LUNGevity and Rising Tide Foundation Issue RFA Tackling Lung Cancer's Toughest Challenges: Drug Resistance and Cancer Recurrence

Up to $1 million per project available for research that delivers real-world impact for patients.

WASHINGTON, Jan. 15, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- LUNGevity Foundation, the nation's leading lung cancer-focused nonprofit organization, and Rising Tide Foundation for Clinical Cancer Research (RTFCCR) announced a joint call for research proposals aimed at tackling two of the most urgent challenges in lung cancer care: early detection of disease recurrence and overcoming treatment resistance.

Lung cancer remains the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in the United States and worldwide. Despite advances in targeted therapies and immunotherapy, many patients experience resistance to treatment or have tumor growth after initial treatment benefits.

"Currently, we don't have ways to detect drug resistance early in the process. If we did, doctors could act early and change patients' treatments to prevent or overcome resistance – allowing us to keep the cancer in check for longer periods of time," said Upal Basu Roy, PhD, MPH, Executive Director of LUNGevity Research. "Research funding is urgently needed to fill this critical gap by building ways to proactively detect drug resistance and develop treatments to overcome resistance."

To address this unmet need, LUNGevity and RTFCCR are partnering to fund clinical trials that allow scientific discoveries to become lifesaving diagnostics and treatments.

This strategic initiative, called RTFCCR/LUNGevity Award for Overcoming Treatment Resistance and Technology for Detection of Recurrence of Lung Cancer, will provide up to $1,000,000 per project over four years, supporting research that has the potential to deliver direct benefits for patients with lung cancer. This work builds on past collaborations, including a research award to improve the early detection of lung cancer.

"Rising Tide Foundation for Clinical Cancer Research is proud to once again partner with LUNGevity to continue our longstanding traditions of funding innovative, patient-centered clinical research to positively impact the lives of people diagnosed with cancer," said Dr. Karolina Werynska, Scientific Program Manager at RTFCCR. "This year's joint research award has the potential to dramatically change the landscape of lung cancer survivorship and we're eager to see the exciting ideas the researchers propose."

In alignment with RTFCCR's and LUNGevity's emphasis on patient-centered care, successful applications will demonstrate patient-centered design, including the involvement of patient advocates or organizations from the outset of the project.

In addition, successful projects must address one of three areas: treatments for resistance, validation of lab-developed tests for monitoring resistance/treatment response, or validation of tests for minimal residual disease detection. Visit the application portal for additional information.
The deadline to apply is February 15, 2026.

About Rising Tide Foundation

Rising Tide Foundation for Clinical Cancer Research is a charitable, nonprofit organization established in 2010 and located in Schaffhausen, Switzerland. RTFCCR's primary consideration in granting support is given to innovative, patient-centered clinical research. The long-term ambition of the foundation is to bring the maximum benefit in the shortest time possible to cancer patients. The foundation works toward this objective by fostering partnerships and striving to attract and support the best in Phase I to Phase III clinical trials. The foundation's efforts are focused on the creation of less toxic therapeutic approaches, better disease burden management, earlier cancer detection, and innovative intervention strategies that will lead to increased quality of life and survival for patients.

Please visit www.risingtide-foundation.org to learn more.

About LUNGevity Foundation

LUNGevity, the nation's leading lung cancer organization, is transforming what it means to be diagnosed and live with lung cancer. LUNGevity seeks to make an immediate impact on quality of life and survivorship for everyone touched by the disease—while promoting health equity by addressing disparities throughout the care continuum.

• Through research, we use an innovative and holistic approach to finding lung cancer earlier when it is most treatable; advance research into new treatments so people may live longer and better; and ensure a diverse, vital pipeline of investigators for the future of the lung cancer field.
• Through advocacy, we foster groundbreaking collaborations to ensure all people have access to screening, biomarker testing, and treatment breakthroughs.
• Through community, we educate, support, and connect people affected by lung cancer so that they can get the best healthcare and live longer and better lives.

Comprehensive resources include a medically vetted and patient-centric website, Patient Gateways for specific types of lung cancer, a toll-free HELPLine for personalized support, international survivor conferences, and tools to find a clinical trial. All these programs are designed to help us achieve our vision—a world where no one dies of lung cancer. LUNGevity Foundation is proud to be a four-star Charity Navigator organization.

Please visit www.LUNGevity.org to learn more. 

About Lung Cancer in the US

• About 1 in 18 Americans will be diagnosed with lung cancer in their lifetime.
• More than 226,000 people in the US will be diagnosed with lung cancer this year, with a new diagnosis every 2.3 minutes.
• It is estimated that close to 65% of all new lung cancer diagnoses are among people with no tobacco exposure or only past tobacco exposure.
• More lives are lost to lung cancer than to the next two deadliest cancers (colorectal and pancreatic) combined.
• Only 28% of all people diagnosed with lung cancer will survive 5 years or more, but if it's caught before it spreads, the chance of 5-year survival improves to 65%.

SOURCE LUNGevity Foundation