applicants may request up to $250,000 in total costs over up to two years. CPRIT released the RFA on August 5, 2026. Application receipt opens September 16, 2026 and closes November 18, 2026. CPRIT expects review from December 2026 through May 2027, with award notification in May 2027.

Research Scope

CPRIT states that all areas of cancer research are encouraged. Projects should generate significant new insights into cancer etiology, diagnosis, treatment, or prevention. This makes the mechanism useful for early-stage translational work, prevention research, clinical investigation, population-based studies, and other novel cancer research that can produce data supporting a larger future program.

Eligible Applicants and Institutional Limits

The applicant must be a Texas-based entity. Eligible organizations include not-for-profit research institutions and organizations, and public or private companies that meet the RFA requirements. The principal investigator must satisfy CPRIT’s appointment, Texas residency, research-space and effort requirements. CPRIT limits the number of CPRA submissions per institution, making internal selection important before the portal opens.

Budget Strategy

The award is intentionally modest relative to CPRIT’s larger mechanisms, so strong applications should focus on a sharply defined hypothesis, achievable aims, measurable milestones, and a two-year budget that directly supports the pilot question. Atlas should avoid treating the award as general equipment funding even though research-related equipment may be allowable under the controlling RFA when necessary to the project.

Atlas Analysis

Atlas Opportunity Score: 90/100. This is a strong entry-point CPRIT research opportunity because it supports innovative work across the cancer continuum and can produce the preliminary data needed for larger awards. N9+ Direct Vendor Fit: conditional and low. A connected examination platform would be relevant only if it is directly required by the cancer research protocol, such as a decentralized clinical or remote-assessment workflow, and the cost is allowable under the final application rules.

Next Action

Texas research organizations should resolve their internal selection process now, activate or verify accounts in CPRIT’s new Grants Management Platform, confirm applicant and PI eligibility, define the research hypothesis and milestones, and prepare the two-year budget so the application can be submitted between September 16 and November 18, 2026.

Verified source: Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, FY 2027 Cycle 2 funding opportunities.