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Distinguished Researchers grants bolster cancer research in Washington State by providing matching funds to recruit best-in-class talent from around the globe, and support newly recruited researchers to lead advances in cancer research. Top scientists move the research economy forward, creating laboratories and other jobs, raising awareness of cancer research, and bringing additional research funding into the state.  

The Distinguished Researchers Program will match, dollar for dollar, commitments by Washington research companies, organizations, universities, and research institutions, up to $500,000 per researcher, to add value to recruitment/start-up packages that bring early-career and established cancer researchers to Washington.  

The CARE Fund Board of Directors is pleased to announce three Distinguished Researchers grant awards to the following:  

• Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center 
  Christina Termini, MM, PhD 

• Seattle Children’s Research Institute   
  Jay Sarthy, MD, PhD 

• Seattle Children’s Research Institute   
  Molly Taylor MD, MS, MS

Click here to learn more about the Distinguished Researchers awardees.

Originally sparked by the need to nimbly respond to the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on cancer care, Emergent Issues in Public Health grants provide up to $250,000 per award to support research that aims to address an emergent issue regarding cancer and public health. Research may relate to the next phase of COVID-19 and cancer research, or other cancer research related to an emergent public health issue. 

The CARE Fund Board of Directors is pleased to announce an Emergent Issues in Public Health grant to: 

• University of Washington  
  Principal Investigator: Linda Ko, MPH, PhD 
  Building Capacity of Bilingual and Bicultural Community Health Workers to Implement Evidence-based Cancer Prevention and Control Interventions to Promote Health Equity  

The CARE Fund applauds these awardees for their important work to advance cancer research to improve the quality of life for the people of Washington.  

Click here to learn more about the project that will be supported by the Emergent Issues in Public Health grant.   

On behalf of its sponsored project, the Andy Hill Cancer Research Endowment (CARE) Fund, Evergreen Social Impact is soliciting proposals for a consultant to work in partnership with staff to conduct an awareness study for its sponsored project, the Andy Hill Cancer Research Endowment (CARE) Fund, to result in analysis and recommendations to raise awareness of the CARE Fund in order to expand the applicant pool and to increase projects that address disparities. 

 Proposals should be submitted via email, no later than February 28, with “Awareness Assessment” in the subject line, to Joseph Sparacio at joseph@wacarefund.org. Questions regarding this RFP may also be addressed to this same email address. 

 Full RFP here.

The CARE Fund Board of Directors is pleased to announce three new Population Health grant awardees. Awardee descriptions can be found on the Population Health Grant Awardees page.

The CARE Fund is pleased to announce four funding opportunities. Each Request for Proposal, linked below, requires a letter of intent no later than October 27, 2022 to be considered for an invitation to submit a full application. Of special note, there is no match requirement for these opportunities.

• Population Health

• Inclusion and Diversity in Clinical Trials

• Life Science Start-Up and Development

• Shared Resources and Infrastructure

In July of this year, the CARE Fund issued five Requests For Information to gather stakeholder input on cancer research within Washington State. We are pleased to share the summary of responses and to extend our sincere thanks to each respondent for their thoughtful input.

From July 13, 2022 to August 15, 2022 Andy Hill Cancer Research Endowment (CARE) Fund sought stakeholder input in the following areas of cancer research within Washington State:

• Enhancing Life Science Start-ups and companies

• Supporting Cancer Disparities Research

• Increase Participation and Improve Inclusion and Diversity in Cancer Clinical Trials

• Enhance Infrastructure and Resources in Support of Cancer Research

• Establishing Statewide Data and Specimen Acquisition

NOTE: this RFP opportunity is now closed as of July 29, 2022.

On behalf of its sponsored project, the Andy Hill Cancer Research Endowment (CARE) Fund, Evergreen Social Impact is soliciting proposals for a Principal Investigator, Partnership Development Consultant, and Subject Matter Expert to work in collaboration with each other and with CARE Fund leadership, to develop and produce a report including recommendations to King County decision makers to address health disparities in the population of King County created or exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, and to enhance access.

We will prioritize candidates with one or more of the following: Experience in the report subject matter; existing administrative and legislative relationships; effective communication skills; a clear understanding of the legislative and budgetary process; and sound knowledge of public health, health equity, and/or life sciences sector stakeholders.

These RFPs will close on July 29. This contract will begin as soon as feasible after August 1, 2022 and will continue until on or about December 31, 2022 (or as extended).

For a complete description select any or all of the following PDFs:

• RFP: Principal Investigator

• RFP: Partnership Development Consultant

• RFP: Subject Matter Expert

The Andy Hill Cancer Research Endowment (CARE) Fund is thrilled to announce that Washington State has made, in addition to existing funding levels, a special investment of $30 million in cancer research, to be granted by the CARE Fund.

Cancer has been the leading cause of death in the state since 2004, and each year approximately 42,000 Washingtonians are diagnosed with cancer. The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to exacerbate the state's cancer death rate due to the pandemic's effect on patients and survivors suffering from delayed screening and prevention efforts and limiting diagnosis and treatment services.

In recognition of this great need, as well as our existing infrastructure of world-class cancer research and care, Washington State has made a special $30 million appropriation to the CARE Fund in the 2022 supplemental budget.

In the words of the Senate bill that put forth this investment, “Action to promote cancer research and prevention to improve the quality of life of the people of Washington is consistent with this fundamental public purpose. It is the purpose of this act to provide additional sustained investment in cancer research at the Andy Hill CARE fund to make the program more robust. Increased investment in research is critical to saving lives and reducing the pain and suffering caused by cancer.”

Our board and staff are hard at work developing plans to invest these funds to advance cancer research projects in our state with the greatest potential to improve health outcomes, eliminate disparities and build lasting infrastructure.

We look forward to sharing more information in the coming weeks as these plans are developed into RFPs. To receive updates on these and other opportunities, scroll to the bottom of this page to sign up for our newsletter.

A united effort boosts research and new cancer treatment in Washington and beyond

The Board of Directors of the Andy Hill Cancer Endowment (CARE) Fund applauds Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Seattle Cancer Care Alliance on their restructure, launched on April 1, 2022.

The merger of the institutional leaders in cancer research and treatment will be a single, independent, not-for-profit, called Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center. The united organization aims to bring scientific advances to patients faster, and to deepen longstanding ties with area-based UW Medicine.

As the stewards of public funds to advance cancer research, prevention and treatment for Washington state, the Board of Directors of the Andy Hill CARE Fund affirm this merger, and its promise to promote the health of Washington residents.

The Population Health Program will provide up to $500,000 per award (up to $250,000 per year) to organizations in Washington State to support cancer research projects that aim to:

• Improve health outcomes and cancer care, including equitable access to the standard of care, for populations in Washington State, especially among populations for which cancer disparities are most prevalent and/or persistent;

• Contribute to the understanding of how biological, behavioral, environmental, social, and structural factors affect cancer-related health, especially among populations for which cancer disparities are most prevalent and/or persistent; or

• Translate results or current knowledge into innovative interventions to improve the health of populations and eliminate cancer disparities.

Applicants are highly encouraged to submit a Letter of Intent (LOI) prior to the deadline (Wednesday, April 6, 2022), as they will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

The full online application will be available to applicants when the LOI is approved. Prospective applicants may also download and review the full application prompts and questions from the program page and begin preparing the full proposal prior to LOI submission.

Full grant applications must be received by Friday, May 13, 2022.

Governor Inslee announced the appointment of Karin Rodland, PhD to serve on the Board of Directors of the Andy Hill CARE Fund. Dr. Rodland joined the Biological Sciences Division at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) in October 2001. PNNL’s cancer biology research is an example of the world-class cancer research and care centers for children and adults in Washington state, where researchers and clinicians are on the leading edge of developing and applying new techniques for cancer prevention and care.

As Chief Scientist for Biomedical Research, Dr. Rodland has pioneered new methods for the application of mass spectrometry, proteomics, and systems biology to biomedical research, especially cancer biomarkers for early detection. She holds a joint appointment at Oregon Health Sciences University and was the founding co-director of the OHSU-PNNL Precision Medicine Innovation CoLaboratory. She has received many accolades for her work, including a distinguished achievement in proteomics award from the Human Proteome Organization and the PNNL Lab Director’s Award for Lifetime Achievement in Science and Technology.

A full list of the CARE Fund Board of Directors can be found here.

The Fred Hutch/University of Washington Cancer Consortium is now serving the entire Evergreen state.

Starting Jan. 1, the Cancer Consortium’s catchment area grew to include the entire state of Washington, an addition of 26 counties, 2.3 million people, including several Indigenous tribes. Scientists within the National Cancer Institute-designated Comprehensive Cancer Center will now, in addition to their many national and international research collaborations, begin to expand their regional research, engagement and outreach to include all residents of the state.

The Office of Community Outreach & Engagement (OCOE) is currently conducting a needs assessment and stakeholder interviews for the additional 26 counties. It is also conducting a population-based health care survey, funded by the Andy Hill CARE Fund, to learn more about the current health landscape across the state.

Visit here to learn more.

The Andy Hill CARE Fund Board of Directors is pleased to announce four awards of up to $500,000 each for the Distinguished Researchers Grant Program Cycle 5 to the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and the University of Washington.

• Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (Burcu Darst) Identification and Clinical Utility of Genetic Risk Factors Contributing to Prostate Cancer Risk and Health Disparities

• Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (Vida Henderson) Improving Breast Cancer Disparities Among Women of Color

• Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (Megan Shen) Improving Engagement in Advance Care Planning and Quality End-of-Life Care Among Underserved Cancer Patient Populations

• University of Washington (Devin Schweppe) Spatiotemporal Mapping of Diverse Cellular Responses to Lung Cancer Therapeutics

Visit the Andy Hill CARE Fund’s Distinguished Researchers Grant Awardees page to learn more.

The Andy Hill CARE Fund is pleased to share its current Strategic Plan, for the period beginning July 1, 2021 and ending June 30, 2023. The Strategic Plan was developed by the CARE Fund Board of Directors after evaluation and advice from a five-member external advisory committee made up of independent, nationally recognized experts in the scientific, clinical, ethical, commercial, and regulatory aspects of cancer research, prevention, and care. View the full Strategic Plan here.

The Andy Hill CARE Fund is pleased to share its annual report to the public highlighting its impact, including grants awarded, grant-funded work in progress, research accomplishments, prevention, and care activities, and future program directions with respect to cancer research, prevention, and care. The FY 2021 Annual Report covers the period from July 1, 2020 through June 30, 2021. View the full Annual Report here.

Researchers at the Washington State University Sleep and Performance Research Center will spend the next two years investigating disruptions to the cellular clock mechanisms in night shift workers thanks to nearly $360,000 in grants. The goal is to find ways to prevent and mitigate the increased cancer risk in people working nonstandard hours, who account for more than 15% of the U.S. workforce.

Funded by the Andy Hill Cancer Research Endowment (CARE) Fund for $197,370 and matched by the Health Sciences & Services Authority of Spokane County (HSSA) for $162,130, the research will build on the center’s previous published study examining the impact of a night shift work schedule on cancer risk.

Read more about the work being done here.

The CARE Fund is reissuing its Request for Proposals (RFP) for the Distinguished Researchers Program Cycle 5. No awards were granted for the initial cycle (announced 9/30/20) of the program.

The Distinguished Researchers Program aims to bolster cancer research in Washington by providing matching funds (up to $500,000 per award) to Washington institutions and companies to recruit best-in-class talent to Washington State and support newly recruited researchers to lead advances in addressing disparities in cancer care access and outcomes. Institutions can submit applications for the recruitment of established investigators or early career investigators. The complete RFP can be found on the Distinguished Researchers Program page. The letter of intent is due July 21, 2021, 5:00 p.m. (PT). Upon approval of the LOI, applicants will be invited to submit a full application. The application closes on September 8, 2021, 5:00 p.m. (PT).

The CARE Fund Board of Directors is pleased to announce that two Population Health grants of up to $200,000 each are awarded to Washington State University and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. These Population Health research projects aim to contribute to the understanding of how biological, behavioral, environmental, social, and structural factors affect cancer-related health, especially among populations for which cancer disparities are most prevalent.

• Washington State University (Principal Investigator: Brieann Satterfield, PhD) Night Shift Work as a Carcinogen: Molecular Mechanisms, Biomarkers, and Therapeutic Targets

• Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (Principal Investigator: Kikkeri Naresh, MD) Understanding the Contribution of the Immune Tumor Microenvironment to the Observed Regional Disparities in Mortality Among Different Lymphoma Types in Washington State

Click here to learn more about the Population Health Program's awarded research projects.

The CARE Fund Board of Directors is pleased to announce three $100,000 COVID-19 Response grants were awarded to the following institutions to conduct research at the intersection of COVID-19 and cancer.

• Institute for Systems Biology (Principal Investigator: Wei Wei, PhD) Discerning the Dysfunctional Immune Response to SARS-CoV-2 Infection in Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

• University of Washington (Principal Investigator: Chaitra Ujjani, MD) Efficacy of the SARS-CoV-2 Vaccine in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia

• Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (Principal Investigator: Garnet Anderson, PhD) Assessing COVID-19 Related Cancer Care Disparities Among An Aging Population: A Population-Based Study

Click here to learn more about the current and past COVID-19 Response Program's grantee research projects.

Check out the CARE Fund’s 2019-2020 Annual Report here. This report covers the period from July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020.