MEDICAL RESEARCH & PRACTICES
The Hecht Foundation holds three funding cycles per year and considers medical research and practice applications in a two-stage process:
- Expression of Intent (EOI) – open to all eligible projects / organizations. At this stage, you should be prepared to submit a short (300-500 word) summary of your project, its rationale, duration, budget, and requested amount of funding.
- Full application – invitation-only, for shortlisted projects / organizations in each competition. At this stage, you will be asked for details about your project in more details, including public and scientific summaries, detailed project description and description of deliverables and measures of success, team, budget and justification, and supplemental documentation (as appropriate).
To start the application process, please email health [at] hecht.org for an invitation to our online portal.
Applicant Eligibility: Only applicants affiliated with organizations registered with the Canadian Revenue Agency as “qualified donees” are eligible to apply.
NEW – Hecht Foundation / Canadian Cancer Society Competition
Disruptive Innovation in Cancer Research
The Lotte and John Hecht Memorial Foundation is collaborating with the Canadian Cancer Society in a funding opportunity entitled “Disruptive Innovation Grants in Cancer Research”. This initiative aligns with the Foundation’s priorities and focuses on the search for innovative, out-of-the-box intuitive or discovery-inspired projects which have the potential to impact the cancer field.
The initiative calls for those projects that have very limited opportunities to be funded through traditional mechanisms. We will consider high risk projects with minimal or no preliminary data that, if successful, are likely to have a significant impact on cancer. Originality will be a key driver of success and will exclude projects that are incremental progression of existing studies. Up to 16 projects will be funded at $250,000 per project over two years.
Visit the Canadian Cancer Society website for more information.
FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES
The Hecht Foundation prioritizes projects that will not otherwise be supported through mainstream health research and primary care funding mechanisms. This includes:
1. RESEARCH
Basic and applied medical research that is novel, innovative, and disruptive, challenging conventional wisdom about the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of serious diseases, particularly cancer. The Foundation looks for projects that:
- Investigate nonconforming hypotheses that challenge existing theory, standards or practice.
- Pursue serendipitous or collateral findings of other lines of research.
- Apply cross-disciplinary approaches, insights, and discoveries.
- Study non-patentable molecules and substances that promise valuable patient support
Ineligible Expense Categories: indirect costs, lead investigator and co-PI compensation, large capital expenses
2. PRACTICES
Real-world deployment of primary care options not currently offered by the public health system to prevent, diagnose, and treat cancer. This includes:
- Seed funding, operating costs, and/or targeted program support at integrative clinics and centres that improve cancer patients’ quality of life.
The Foundation also recognizes, rewards, and celebrates the achievements of pioneering researchers, practitioners and other leaders with a biennial prize in complementary, alternative and integrative healthcare. For information on past recipients, the nomination process, and conference sponsorship, please visit the DR. ROGERS PRIZE website.
Please note: Funding cycles are held based on available capacity.
FALL 2024
Occasional cases for support of operational and equipment costs at integrative healthcare centres, partnership requests, and other basic and clinical research projects, may be considered in Fall 2024 as capacity allows.
- Expression of Intent – by August 31, 11:59 PM EST
- Full application – by September 30, 11:59 PM EST
- Decision available – by late November
- Funding available – as early as December 1
2025
In 2025, we invite proof-of-principle proposals that have not previously received funding or secured grants. This opportunity supports basic and preclinical research projects with budgets of up to $250,000 over multiple years. Proposals may originate from young or established researchers within their field or may be inspired by innovations or discoveries from adjacent and non-related areas. Application deadlines:
SUMMER
- Expression of Intent – April 15, 11:59 PM EST
- Full application – May 31, 11:59 PM EST (upon invitation)
- Decision available – late July
- Funding available – August-September
FALL
- Expression of Intent – August 31, 11:59 PM EST
- Full application – October 1, 11:59 PM EST
- Decision available – late November
- Funding available – January
Examples of Past Funding
- 1991 – First funding of research of ozone in clinical setting
- 1997 – First funding of research of Chinese medicine
- 1998 – First funding of vitamin C research in the context of cancer
- 2005 – First funding of Spider Lilly compound (pancratistatin) for cancer treatment
- 2008 – Nitric oxide as a novel alternative to antibiotics and anti-viral agent
- 2012 – First funding of low carbohydrate diet projects
- 2014 – First funding of microbiome projects in the context of cancer
- 2015 – Research of molecular imaging probes for detection and treatment of tumors
- 2016 – Off-target medication for cancer treatment
- 2018 – Sponsorship of a pilot on FMT in melanoma patients
Ultrasound and MRI for cancer therapy
First funding of research on cannabinoids in the context of disease management - 2019 – First funding of the transcranial magnetic stimulation
First funding of psilocybin research in the context of cancer - 2020 – High-dose ascorbic acid in the context of COVID-19
- 2021 – Porphysome nanoparticle-enabled image-guided cancer interventions
- 2022 – Green light therapy in the context of osteoarthritis pain management
- 2023 – A novel diaphragm-pacing device for acute hypoxic critically ill patients
Research projects submitted to the Hecht Foundation are selected after a peer-review process.
Funding decisions are made by the Foundation’s Board of Directors with the input of external subject matter experts and the Foundation’s staff.
The following criteria are taken into consideration when making final funding decisions:
- Novelty and uniqueness of the project; general fit with the Foundation’s priorities.
- Need for the project.
- Substantiation of research hypotheses and methods proposed.
- Feasibility and robustness of experimental design.
- Cost and duration of project.
- Expertise of research team.
- Clinical relevance (if applicable) and/or potential impact to the body of scientific knowledge.
- Likelihood of securing funds from other, conventional and governmental, sources.
All funding decisions are made at the discretion of the Board of Directors in alignment with the intent of our founders.