Open — 2027 Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation Young Investigator childhood cancer research funding; submissions due before December 10, 2026 at 8 p.m. ET.
U.S./Canada — ALSF 2027 Young Investigator Childhood Cancer Research Grants (Up to $180,000; December 10)
FundingUp to $180,000 per applicant PI research grant over three years, capped at $60,000 direct costs per year. Indirect costs and tuition remission prohibited; NIH PI salary cap applies. No universal applicant matching contribution published. The award is not renewable; one no-cost extension may be considered.
DeadlineThursday, December 10, 2026, BEFORE 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET), according to the official 2027 Young Investigator Grant guidelines. Do not wait until 8:00 p.m. to transmit.
Last verified2026-10-27
Required next actionRead official 11-page 2027 Young Investigator instructions at https://www.alexslemonade.org/sites/default/files/images/alsf1/downloads/2027_young_investigator_grant_guidelines.pdf; apply in ProposalCentral no later than BEFORE 8:00 p.m. ET December 10, 2026. Prepare nonprofit institutional authorization, one combined PDF <=20 MB, scientific and impact summaries, project aims, mentoring and career-development plan, institutional protected-time support, detailed three-year budget, NIH SciENcv biosketches, resource-sharing plan, appropriate IRB/IACUC documents, other support and three recommendation letters. No appendices. Check nonnegotiable grant and IP terms before submission.
Broad Eligibility
U.S.- or Canada-based nonprofit recipient institution; individual nationality unrestricted. MD, PhD, MD/PhD or equivalent scientist no higher than Instructor (Assistant Professors ineligible). Accredited clinical fellows qualify in training and first 3 Instructor years; other MD/MD-PhD last degree Jan 2019 or later; PhD Jan 2022 or later. 75% nonclinical research protected time, qualified mentor, career development plan. Current NIH R/P or individual F/K grants disqualifying; institutional T32/K12/KL2 may be acceptable. Work must focus on cancer affecting children; primary focus patients older than 19 excluded.
Atlas Analysis
Official 2027 ALSF Young Investigator Grant 11-page application guidelines examined October 27, 2026. Distinct from international RUNX1 Early Career Investigator grant. Up to $180k over 3 years/$60k each year direct only; excludes indirect/tuition, NIH salary cap, no universal match. Full application due BEFORE 8 pm Eastern December 10, 2026; project July 2027-June 2030. Applicant must be nonprofit U.S./Canada institution and PI clinical fellow/postdoc/Instructor, not Assistant Professor, within specific academic degree ranges; 75% protected nonclinical research time, mentor and training plan, disallow NIH individual F/K or independent R/P awards, nonoverlap funding. Childhood cancer-only focus (not primary >19), no human embryonic stem cell or nonhuman primate research; iPSC allowed. One resubmission, no appendices; funder nonnegotiable IP agreement. Annual reports and resource-sharing. One <=20 MB PDF with SciENcv, three letters, institutional commitment, research proposal via ProposalCentral.
2027 Young Investigator Grants: Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation
Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer is accepting full proposals from early-career scientists conducting pediatric cancer research. These three-year awards support laboratory, translational or clinical research and development toward future independent pediatric-oncology careers. This is a charitable research grant, not a vendor contract. Proposals are due before December 10, 2026 at 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
Applicant-level funding
Each eligible investigator may request up to $180,000 in direct costs over three years, capped at $60,000 per year. No indirect costs are allowed. Eligible direct expenses may include salary subject to NIH salary caps, fringe, research supplies, reasonable travel, small equipment and duly budgeted subcontractors. Tuition remission is prohibited. No mandatory applicant match is published; approval is conditional on performance and research progress. The grant is not renewable, although one no-cost extension may be considered.
Eligibility
Grant funds must be awarded to a nonprofit institution or organization based in the United States or Canada; individual investigators need not be US citizens. The candidate must have an MD, PhD, MD/PhD or equivalent and hold no rank above Instructor; Assistant Professors, including adjuncts, are ineligible. Applicants in accredited clinical fellowship programs may apply during fellowship and the first three Instructor years. Other MD/MD-PhD candidates must have received their last doctoral degree in January 2019 or later; PhD candidates in January 2022 or later. At least 75% of total research time must be nonclinical protected time, with a qualified pediatric-cancer mentor and formal career development plan. An NIH independent R or P award or individual F or K training award disqualifies an applicant; certain institutional training grants are permissible.
Allowable research and restrictions
Projects must focus on childhood cancers. Studies solely or primarily centered on patients older than 19 are ineligible. Translational and clinical research are encouraged. The program prohibits research using human embryonic stem cells or nonhuman primates, but permits human induced pluripotent stem cells. Applicants must provide a resource-and-data-sharing plan, mentoring and institutional support evidence, and comply with the nonnegotiable funder grant agreement and intellectual property rules. Appendices are not allowed. One eligible resubmission may be submitted under the published rules.
Application instructions
Use the ProposalCentral active grant opportunity for ALSF, following the controlling 11-page 2027 Young Investigator Grant Guidelines. Submit one combined PDF up to 20 MB, including the scientific abstract, impact statement, budget and justification, career-development and mentoring plan, institutional commitment, NIH SciENcv biosketches, research aims and approach, resource-sharing plan, human-subjects/vertebrate-animal sections where applicable, three letters of recommendation, and lead investigator other-support information. Verify all templates, dates and signatures before submission. Final deadline: December 10, 2026 before 8 p.m. Eastern.
Controlling official instructions: 2027 Young Investigator Grant application guidelines (11-page PDF). ALSF program description.
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Source verificationReferenced source · www.alexslemonade.orgAtlas last verified this record 2026-10-27. Always use the funder's current application materials, amendments and portal instructions as the controlling source.View source and application materials ↗
