Research News

Limited Submission Opportunity: 2024 Curing Kids Cancer Innovative Research Award

Applications due July 16

This is a joint competition for VU and VUMC investigators. All investigators should follow these instructions.

Vanderbilt (VU and VUMC, collaboratively) may select one nominee for the Curing Kids Cancer Innovative Research Award. The single nominee may apply in either the Collaborative or Individual program type.

Overview

The goal of these grants is to overcome barriers to the clinical application of new treatment approaches for childhood cancer. A priority is to fund projects that have already shown great promise, but that have a specific funding need to move forward.

Focus areas:

  • Cancer immunotherapy/Targeted therapy
  • High-grade brain tumors or other difficult-to-treat cancers
  • Therapeutic targeting through genomics/epigenetics
  • Applications of novel technologies (e.g. nanotechnology) in these areas are welcome

Please review each award type below and submit internal proposals for either program by July 16, 2024.

Eligibility

  • Collaborative Grant: Up to one multi-institutional collaborative grant of $300,000 will be awarded
    • Must have at least two collaborating divisions of pediatric hematology/oncology from separate institutions
    • Collaborative project can either include a new proposal or a proposal where preliminary data has already been collected
  • Individual Grant: two–four individual grants of $150,000 each will be awarded
  • Applications to fund correlative studies associated with clinical trials in the focus areas will be considered
  • Funding for the associated clinical trial must have already been secured and applications must include a description of the developmental pathway for the therapeutic approach
  • The NIH salary cap must be employed
  • 10% indirect costs from the total award will be allowed (e.g., maximum $15,000 indirect and $135,000 direct costs per award)
  • Must be North American Children’s Oncology Group institutions (no citizenship requirements)
  • Open to PIs at all academic ranks with M.D. and/or Ph.D.
  • A second year of funding may be applied for but will require a full review

View the full RFP for additional guidance.

Internal Application Process

Anyone interested in being considered as Vanderbilt’s nominee for either of the Curing Kids Cancer award types above must submit the following (in PDF format) to LSO@vanderbilt.edu by 11:59 p.m. on July 16, 2024.

  1. Brief (2 page maximum) research plan including summary budget
  2. NIH Biosketch or 5-page CV
  3. Letter of support from department chair/center director (optional)

Submissions should reference the award type (Collaborative or Individual) in the subject line of the email.

The selected Vanderbilt candidate will need to submit a full application to the foundation by September 30, 2024. An endorsement letter from the Division Director of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology (Dr. Debra Friedman) will be required for either type of application.

Please contact us LSO@vanderbilt.edu if you have any questions about the program, foundation, or internal review process.