Expressions of interest
Interested in working with us to discover and develop transformative therapeutics in cancers affecting children and young people? Submit a proposal now to express your interest.
Summary
We are seeking projects from the international research community for either targets well-validated in childhood cancer indications or existing therapeutic assets for childhood cancers.
We are interested in any type of therapeutic modality and indication with high unmet need.
Unlike typical grant funding, we offer a truly collaborative approach to project development and delivery.
Our founding partner organisations have a strong track record in drug discovery which will be leveraged as part of investment into projects.
We strive to progress therapeutic discovery programmes through to clinical development in collaboration between our in-house drug discovery capabilities and the originator researchers.
Depending on the nature and stage of the project, as well as the researcher’s capabilities to progress the drug discovery, researchers might be eligible for award funding for specific activities.
Eligibility
Our call for collaborative projects is open to researchers in academia or industry worldwide. EOIs should have a single lead applicant, however co-applicants are welcome.
Drug discovery projects should be directed to childhood or adolescent cancers as primary indications, particularly those with high unmet need.
All therapeutic modalities are in scope.
Therapies should be novel and bespoke for cancers in children and young people over repurposing those discovered or developed for other indications, including adult cancers.
Where therapeutic assets could also have applicability in an adult indication, the development in that indication would be secondary to development in cancers affecting children and young people.
Therapeutic assets that work in combinations with existing treatment approaches are also eligible.
Process & timeline
We’ll run a rolling call for expressions of interest with reviews happening every four months. The timelines in the graphic indicate the current round.
Therapeutic opportunities will undergo a detailed review process to be considered for collaboration. Following submissions of expressions of interest, proposals will be reviewed internally by the C-Further team.
5 September 2024
Expressions of interest open
Our initial call is now open. To submit an expression of interest, download our form here. All submissions are bound by our terms and conditions.
Contact us at EOI@c-further.org for questions, support or to book a 1:1 discussion before submission.
1 November 2024
Our initial call closes
All therapeutic opportunities will undergo a detailed triage process to be considered for support. Triage decisions will be made by an internal review panel, providing an initial filter on the expressions of interest from the research community.
December 2024
Shortlisted teams invited to apply
Teams that are shortlisted will be notified in December 2024 and invited to submit their projects for diligence.
If a project is successful, our therapeutic discovery teams will actively engage with the investigator(s) to co-develop a research proposal. At this stage, the Scientific Advisory Board will be asked to review the clinical opportunity and scientific quality of the proposal, as well as provide a recommendation as to whether it should be supported.
By May 2025
Application outcomes
Applicants will be notified of the outcome of the full Joint Steering Committee review by May 2025.
Review criteria
Projects will be selected based on a range of factors:
Unmet need and potential impact
Strong scientific rationale and technical feasibility
Combined access to the necessary expertise/capabilities
Competitive landscape and intellectual property
Due to the translational nature of the consortium, it may also be necessary to make decisions based on portfolio balance.
Have any questions?
Read through our frequently asked questions here and on our researcher page. If you’re still not sure, watch our webinar for more details or contact us to book a 1:1 discussion.
Answer our call for projects related to childhood cancers
Download and fill out the Expressions of Interest form here