RTFCCR and LLS Jointly Launch International Competitive Grant of USD 1.8 Million to Advance Immunotherapy Research for Blood Cancer
Rising Tide Foundation for Clinical Cancer Research (RTFCCR) and The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, a U.S.-based nonprofit dedicated to funding blood cancer research and education services are partnering for the first time to launch an international competitive grant. With a grant endowment of USD 1.8M, both organizations aim to fund promising clinical trials and clinically-relevant studies to advance breakthrough immunotherapies for blood cancers that have near-term patient impact in terms of clinical application, therapeutic outcomes and quality of life.
All researchers are encouraged to submit their project, which should include a clinical trial and address any of the four topics below:
- Characterization of the status of the immune system in blood cancers patients with the purpose of stratifying them on conventional or emerging immunotherapies for the treatment of blood cancers; understand how or if immune system impairment can lead to blood cancers.
- Development of novel immunotherapeutics including conventional antibodies, immunocheckpoint inhibitors, bi-specific T-cell engaging biologics, adoptive cell therapies, and vaccines for use in clinical trials.
- Development of repurposed agents that engage the immune system.
- Examine improvements to the quality of life during or after immunotherapy for the treatment of blood cancers
Letters of Intent applications must be submitted via the grant system at LLS Research Portal by January 25, 2016. Only the most promising research projects with the highest potential for patient impact will be invited to submit a full grant application. The winning proposals will be announced by June 30, 2016; 3 grants will be awarded up to $600,000 each.
Applications from non-academic facilities and post-doctoral positions and extensions of conventional or traditional chemotherapy such as phase III/IV trials are not eligible for the grant. All awarded grants should be activated within 3 months or less.