Innovation Grant

Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation is a national nonprofit funder of pediatric cancer research in the United States and Canada. The organization grew from the fundraising efforts of Alexandra "Alex" Scott and now funds childhood cancer research and programs for affected families. The Foundation states that its mission is to change the lives of children with cancer through impactful research, awareness, family support, and efforts to cure childhood cancer. The Innovation Grant supports established researchers pursuing novel approaches to pediatric oncology and is intended to provide significant seed funding for research that can ultimately contribute to treatments and cures for childhood cancers. The Innovation Grant supports hypothesis-driven, mechanistic research that represents a new research direction rather than a continuation of an investigator's currently funded work. Innovation must be clearly demonstrated, and proposals should have clinical translation in view and show the potential for major scientific or clinical impact in pediatric oncology. Projects must fall within the Foundation's childhood cancer mission; proposals whose sole or primary focus is patients older than 19 years will not be considered. Preliminary data are not required, although applicants must establish the feasibility of the proposed research plan. Research using human embryonic or fetal stem cells or non-human primates is prohibited, while research using human induced pluripotent stem cells is permitted. Projects involving social determinants of health may be considered when the emphasis is on oncologic rather than psychosocial outcomes. The award provides up to $250,000 in direct costs over a two-year period, with no more than $125,000 in total direct costs requested in any year. Indirect costs are not allowed, including indirect costs associated with subcontracts or subawards. The Foundation adheres to the NIH Salary Cap for principal investigators and other applicable investigators. Allowable budget items may include fringe benefits, reasonable travel, supplies, small equipment, and properly budgeted subawards or subcontracts. Funds may not be used for tuition remission. The guidelines do not state a cost-share or matching requirement. The grant is not renewable, although one no-cost extension of up to 12 months may be requested with the final report. Annual funding remains contingent on satisfactory research progress and appropriate budget expenditures, and minor annual carryover of 25 percent or less is permitted with justification. Applicant institutions must be based in the United States or Canada, and grant funds must be awarded to nonprofit institutions or organizations. Applicants are not required to be United States citizens. Principal investigators and co-principal investigators must hold an MD, PhD, MD/PhD, or equivalent degree and hold a faculty or equivalent appointment at an academic institution. They must demonstrate publication productivity, including at least one publication as a Senior Corresponding Author, and research grant productivity that includes at least one NIH R01-equivalent award. Investigators may submit only one Letter of Intent as a PI or Co-PI during the cycle. Researchers also may not have active Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation grants totaling $125,000 or more per year at the time of award, including concurrent Innovation Grants. A Letter of Intent is mandatory and must satisfy the program's eligibility and content requirements to advance to the full proposal stage. The LOI package includes a 300-word abstract with Rationale, Hypothesis, Specific Aims, and Research Design subsections; two-sentence Impact, Innovation, and Resource Sharing statements; a resubmission response when applicable; literature citations; NIH SciENcv biosketches for the PI and Co-PIs; and NIH SciENcv Current and Pending Other Support forms. The specified LOI content in Sections I through V may not exceed one page, and appendices are prohibited. Applicants invited to submit a full application must assemble the required project information, scientific abstract, impact statement, budget and justification, biosketches, research plan, resource sharing form, literature cited, human-subjects and vertebrate-animal documentation as applicable, letters of support, permitted appendix materials, and Other Support documentation. Application materials must be combined into one PDF no larger than 20 MB and submitted through Proposal Central. An ORCID is required. LOIs and invited full proposals are reviewed by an independent expert panel using an NIH-recognized peer-review process. Review considerations reflected in the guidelines include innovation, significance and potential pediatric oncology impact, feasibility, the scientific approach and milestones, clinical translation potential, and the quality and impact of the proposed resource-sharing plan. One resubmission of a previously reviewed full Innovation Grant application is permitted, and the applicant's response to the prior critique is scored during review. The Letter of Intent is due October 15, 2026 by 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time. Invitations to submit full proposals are expected in January 2027, invited full applications are due March 18, 2027 by 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, and award notifications are expected in August 2027. The guidelines do not state that this funding opportunity recurs annually or on another fixed schedule. Questions about the Innovation Grant may be directed to Katy Estes-Smargiassi, Grant Coordinator, at K.Esmargiassi@AlexsLemonade.org or 866-333-1213 ex. 143. Proposal Central account questions may be directed to pcsupport@altum.com. Awardees must submit annual progress reports and a final report describing findings, expenditures, publications, and presentations. Publications, presentations, and posters resulting from funded work should acknowledge Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation and include the award number, and copies should be sent to Grants@AlexsLemonade.org. Grant recipients are also expected to share unique resources developed under the award in accordance with the Foundation's resource-sharing requirements.

Clearly distinguish the project from ongoing funded research; make the innovative concept explicit; maintain a direct childhood cancer focus and explain potential scientific or clinical impact; demonstrate feasibility even though preliminary data are not required; provide realistic milestones, outcomes, problems and contingency plans; explain clinical translation potential; submit a specific Resource Sharing Plan describing what will be shared, how and when it will be shared, and the resources required; follow required page limits and section order to avoid administrative rejection.