2024 ALSF Crazy 8 Initiative

Eligibility

• PIs, Co-PIs, and Co-Is must have an MD, PhD, or MD/PhD or equivalent and be appointed as faculty (or equivalent) at an academic institution.
• PIs, Co-PIs, and Co-Is must have a track record of publication and funding productivity that demonstrates that the project can be accomplished by the investigators.
• PIs, Co-PIs, and Co-Is institutions may be based in the United States or abroad, and applicants need not be United States citizens. Funds must be granted to nonprofit institutions or organizations and will be distributed in US dollars.
• PIs, Co-PIs, and Co-Is may not be a PI, Co-PI, or Co-I on a currently funded Crazy 8 Project Team. If a Co-I with special expertise is needed to complete the team, please send your request with a brief description of why this member is critical for the team to Margaret Poore at M.Poore@AlexsLemonade.org and we will review it administratively.

Summary

Childhood cancer is the leading cause of death in children in the United States and Canada and the Crazy 8 initiative’s aim is to change the trajectory of pediatric oncology. With this goal, the Crazy 8 initiative kicked off in the Fall of 2018 with a meeting that brought together more than 90 scientists from around the world to help define the research landscape in eight key areas of need to tackle major obstacles impeding progress toward cures for childhood cancer, ALSF has awarded 6 research teams across 21 institutions, a total of $26 million, funding innovative research that addresses topics of drugging the undruggable and the developmental origins of cancer. To see the scope of projects funded in the previous round of Crazy 8 Award funding, navigate here.

In 2024, ALSF Crazy 8 Initiative will focus on Childhood Cancer Predisposition and Prevention. It is now estimated that at least 15-20% of children with cancer harbor a germline cancer predisposition gene. Although currently about 100 cancer predisposition syndromes are known, there are clearly more syndromes and more genes to be discovered. There is a need to identify cancers in these individuals early to establish surveillance protocols for effective treatment. In addition, there is a need to develop effective approaches to prevent or delay tumor onset in children determined to be genetically at risk. The focus of this award will be on multiple aspects of a single cancer predisposition syndrome, or on a broader area (e.g. surveillance) across a number of different syndromes. Five major areas of focus have been identified for this Crazy 8 RFA:

• New Gene Discovery
• Genotype-phenotype correlations
• Surveillance optimization
• Predisposition Models
• Cancer Prevention

This ALSF Crazy 8 RFA focuses on understanding childhood cancer predisposition and prevention. The focus must be on pediatric/adolescent cancer predisposition and should be a consortium of two or more institutions with different areas of research collaborating to integrate their expertise. It is strongly encouraged to have a patient advocate on the team. The proposal should address a topic that is responsive to at least one of the five areas of focus listed above.

The proposals will be judged on innovation, scientific soundness, significance, and the potential for impact on improving the lives of children with cancer. The award selection process involves three stages: (1) a letter of intent to narrow the pool to the projects most in line with the scope of the Crazy 8 Initiative; (2) a full proposal to select finalists; and (3) a virtual presentation to ALSF leadership and the Crazy 8 Scientific Advisory Board to choose the award recipient(s).

Overhead

10% of total direct costs.

Pre-application deadlines

RSO internal deadline

Pre-application program deadline

Application deadlines

RSO detailed review deadline

RSO final internal review deadline

Program application deadline

NOTE: Consult your Faculty Associate Dean (Research) (ADR) regarding Faculty-specific deadlines and submission processes.

Principal Investigators: Complete a Research Management System (RMS) record, including a copy of your complete application, and submit this for approvals in RMS.

Postdocs, students, and trainees: For fellowships and externally-sponsored research training awards or opportunities, you must complete the Research Funding Application Approval (RFAA) Trainee PDF form, and submit it, along with a complete copy of the application, to Research Services at rsotrainee@ucalgary.ca. Trainees should not use RMS at this time.

Approvals: The University of Calgary requires that all funding applications be approved prior to submission. Approval requires signatures via either RMS or the RFAA Trainee form, in the following order:

• Principal Investigator
• Department Head
• Faculty ADR/Dean
• Research Services (on behalf of the Vice-President Research)

Read the Meaning of Grant Signatures policy to understand what your approval means. Please see the agency guidelines for details about which signatures are required on your application, as it may differ from internal requirements.

Late submissions: Late submissions will only be accepted in cases of medical or family emergencies, or other exceptional circumstances. If you submit your RMS record to Research Services after the internal deadline has passed, you must secure additional approvals. Please read: Late Applications Process.

Additional Resources

2024 Crazy 8 Predisposition Award Guidelines

Crazy 8 Application Cover Page

Crazy 8 Budget Template

Resource Sharing Form

ALSF Grant Policies

ALSF Budget Expenditure Policy

ALSF Resource Sharing Policy

ALSF Resource Sharing Review Rubric

Grant Agreement with IP Policy