Pediatric Cancer Research Initiative: Overview

Every year in Canada there are nearly 1000 children diagnosed with cancerFootnote 1. It is the most common disease-related cause of death among Canadian children. Although survival rates for many of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in children and youth continue to improve, approximately 15% of children experience a relapse within five years of diagnosis. Furthermore, two-thirds of childhood cancer survivors will have at least one chronic or long-term side effect as a result of their cancer treatment. In general, it is recognized that cancers in children act differently and are found in different sites than in adults, and that cancers in children tend to grow and spread throughout the body more quickly.

As a result of the funding announced in the Federal Budget 2021, CIHR will deliver the Pediatric Cancer Research Initiative through two main approaches:

  1. Funding to catalyze the development of a multi-stakeholder Pediatric Cancer Consortium. The Consortium will bring together the pediatric cancer research community to advance research that can help inform policy and practice and build capacity for the next generation of pediatric cancer researchers through embedded training and mentorship opportunities, and capacity for people with lived and living experience to engage meaningfully in the research ecosystem.
  2. Supporting excellent research proposals relevant to pediatric cancer, through Priority Announcements within CIHR’s Project Grant competitions.
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