As our biggest month of the year winds down (we are still looking forward to our very first Childhood Cancer Symposium this weekend, click here for information), we are anxiously awaiting the submission of grant applications for the 2009 Nursing Grants and a brand new and exciting addition. Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation is proud to announce a new grant category to our already prestigious line up, the “A” Award. You may be thinking this is a play on words, and why not, after all, “A” is for Alex.

Following in the footsteps of the Young Investigator Awards, the “A” Award is designed for young scientists to jump start their careers in pediatric oncology research. It is also intended to keep them there! It is no secret that childhood cancer needs more researchers to focus on finding cures and causes for the disease, and this grant’s purpose is to do just that, draw more researchers into the field.

One of the most exciting aspects of this grant is that the funding will cover three years of research. Currently, all other ALSF awards are given two years of funding. Additionally, the “A” Award will be the largest given the by the Foundation, totaling $375,000. Another bonus – the award will grant the researchers exclusive access to ALSF’s Scientific Advisory Board for periodic consultation, as well as reference books to enhance the researcher’s pediatric library.

ALSF is proud of the progress that has been made through our grant program since inception in 2005, and we are equally excited to continue taking leaps and bounds toward the cures we are so desperately seeking. The “A” Award is an important component in the continuation of this progress, and we can’t wait to accept applications and see where their work will lead.

For more information on the “A” Award and the current grant applications ALSF is accepting, click here.