Research Funding by the Cura Placida Foundation – Targeted, Individualized Cancer Therapies in Children

The Cura Placida – Children’s Cancer Research Foundation supports nationwide research projects dedicated to the development and application of targeted, individualized cancer therapies for children suffering from blood and cancer diseases. Targeted approaches such as precision and immunotherapies, bioinformatics-based systems medicine, molecular diagnostics, and new gentle treatment methods aim on the one hand to increase efficacy against tumor cells, and on the other hand to minimize undesirable long-term side effects. With a permanent grant program, the foundation supports projects that both strengthen basic research and promote the transfer of innovative therapies into clinical practice. A special focus is placed on initiatives that develop cost-effective solutions for countries with limited medical infrastructure and sustainably improve the quality of life of affected children and adolescents.

Eligible for funding are public as well as non-profit educational and research institutions that submit excellent projects in the fields of science, health, and social affairs. In the selection process, degree of innovation, relevance to the target group, and scientific excellence play a decisive role. Interdisciplinary teams are expected, combining, for example, funding, laboratory analyses, clinical trials, or bioinformatics to validate predictive markers and tailored therapeutic approaches. Through the continuous awarding of grants, the foundation helps ensure that pioneering projects in pediatric oncology remain quickly realizable. Researchers pursuing ambitious concepts in precision medicine or improving the psychosocial support of young patients will find a reliable source of funding in this program.