CancerFree KIDS Research Grants - Accelerator Awards

Location: Cincinnati, OH and Columbus, OH (US)
Mission: Advance promising pediatric cancer research toward clinical application

Program Overview

Accelerator Awards are follow-on research grants that allow researchers who previously received a CancerFree KIDS New Idea Award to advance their work that has demonstrated success and promising results. These grants enable researchers to move from early discovery toward clinical translation more quickly.

Funding Details

• 2025 Funding: 8 Accelerator Awards awarded
• 2024 Funding: 3 Accelerator Awards awarded
• 2022 Funding: 3 Accelerator Awards awarded ($200,000 at Cincinnati Children's; $100,000 at Nationwide Children's)
• Lifetime Investment: $12.5 million across 265 research grants (as of 2025)

Geographic Scope

• Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (Cincinnati, OH)
• Nationwide Children's Hospital (Columbus, OH)

Research Focus Areas

• Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)
• Gliomas
• Osteosarcoma
• Cancer Predisposition
• Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia
• CAR-T cell immunotherapy
• Other pediatric malignancies previously funded as New Idea Awards

Eligibility

• Required: Previous recipients of CancerFree KIDS New Idea Award
• Required: Demonstrated promising results and successful preliminary data
• Researchers at: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center or Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, OH

What They Fund

• Advancement of early-stage discoveries toward clinical application
• Follow-on research building on New Idea Award results
• Research with demonstrated promise for translation
• Studies positioned to secure subsequent major funding

Background

Accelerator Awards were introduced as a program enhancement to support the most promising research as it progresses toward clinical trials and commercialization. This tiered funding approach (New Idea → Accelerator) maximizes impact by providing sustained support for high-potential innovations. The organization's initial funding has leveraged $114 million in subsequent funding from other sources.