The Global Ovarian Cancer Research Consortium awarded its inaugural AI Accelerator Grant in February—and the announcement has been making waves across health, science, and business media, reflecting widespread interest in what this work could mean for patients.
The $1 million global research grant, plus an additional $1 million in compute support from Microsoft’s AI for Good Lab, will fund an international team of researchers examining whether artificial intelligence can improve how survival and treatment response are predicted in ovarian cancer.
The project, AI to Predict Exceptional and Poor Survival from Real-World Biomarkers for Clinical Application, focuses on high-grade serous ovarian cancer—the most common and deadly form of the disease. Researchers from the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia will analyze data collectively to identify patterns linked to survival and treatment response that cannot be detected using current tools.
OCRA Now Accepting Letters of Intent for 2027 Research Grants
Funding opportunities for 2027 grants ranging from $100,000 to $900,000 are now available. OCRA’s grants are open to projects focused on ovarian cancer and/or related gynecologic cancer. Projects must be conducted at educational institutions or non-profit scientific research facilities, and are open to international researchers. Letters of Intent are due Wednesday, March 25, 2026, at 5:00 PM ET.
OCRA’s Advocate’s Corner
OCRA’s Advocate Leaders are helping drive progress on multiple fronts—helping to advance biomarker testing legislation, engaging congressional offices as the FY2027 appropriations cycle gets underway, and heading to Capitol Hill later this month for Spring Advocacy Day. Learn more in OCRA’s Advocate’s Corner.
New Support & Education Sessions
In addition to the sessions listed below, OCRA provides a wide range of support and education sessions for individuals impacted by gynecologic cancers, from informational webinars and workshops to community-building sessions and roundtables.
Cannabis and Cancer (Roundtable)
March 18 at 12PM ET | Register
Staying Connected: Express Yourself
“Putting the Pieces Together”
March 19 at 3PM ET | Register
Ask the Experts: Gynecologic Clear Cell Carcinoma (Webinar)
March 25 at 1PM ET | Register
Staying Connected: Mothers with Young Children (NEW Session)
April 28 at 7PM ET | Register
We are pleased to share that education sessions previously held on Zoom will now be held on our new education platform, ON24.
OCRA’s Patient Support programs are generously sponsored by Merck, Genmab, PMV Pharma, and the Shirley Z. Johnson Trust.
OCRA Honors Researchers With 2025 Rosalind Franklin and Schreiber Prizes
OCRA has awarded research prizes to Sarah Gitto, PhD, of University of Pennsylvania, and David Huntsman, MD, FRCPC, FCCMG, of University of British Columbia, in recognition of their exceptional accomplishments in ovarian cancer research.
FDA Approves First Ovarian Cancer Immunotherapy for PL-D1-Positive Platinum-Resistant Disease
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the first immunotherapy regimen shown to extend survival in a subset of ovarian cancer patients, as well as a companion diagnostic test to help identify people with ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancers whose tumors are PD-L1 positive.
OCRA Sponsors 2026 NCCN Guidelines for Cervical Cancer Patients
The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) has released updated guidelines for cervical cancer patients. OCRA is proud to sponsor this trusted patient resource, which provides clear, understandable information about cervical diagnosis and treatment.
