Washington State University has once again been chosen to receive an Institutional Research Grants (IRG) from the American Cancer Society. 

According to Nancy Magnuson, director of the American Cancer Society’s grant program, the award is a three-year renewal of the society’s grant. 

Continuing in 2010 through 2012, each of the three annual recipients will receive $30,000, resulting in a total grant of $270,000. 

Magnuson said that an Institutional Research Grant is a block award to an institution that enables it to give small grants to beginning investigators who have no national peer-reviewed research grant support.

“The intent of the program is to support these junior faculty in initiating their cancer research projects so they can obtain preliminary results that will enable them to compete successfully for future larger national grants,” said Magnuson. “Since 1977, the American Cancer Society’s IRG program has invested $1,370,000 in 64 junior faculty here at Washington State.”

She said the recipients of the 2010 grants will not be chosen until mid-December.

Recently, two former American Cancer Society-funded cancer researchers were awarded the Nobel Prize, bringing to 44 the number of previous ACS grantees who have won the prestigious award.