Innovation Grants

These grants are designed to provide critical and significant seed funding for experienced investigators with a novel and promising approach to finding causes and cures for childhood cancers. A Letter of Intent is required. The Innovation Award amount totals $250,000 over two years. The Award may not be renewed, however, one no cost extensions are allowable.

Download the 2025 Innovation Grant Full Application Guidelines

University of Michigan

Background

Principal Investigator Name:

Elizabeth Lawlor, M.D., Ph.D.

Project Title:

Mechanisms of LGR5 Regulation and Function in Ewing sarcoma Metastasis

Year Awarded:

2014

Cancer Research Category:

Ewing Sarcoma

Category of Grant:

Innovation Grants

Medical, Nurse Researcher, Quality of LIfe:

Medical

Institution:

University of Michigan

Massachusetts General Hospital

Background

Principal Investigator Name:

Hanno Hock, M.D., Ph.D.

Project Title:

Modeling the Multi-hit Pathogenesis of t(12;21) Associated Pediatric ALL by CRISPR/Cas-mediated Genome Engineering

Year Awarded:

2014

Cancer Research Category:

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)

Category of Grant:

Innovation Grants

Medical, Nurse Researcher, Quality of LIfe:

Medical

Institution:

Massachusetts General Hospital

Washington University

Background

Principal Investigator Name:

David Gutmann, M.D., Ph.D.

Project Title:

Developing Personalized (precision) Medicine Strategies to Optimize Pediatric Brain Tumor Management

Year Awarded:

2014

Cancer Research Category:

Category of Grant:

Innovation Grants

Medical, Nurse Researcher, Quality of LIfe:

Medical

Institution:

Washington University

Baylor College of Medicine

Background
Immunotherapy with genetically modified T cells has the potential to improve outcomes for children with cancer. We have recently developed a new class of antigen-specific T cells, Engager T cells, that not only recognize tumor cells, but also redirect bystander T cells to tumors. This was achieved by genetically modifying T cells to secrete bispecific T-cell engagers. However, cancer patients also have a large reservoir of NK cells that could be harnessed to destroy malignant cells.

Principal Investigator Name:

Stephen Gottschalk, M.D.

Project Title:

Two-pronged Cell Therapy: Engineering T Cells to Redirect Bystander T- and NK-Cells to Pediatric Cancer

Year Awarded:

2014

Cancer Research Category:

Category of Grant:

Innovation Grants

Medical, Nurse Researcher, Quality of LIfe:

Medical

Institution:

Baylor College of Medicine

University of Florida

Background

Principal Investigator Name:

Steven Ghivizzani, Ph.D.

Project Title:

Development of AAV Vectors for Efficient Targeting and Elimination of Osteosarcoma Tumor-Initiating Cells

Year Awarded:

2014

Cancer Research Category:

Osteosarcoma

Category of Grant:

Innovation Grants

Medical, Nurse Researcher, Quality of LIfe:

Medical

Institution:

University of Florida

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Project Goal

Principal Investigator Name:

Rani George, M.D., Ph.D.

Project Title:

Targeting MYC/MYCN-driven Transcriptional Amplification in Pediatric Cancer

Year Awarded:

2014

Cancer Research Category:

Category of Grant:

Innovation Grants

Medical, Nurse Researcher, Quality of LIfe:

Medical

Institution:

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

Background

Principal Investigator Name:

Alan D. Friedman, M.D.

Project Title:

Converting the Glioblastoma Multiforme Tumor-Associated Macrophage Phenotype

Year Awarded:

2014

Cancer Research Category:

Brain Tumors

Category of Grant:

Innovation Grants

Medical, Nurse Researcher, Quality of LIfe:

Medical

Institution:

The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

University of Colorado Denver

Background

Principal Investigator Name:

Heide Ford, Ph.D.

Project Title:

Targeting the Six1/Eya Transcriptional Complex to Inhibit Pediatric Sarcomas

Year Awarded:

2014

Cancer Research Category:

Category of Grant:

Innovation Grants

Medical, Nurse Researcher, Quality of LIfe:

Medical

Institution:

University of Colorado Denver

Columbia University

Background
Resistance to chemotherapy is a major clinical challenge in pediatric acute leukemias. This project seeks to develop new drugs targeting NT5C2, a gene mutated in relapsed leukemias responsible for the development of resistance to chemotherapy.

Principal Investigator Name:

Adolfo A. Ferrando, M.D., Ph.D.

Project Title:

Mechanisms and Targeted Inhibition of NT5C2 Mutations in Relapsed ALL

Year Awarded:

2014

Cancer Research Category:

Category of Grant:

Innovation Grants

Medical, Nurse Researcher, Quality of LIfe:

Medical

Institution:

Columbia University

University of Colorado Denver, Anschutz Medical Campus

Background

Principal Investigator Name:

Patricia Ernst, Ph.D.

Project Title:

Exploiting Epigenetic Dependencies of Notch1 for Clinical Benefit

Year Awarded:

2014

Cancer Research Category:

Category of Grant:

Innovation Grants

Medical, Nurse Researcher, Quality of LIfe:

Medical

Institution:

University of Colorado Denver

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