California Breast Cancer Research Program

What California Breast Cancer Research Program does

The California Breast Cancer Research Program (CBCRP) is a public, state-funded breast cancer research grant program established in 1993 by California state legislation and operated by the Regents of the University of California through the UC Research Grants Program Office in Oakland. It funds research across four focus areas — prevention, detection, treatment, and community impact — through a portfolio of competitive award mechanisms including the Innovative Developmental and Exploratory Award (IDEA, up to $200K), Community Research Collaboration (CRC) awards (Pilot up to $200K, Full up to $600K), Fellowship Awards (Predoctoral up to $148.8K, Postdoctoral up to $180K), Conference Awards, Policy Initiative Research (up to $260K annually), and Program-Directed Initiatives. CBCRP is recognized as the largest state-funded breast cancer research effort in the country, requires community advocate involvement in all funded research, and operates a publicly searchable funded research database.

The program is funded through three documented channels: California tobacco tax revenues allocated by the state, voluntary taxpayer contributions via the Line 405 tax check-off on Form 540 (with a stated annual contribution goal of $600,000), and direct donations through an online portal, with 95% of donations flowing to new breast cancer research approaches. Grant administration is centralized on the UC SmartSimple platform, and outreach is conducted through direct donation portals, advocate registration, community partner programs, applicant webinars, and annual compendia of awarded research. In 2025, CBCRP awarded over $10 million in grants across 24 California research institutions and community organizations, and over $13 million in total has historically been distributed through tax check-off contributions alone.

CBCRP is governed by the California Breast Cancer Research Council, which includes both scientific members and community advocates (advocates representing roughly one-third of membership), and all funded work is restricted to California-based researchers and institutions. The organization's go-to-market motion is community-led: it recruits California residents as research advocates, partners with community-based organizations as co-investigators on CRC awards, and uses workplace giving and event sponsorship to expand its donor base. It is a non-commercial entity — it sells no products or services, generates no conventional revenue, and is structured as a public benefit program rather than a private enterprise.

Name

California Breast Cancer Research Program

Legal name

Regents of the University of California

Website

https://cbcrp.org

Company type

Public

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

The California Breast Cancer Research Program is a state-funded, University of California-administered grant program that funds breast cancer prevention, detection, treatment, and community impact research across California research institutions, operating since 1993 as the largest state-funded breast cancer research effort in the U.S.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cancer Research Grant Funding

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Other Grantmaking and Giving Services (813219)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Health & Medical Research Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Disease-Specific Research & Support (e.g., Cancer, Diabetes, ALS) (BPAGACAA), Health Research Funding Agencies (Public/Quasi-Public) (HLAJALAB), Grantmaking & Philanthropic Funds (Institutional Donors) (BPADAOAB)

Keywords

• Breast cancer research
• Research grant funding
• Community participatory research
• State-funded research program
• Cancer prevention research

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Others, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. State Tax Check-off Contributions: Californians can contribute to the California Breast Cancer Research Fund by checking Line 405 on their state tax return. This is the primary funding mechanism, with the program noting a goal of $600,000 in annual contributions.
2. General Donations: The organization accepts direct donations through an online portal, with 95% of all donations supporting new breast cancer research approaches.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

California Breast Cancer Research Program funds innovative breast cancer research through competitive grant programs, including IDEA Awards, Community Research Collaboration Awards, Fellowship Awards, Conference Awards, and Policy Initiatives. The program supports research across four focus areas — prevention, detection, treatment, and community impact — at California-based research institutions and community organizations. Administered by the University of California, CBCRP awards over $10 million annually and requires community advocate involvement in all funded research.

Product overview

The California Breast Cancer Research Program (CBCRP) is a research funding organization operated by the University of California, serving as the country's largest state-funded breast cancer research effort. It does not offer a traditional product in the software sense but provides a portfolio of funding programs including the IDEA Award, Community Research Collaboration (CRC) Awards, Fellowship Awards, Conference Awards, Policy Initiative Research, and Program-Directed Initiatives. Access to grant management is provided through the SmartSimple platform, while research outputs and opportunities are shared via the CBCRP website and Funded Research Database.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Innovative Developmental and Exploratory Award (IDEA)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over $10 million granted in research awards in 2025
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Community Partners Program MemberscoreOthersThe Community Partners Program includes individuals and organizations that support CBCRP through financial contributions, event sponsorship, and advocacy. Individual partners donate to the program; organizational partners include employers conducting workplace giving campaigns and community foundations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Avon Foundation for Women: Historically one of the largest funders of breast cancer research and community programs through the Avon Walk. Directly comparable to CBCRP in funding breast cancer research grants and screening/awareness initiatives.
• Stand Up To Cancer: A charitable program funding collaborative, translational cancer research including breast cancer. Comparable as a high-profile cancer research grantmaker with innovative funding mechanisms similar to CBCRP's IDEA and translational approaches.
• Prevent Cancer Foundation: A national nonprofit funding cancer prevention and early detection research. Comparable to CBCRP's prevention focus area and community-partnered approach to research funding.
• Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF): A leading national nonprofit funding breast cancer research worldwide. Highly comparable as a dedicated breast cancer research grantmaker with a portfolio model similar to CBCRP's IDEA and fellowship programs.
• Susan G. Komen: The largest national breast cancer-specific research and community health funder in the U.S. Directly comparable to CBCRP in funding breast cancer research grants and community programs, though operating nationally rather than state-restricted.
• National Breast Cancer Coalition: A grassroots advocacy and policy organization focused on breast cancer research and access. Comparable in combining advocacy-driven funding with research prioritization, paralleling CBCRP's mandatory advocate-involvement model.
• California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM): California's state-funded stem cell research grantmaking agency, also operated through the University of California. Directly comparable in being a California state-mandated, UC-administered research funding entity with similar governance and funding models.

Broad incumbents

• American Cancer Society: The largest U.S. nonprofit funder of cancer research broadly, including substantial breast cancer grantmaking. Comparable as a cancer research grantmaker, but operates across all cancer types rather than specializing in breast cancer.
• V Foundation for Cancer Research: A major cancer research funder founded by Jim Valvano that awards grants across cancer types. Comparable as a competitive grantmaking foundation, though it supports broader oncology rather than breast cancer specialization.
• National Cancer Institute (NCI): The federal government's primary agency for cancer research and training, the largest single funder of cancer research in the world. Comparable as a research funding entity, though federally chartered and substantially larger in grant capacity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/California-Breast-Cancer-Research-Program-100064622056485
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/california-breast-cancer-research-program

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about California Breast Cancer Research Program