Research Grant Program
For more than 55 years, the Children’s Leukemia Research Association has been on the leading edge of blood cancer research. Each year our Medical Advisory Committee of internationally known hematologists reviews research proposals from doctors nationwide. To date, we have supported more than 550 researchers with more than $5,000,000 of grant money to support the most promising blood cancer research that is not duplicated elsewhere.
Our Research Mission
The research mission of CLRA is to support researchers by carefully reviewing proposals and awarding grant money for leading edge projects. All grants are funded through the financial support of our donors.
We hope that through research, we can find new ways to treat patients. And we are.
In the 1940s and 1950s, leukemia was not curable for children. Today, doctors are now able to cure as many as 90% of patients with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL). This is due in part to researchers sequencing DNA to understand more about how the human body works. Because of that, doctors are able to look at cancer cells versus healthy cells, including genes that may cause cancer.
Daniel Herranz, Assistant Professor at Rutgers Cancer Institute has received research grant funding from the Children’s Leukemia Research Association. As a result, his lab has been able to model the human anatomy so they can study leukemia-related tumors and identify novel therapies.
Dr. Kimberly Stegmaier of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute received a grant of $30,000 from CLRA for advancing life-changing work for targeted therapies for Acute Myeloid Leukemias. Over the years, she has received more than $550,000 in research grants from CLRA. Now more than ever, Dr. Stegmaier and her team are getting the best treatments for children that need them as quickly as possible.
Dr. David Reisman, Ph.D., and Michael J. Mungo, Distinguished Professor and Director of Graduate Studies at the University of South Carolina received a grant from CLRA that supports their Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) research. Their goal is to deepen the understanding of the role of a novel non-coding RNA molecule called IncRNA that impacts the development of AML.
How to Apply for a Research Grant
Check back soon!
Our grant application is currently under construction.
Our Stories Illustrate the Impact
Research grant recipient, Dr. Zakrzewski an Associate Member of the Center for Discovery and Innovation and a Pediatric Stem Cell Transplant Attending Physician at Hackensack University Medical Center was interviewed recently. Dr. Zakrzewski said, “CLRA has really helped us to speed things up in 2022.” Watch the complete interview.
-Dr. Zakrzewski, Research Grant Recipient
There are many options available but when a patient with leukemia relapses, as 20-30% do, there aren’t a lot of therapies available. We need to do better. With the grant from the Children’s Leukemia Research Association, our lab was able to research and identify a novel targeted therapy for leukemia. Our lab is able to model the human anatomy so that we can study leukemia-related tumors.”
Daniel Herranz, Assistant Professor at Rutgers Cancer Institute
is focused on finding novel therapies for blood cancers.
