Funder: CureSearch for Children's Cancer
Due Dates: September 1, 2027 (RFA launch) | October 7, 2027 (LOI) | November 10, 2027 (Full proposal invitations) | January 18, 2028 (Full applications) | March 2028 (Earliest award notification) | May 15, 2028 (Project start)
Funding Amounts: $500,000–$2.5 million, with awards up to $2.5 million over three years
Summary: Supports Phase 1 and Phase 2 pediatric cancer clinical trials that advance promising new treatments from laboratory research into patient care.
Key Information: Projects must be ready for clinical testing, with patient enrollment expected within one year of funding.
Description
CureSearch for Children's Cancer’s Catapult Award supports Phase 1 and Phase 2 clinical trials of novel, innovative, less-toxic treatments for children with cancer. The program funds the critical transition from laboratory discoveries to testing in patients, supporting studies that evaluate safety, determine dosing, and examine early signs of benefit.
The award occupies the early clinical trials stage of CureSearch’s broader research funding strategy, which spans cancer biology through later clinical trials and regulatory review. Its goal is to give promising research the opportunity to become better, safer treatments for children. Supported approaches include CAR T cells, natural killer cells, combination immunotherapy, and RNA-nanoparticle vaccines.
